The Burmese python has become the defining ecological problem of the Florida Everglades, a giant constrictor from Southeast Asia that has established a self-sustaining wild population across the southern tip of the state.

The 2026 Florida Python Challenge ended on July 19, and organizers have officially finished tallying the number of bagged snakes. Over 10 days, 907 participants hunted down a collective total of 280 invasive Burmese pythons (Python bivittatus) across the Everglades.

More than 900 contestants vying for the $10,000 grand prize scoured South Florida for 10 days during the 2026 Florida Python Challenge.

Florida biologists set a record removing 177 Burmese pythons totaling 8,080 pounds from the Everglades in one season, plus 4,100 eggs — and saltwater test

Professional python hunter Carl Jackson recently caught a 202-pound python, the second heaviest ever recorded in Florida. Python bites are a common risk for hunters, and their teeth feel like needles tearing through the skin. Burmese pythons have severely ...

The event offers a $10,000 grand prize to whoever removes the most Burmese pythons from the Everglades The annual challenge is a state effort to decrease the number of Burmese pythons in the Everglades and minimize the reptile's threat to native wildlife ...

Over four tons of invasive Burmese pythons have been removed from Southwest Florida ecosystems during this breeding season. Here's how this remarkable achievement was accomplished and why it is so important. The Conservancy of Southwest Florida is a ...

Burmese pythons are scarcely recorded in Lee County, but experts say the data is a faulty reflection of the invasive species' actual population.

Moving the annual competition from January to July significantly increased the number of pythons captured. The timing of the challenge also coincides with the python hatching season, leading to more captures. Prizes are awarded for catching the most ...