Record-breaking 17ft Burmese python bursting with 87 eggs is found in Florida...and authorities let it roam free for a MONTH on purpose

A monstrous Burmese python measuring 17 feet, 7 inches and carrying a record-breaking 87 eggs has been captured in Florida.

Weighing in at a colossal 164.5 pounds, the giant female is the largest snake of its kind found in the state and serves as further evidence of how the foreign predator is threatening local wildlife, say researchers.

'This thing is monstrous, it's about a foot wide,' said Kenneth Krysko, from the Florida Museum of Natural History. 'It means these snakes are surviving a long time in the wild, there's nothing stopping them and the native wildlife are in trouble.'

The massive constrictor snake was first caught by researchers in the Everglades National Park in March. After being fitted with radio transmitters, it was returned to the wild as what scientists call a ‘Judas snake.’

Scientists tracked the snake's movements to learn about how the species are invading the area - using the bugged reptile to locate other snakes as they congregated for mating.

Burmese pythons, native to southern Asia, arrived in the U.S. three decades ago as part of the exotic pet industry. Although the species are not poisonous they are powerful enough to kill humans by suffocating them.