What was the deal with that 50-foot-long python caught in Indonesia?The monster snake from the heart of a jungle island made a lot of headlines last December. Allegedly, a record-setting reticulated python had been captured and brought to Curug Sewu, a small village on the island of Java, where it was put on display in a 16-acre zoo. Some reports put it at a whopping 49.21 feet long and 997 pounds, although the official government press release said it was 49 feet and 985 pounds. These claims aroused curiosity as this was a snake at least 16 feet longer than the record of 33 feet claimed for this species.Within a few days entrepreneurs were on their way to see this giant snake named "Fragrant Flower." Potentially, millions of dollars could be generated if this slithering beast truly was close to 50 feet long and it could be moved to a better venue suited to separate tourists from their money. Reporters were likewise launched on quests to verify the length of the snake, as it would be one of the most attention-grabbing front-page photos ever published.

Sadly, the giant snake proved to be far less than 50 feet long. Britain's Guardian newspaper published a story contradicting the record length and weight. Further debunking - the python has actually been at the zoo about 19 months and is not "fresh from the wild." When put to a tape measure, Fragrant Flower maxed out around 21 feet in length, still a sizable animal but nowhere near a record, and probably weighed close to 250 pounds.

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