It was about 2 in the morning when Claudilio Cruz, a member of a road crew spreading asphalt on U.S. 1 in the affluent Miami suburb of Pinecrest, heard frantic honking.

Burmese pythons aren't native to Florida - they're an invasive species that's been disrupting the Everglades ecosystem for decades. The snakes, which can grow over 18 feet long and weigh more than 200 ...