The annual python hunt runs July 10-19, with registration now open.
Registration for the annual Florida Python Challenge is now open and the first day of the hunt is July 10. It ends July 19. The challenge will feature $25,000 in prizes with an ultimate grand prize of $10,000 for the participant who removes the most Burmese pythons (Python bivittatus). Prizes will also be awarded in the professional, novice and military categories. To register for the event, visit https://flpythonchallenge.org
“We continue to advance Everglades restoration efforts thanks to the support of Governor Ron DeSantis, and we’ll keep doing everything we can to protect this important ecosystem,” South Florida Water Management District Governing Board Member “Alligator Ron” Bergeron said in a statement released to the media. “Removing Burmese pythons from this ecosystem is critical to the survival of the native species that call this area home. We appreciate our partners at the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and Everglades National Park as we continue to work together to raise awareness about invasive species. This is a great way for the public to get involved in the protection of the Everglades and I want to thank everyone who is participating in the 2026 Florida Python Challenge. Long live the Everglades!”
Cottonmouth Snakes Are Eating Burmese Pythons In Florida Everglades
Since the challenge launched in 2013, 1,406 snakes have been removed since the last event in 2025. That equates to about 14 to 17.5 tons of the invasive snake. It is estimated that all pythons removed from the wild in Florida, including the python challenge, totals to about 27,000 snakes since 2000.
231 Burmese Pythons Removed From Florida Everglades During 2022 Python Challenge
Burmese Pythons and Florida
The Burmese python is one of many invasive species that are found in Florida. The species is well-established in the Florida Everglades and authorities are actively trying to reduce their populations.
Recent evidence of predation of the large constricting snake has shown that cottonmouth snakes are eating baby Burmese pythons in the Florida Everglades. This is in addition to other animals, including the American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis), the Gulf Coast indigo snake (Drymarchon couperi) and the bobcat (Lynx rufus) that are consumers of these snakes. The Florida black bear (Ursus americanus floridanus) is also possibly a consumer of the Burmese python.
