Why hunters are chasing invasive snakes in Florida’s 10-day python challenge

The annual Florida Python Challenge starts July 11 at 12:01 a.m. ET and ends at 5 p.m. July 20. Participants can win more than $25,000 in prizes as they remove invasive Burmese pythons from South Florida.

Burmese pythons, which are not native to Florida, harm native wildlife. The invasive species is primarily found in and around the Everglades ecosystem in South Florida, where they prey on birds, mammals and other reptiles. The Florida Python Challenge was created by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to help protect the Everglades and its native animals by removing the invasive reptiles. Contestants have 10 days to kill as many Burmese pythons as possible.

How many pythons are removed each year in the Python Challenge?

Last year, participants in the Florida Python Challenge removed 195 invasive Burmese pythons from the Everglades. That brought the total number of nonnative constrictors removed in all Florida Python Challenge competitions to 1,112. In 2024, more than 850 people from 33 states and Canada registered for the competition.

Where will the python challenge take place?

The Florida Python Challenge will take place on eight commission-managed lands in South Florida.

This year the Everglades National Park is participating in the Florida Python Challenge. “We’re excited to join our partners in the State of Florida for this year’s Florida Python Challenge,” said Pedro Ramos, superintendent of Everglades National Park, who oversees the South Florida National Parks and Preserve. “For years, we’ve worked alongside the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the South Florida Water Management District and others to manage pythons and other invasive species while educating the public about their impact on the Everglades. This event marks another milestone in that collaboration as we include Everglades National Park in the Challenge.”  

Where do Burmese pythons live?

Originally from Southeast Asia, the Burmese python was introduced to southern Florida either through accidental escape or intentional release of captive animals.

In 1979, the first observation of a Burmese python in the wild in South Florida was recorded in Everglades National Park. The heaviest python ever caught in Florida was an 18-foot, 215-pound snake. It was caught by a biologist with the Conservancy of Southwest Florida in Naples in 2021.

Size of the Burmese python

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission keeps track of length and weight of Burmese pythons after sightings are reported. The longest Burmese python ever captured in Florida, in July 2023, measured more than 19 feet.

What are the rules of the Florida Python Challenge?

◾ Contestants must carry a printed or digital copy of their Florida Python Challenge registration notification email while hunting.

◾ Contestants must complete required online training and receive a unique completion code.

◾ Only Burmese pythons removed from competition locations are valid entries.

◾ The use of firearms is prohibited.

◾ The use of dogs or other animals to search, capture or kill is prohibited.

◾ Air guns and captive bolts are allowed.

◾ Python carcasses must be kept chilled or frozen, then turned in to the nearest Florida Python Challenge check station within 24 hours of capture.

What should you do if you see a Burmese python?

Summer is the time of year when you are most likely to see a Burmese python. In the summer months, Burmese pythons may remain sedentary when the sun is up, but at night they may become more active and are more easily spotted crossing levees or roadways.

If you spot a Burmese python, take a photo, mark your location and call the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission at 888-483-4681. You can humanely kill Burmese pythons on private land at any time with a landowner's permission. You don't need a permit to kill the invasive species. Live transport of pythons is not allowed.

There are multiple ways to humanely euthanize a python, but here are the basic guidelines from the fish and wildlife commission:

◾ Step 1: Immediate loss of consciousness

◾ Use a captive bolt, firearm or air gun to shoot directly to the brain.

◾ Step 2: Destroy the brain

◾ Make sure the python is unconscious.

◾ Insert a small rod, like a screwdriver, spike or pick, into the cranial cavity and twist it to ensure the entire brain is destroyed.

CONTRIBUTING Kendall Little, Naples Daily News

SOURCE Paste BN Network reporting and research; Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission