Florida’s $10,000 Python Challenge underway in the Everglades

Florida’s annual effort to reduce one of the state’s most destructive invasive species is now underway, with hundreds of hunters roaming South Florida in search of Burmese pythons. 2026 Florida Python Challenge.

The 10-day contest, which runs through July 19, awards a grand prize of $10,000 to the participant who removes the most Burmese pythons from designated public lands in and around the Everglades. Additional cash prizes are awarded in both the novice and professional divisions, as well as prizes for the longest snake captured.

Hosted by Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) and South Florida Water Management DistrictThe challenge is designed to reduce python numbers while raising awareness of the damage invasive snakes cause to Florida’s native wildlife.

Native to Southeast Asia, Burmese pythons became established in South Florida decades ago after escaping or being freed from the exotic pet trade. Their population exploded after Hurricane Andrew destroyed a reptile breeding facility in 1992, allowing additional snakes to enter the wild.

Today, giant constrictors have become one of the Everglades’ top predators. They eat everything from rabbits, raccoons and migratory birds to deer and even alligators. Because adult pythons in Florida have few natural predators and females can lay 50 to 100 eggs at a time, wildlife managers say a sustained effort is required to control their populations.

Participants must complete an online training course, pass a quiz and pay a $25 registration fee before competing. Hunters are required to humanely euthanize captured pythons and must follow strict rules when exploring public lands. Firearms are prohibited during the competition, and Everglades National Park has additional rules governing where participants can search, what equipment they can use, and how snakes should be handled.

The challenge has grown steadily since it began. Last year, a record 934 participants from 30 states and Canada rescued 294 Burmese pythons from South Florida. Grand prize winner Taylor Stansberry caught 60 snakes during the event.

While the Everglades remains the epicenter of Florida’s python problem, wildlife officials are concerned about a second established breeding population in Charlotte County along Florida’s Gulf Coast.

The FWC says it has documented more than 60 credible python reports since 2015, the majority of which have occurred in Rotunda West, Placida, Englewood East and South Gulf Cove. More than half of those reports have been filed since 2024, forcing the agency to employ dedicated Python technicians to survey the area several times each week.

Researchers believe the Charlotte County snakes likely originated from escaped or intentionally released pets rather than migrating north from the Everglades. Nevertheless, biologists warn that the population is reproducing now and could continue to expand if left unchecked.

Wildlife ecologists at the University of Florida also warn that rising temperatures and localized warmer water habitats could allow Burmese pythons to establish themselves further north than many previously believed.

For now, officials say the Florida Python Challenge remains one of the state’s most effective public conservation efforts, removing hundreds of the invasive snakes each year while helping protect one of the world’s most unique wetland ecosystems.