When a prominent East Coast land developer encounters a massive Burmese python on a new construction site in Palm Bay, Florida, a boisterous company president, J. T. Barton, enlists the help of eccentric herpetology professor Christine Flannagan. A consummate scientist and skilled python hunter, Professor Flannagan discovers a more cunning and deadly cold-tolerant species inhabiting a secluded, undeveloped portion of Palm Bay. Driven by his own agenda, J. T. Barton ignores the potential threat while Palm Bay Police investigate an alarming increase in missing persons, bolstered by media speculation of a serial killer at large. Despite initial reservations, a cadre of law enforcement officers team up with Professor Flannagan in a desperate attempt to stifle the deadly reptile invasion.