16-Foot-Long Python Caught by Teens in Florida Swamp

A few teenage boys are celebrating a massive discovery in a Florida swamp after coming face-to-face with 16 feet of slithering reptile!!!

Chris Cronin, the father of teenage python hunters Jack and Brendan, tells TMZ … he and his sons were out combing through Big Cypress Swamp. The Cronins and some friends call themselves the Glades Boys, and they needed all hands on deck when they stumbled upon the beast of a serpent last weekend.

Chris says they were hoping to get a hold of a 5-foot or maybe 7-foot python during the search, but instead they took things to the next level.

They recorded the whole find and capture … first, Jack jumped on its head to secure it, and then the rest of the gang helped collect the rest of the lengthy body. Of course, they snapped a few proud pics with the python.

Worth noting the big snake was killed after this capture — pythons are an invasive non-native species in the area, so it’s standard procedure to destroy them. Chris says the snake was handed over to the state for research after their hunt was over.

Did we mention it was Jack and Brendan’s first python hunt?? Quite the giant to find for an inaugural outing!