Every summer, hundreds of people descend on the Florida Everglades with one mission: hunt invasive Burmese pythons. What began as a wildlife-control effort has evolved into one of the country’s strangest and most attention-grabbing conservation competitions — the annual Florida Python Challenge.
Inside Florida’s Annual Python Challenge
The 2026 challenge, organized by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) and the South Florida Water Management District, will run from July 10 through July 19. Participants from across the United States and Canada will compete to remove as many invasive pythons as possible from South Florida while competing for a share of $25,000 in prize money.
The challenge is more than just a competition. Florida officials say Burmese pythons have become one of the most destructive invasive species in the Everglades ecosystem. “Removing Burmese pythons from this ecosystem is critical to the survival of the native species that call this area home,” said South Florida Water Management District Governing Board Member “Alligator Ron” Bergeron.
Why Burmese Pythons Threaten the Everglades
Today, the massive constrictors prey on birds, mammals, and reptiles throughout the Everglades. According to FWC, more than 27,000 Burmese pythons have been removed from Florida since 2000, but wildlife experts believe thousands more still remain in the wild. Female pythons can lay between 50 and more than 100 eggs at a time, making population control extremely difficult.
Photo by EvergladesNPS, Homestead, Florida, United States / Wikimedia Commons (Public Domain)
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How the Competition Works
The annual Python Challenge was created to both reduce the python population and raise awareness about the environmental threat the snakes pose. Participants are required to complete online training before competing, and hunters are divided into novice and professional categories. Several wildlife management areas and public lands across South Florida are open to registered competitors during the event.
Photo by Eric Tillman / U.S. Department of Agriculture via Wikimedia Commons (Public Domain)
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Why the Event Keeps Growing
Interest in the competition has continued to grow in recent years. During the 2025 challenge, 934 participants from 30 states and Canada removed a record 294 pythons from the Everglades. The previous grand prize winner reportedly captured 60 snakes during the 10-day event and earned $10,000.
Part of the challenge’s popularity comes from the bizarre nature of the event itself. The idea of everyday people searching Florida swamps for giant snakes has attracted national media attention and inspired documentaries and feature stories about professional python hunters. In a feature story from The Times, conservationist Donna Kalil explained the urgency behind the hunts, saying, “Humans put them here, humans must clear them up.” Some hunters spend years learning how to track the nearly invisible reptiles through dense marshland and tall grass.
Photo by USGS / United States Geological Survey via Wikimedia Commons (Public Domain)
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Scientists Are Testing New Tracking Methods
Scientists and conservationists have also begun experimenting with new ways to track the invasive snakes. According to a recent report from People, researchers in Florida are even using collared opossums to help locate pythons in the Everglades. By monitoring the movements of native animals frequently preyed upon by pythons, biologists hope to identify areas where the snakes are most active. “We’re getting them way back in areas where they may never cross the road,” Crocodile Lake National Wildlife Refuge manager Jeremy Dixon said of the tracking program.
A Long-Term Environmental Battle
Wildlife experts say the python problem represents a larger environmental challenge facing Florida. The Everglades ecosystem already faces pressure from development, pollution, habitat loss, and climate change. The addition of a powerful invasive predator has further disrupted native wildlife populations throughout South Florida. Researchers have documented major declines in some mammal populations in areas heavily populated by pythons.
Can Florida Ever Eliminate the Pythons?
Even with thousands of snakes removed over the years, experts acknowledge that completely eradicating Burmese pythons from Florida is unlikely. However, officials argue that every python removed helps reduce pressure on native wildlife and increases public awareness about invasive species.
For Florida officials, the annual Python Challenge has become both a conservation effort and a public education campaign. For participants, it is an unusual opportunity to compete for prize money while helping protect one of America’s most unique ecosystems.
As registration opens for the 2026 event, the challenge once again highlights Florida’s ongoing battle against one of the Everglades’ most notorious invaders.
Sources:
The Times — “Meet the ‘Everglades Avengers’ hunting down invasive pythons”
Bay News 9 — “FWC announces dates for 2026 Python Challenge”
NBC Miami — “Registration opens for 2026 Florida Python Challenge: What to know”
Editor’s Disclaimer: This article is intended for informational and editorial purposes only. Presence News does not encourage untrained individuals to handle or hunt wildlife outside of authorized and legally sanctioned programs. Information regarding the Florida Python Challenge, wildlife management efforts, and invasive species control is based on publicly available reports and official agency statements at the time of publication. Readers should follow all local, state, and federal laws and safety guidelines related to wildlife interaction and conservation activities.
