Florida man makes masks out of python, iguana skin

Brian Woods is tackling both problems of invasive reptiles and the coronavirus pandemic

Last updated: May 24, 2020 | 15:05

AFP and Compiled by Christian Borbon, Digital Content Editor

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A Florida craftsman has come up with a novel way of tackling both the coronavirus pandemic and the problem of invasive pythons and iguanas that damage the state's fragile ecosystem.

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Brian Woods, the 63-year-old owner of All American Gator Products, has turned his hand to designing face masks made out reptile skin.

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"I took something that's very serious and turned it into a fashion statement," he said at his workshop in Dania Beach, 25 miles (40 kilometers) north of Miami.

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Woods got his inspiration from a curious source - a meme he saw of a horse wearing a woman's bra as a face mask. He asked his wife if he could borrow one of hers to test if the concept would work.

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He now sells python skin face masks on his Facebook page for $90.

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Snake hunter Amy Siewe arrived at Woods' home with a giant python for skinning.

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"They're wreaking havoc on the Everglades," she said, referring to the vast wetlands that occupy much of southern Florida.

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"They get to be between 18 and 20 feet (5.5 to 6 meters) long and they eat everything from rats to deer."

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The pythons were probably introduced to Florida as exotic pets toward the end of the last century and released into the Everglades, where they have no predators.

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The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission pays hunters a bounty to capture the snakes.

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Iguanas likely also came to Florida as pets before being released into the wild, where they thrive in the balmy climate.

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