Florida man makes masks out of python, iguana skin
Brian Woods is tackling both problems of invasive reptiles and the coronavirus pandemic
Last updated:
2 MIN READ
1/11
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.
AFP
2/11
Brian Woods, the 63-year-old owner of All American Gator Products, has turned his hand to designing face masks made out reptile skin.
AFP
3/11
"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.
AFP
4/11
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.
AFP
5/11
He now sells python skin face masks on his Facebook page for $90.
AFP
6/11
Snake hunter Amy Siewe arrived at Woods' home with a giant python for skinning.
AFP
7/11
"They're wreaking havoc on the Everglades," she said, referring to the vast wetlands that occupy much of southern Florida.
AFP
8/11
"They get to be between 18 and 20 feet (5.5 to 6 meters) long and they eat everything from rats to deer."
AFP
9/11
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.
AFP
10/11
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission pays hunters a bounty to capture the snakes.
AFP
11/11
Iguanas likely also came to Florida as pets before being released into the wild, where they thrive in the balmy climate.
AFP
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