The largest Burmese python ever seen in South Florida was captured in the wild earlier this week.

ABC News reports, a snake hunter caught the female snake on South Florida Water Management District property in Miami-Dade County Monday night.  Homestead resident Kyle Penniston was credited for capturing the large reptile, which was measured at 17 feet 5 inches and weighed 120 pounds.

The python is the third to have been caught as part of the agency's Python Elimination Program that measured more than 17 feet, according to ABC.

"Eliminating invasive species such as Burmese pythons is critical to preserving the rare Everglades ecosystem," the SFWMD said. "Florida taxpayers have invested billions of dollars to restore the water quality and hydrology of the Everglades. Reducing the populations of invasive plants and animals is necessary to ensure this investment results in meeting the shared goals of the overall restoration plan."

Snake hunters for the SFWMD have captured 1,859 of the invasive species on district-owned land.