Video Of The Week - Australia's Largest Python Faces Annual Weigh-In

Sedentary zoo lifestyles can often lead to unhealthy weight gains in animals. That certainly seemed to be the case for Atomic Betty, Australia's largest python that resides in a reptile park in Gosford, New South Wales. At her 2011 weigh-in, the 22ft. long python alarmed the park officials when she tipped the scales at 300 lbs.

To curb additional weight gain, her keepers decided to place the python on a strict diet, which meant, that instead of devouring ten goats during the year, she gulped down only four.

The diet certainly seems to have paid off, for when the giant python was placed on the scales for her 2012 weigh-in on January 5th, she came in at a mere 302 lbs - Just a tad heavier than the previous year and not a concern, given that Atomic Betty had grown in length.

The park officials are happy with the results and also thankful that they do not have to worry about another weigh-in, until next year. That's because carrying a python that can easily crush and swallow a human whole is not, for the faint of heart. Thanks to its massive size and length, it took six employees half an hour to get Atomic Betty ready and, since she will continue to grow lengthwise for the next seven years, future weigh-ins can only get more perilous.

Resources: huffingtonpost.com, smh.com.au