Florida Python Challenge returns with $10,000 prize

Burmese pythons, an invasive species native to Southeast Asia, have become apex predators in the Florida Everglades. [Photo by Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission ]

Registration is open for the 2026 Florida Python Challenge, running July 10 to 19 in Everglades National Park and offering a $10,000 prize for catching the most Burmese pythons.

Open to experienced hunters and first-timers, the challenge aims to help remove one of the Everglades’ most destructive invasive predators while raising awareness of their growing ecological threat. Populations of raccoons, rabbits and other fur-bearing mammals have declined as much as 95% since Burmese pythons became established in South Florida.

“It’s designed to remove as many pythons from the Everglades as possible,” says Mike Kirkland, the lead invasive animal biologist for the South Florida Water Management District. “Predominantly, it’s really an outreach event that reaches a global audience every year.”

The competition begins at 12:01 a.m. July 10 and concludes at 5 p.m. July 19. Participants hunt on designated public lands in South Florida. They must register in advance and complete online training covering safety, rules and species identification.

Wildlife professionals safely secure a Burmese python during a past Florida Python Challenge. [Photo by Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission ]

Native to Southeast Asia, Burmese pythons reached the Everglades through the exotic pet trade. Many snakes escaped or were released before Florida outlawed owning them in 2012.

“The Everglades habitat closely mirrors the habitat in Burmese pythons’’ native range in Southeast Asia,” Kirkland says. “Coupled with our subtropical climate, it’s a really conducive place for the species to thrive and reproduce.”

The snakes have become apex predators with few natural enemies, threatening one of the world’s most unusual ecosystems.

“We’re seeing up to a 95% reduction of fur-bearing animals in Everglades National Park and surrounding natural areas,” Kirkland says. “This is not just a threat. It’s really an emergency situation for our native wildlife.”

Trained handlers remove an invasive Burmese python from the Everglades during a past Florida Python Challenge. [Photo by Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission]

While anyone may participate in the competition, the snakes’ natural camouflage makes them difficult to spot, even for professionals, who average about 10 hours of searching for every python they remove. Kirkland encourages first-time participants to study photographs of Burmese pythons to develop a mental search image and spend as much time searching as possible.

“The more hours you put in, the better your chances are of finding and removing these snakes,” he says.

Removing even one python can make a meaningful difference. Kirkland says a 13-foot Burmese python can

consume 170 native animals over five to seven years.

“Every one removed is a win for the Everglades,” he says. “Just one removed from the environment gives many native animals a fighting chance.”

Burmese pythons are among the largest snakes in the world and can grow to more than 18 feet long. [Photo by Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission 

Beyond the challenge, Kirkland encourages Floridians to help year-round by never releasing exotic pets into the wild and by reporting python sightings through the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s I’ve Got One hotline or mobile app. He notes that Burmese pythons are nonvenomous and generally avoid people unless threatened.

“We do respect these animals as the living creatures that they are,” he says. “I’m an animal lover and a snake lover, and so is my entire team.”

Burmese python fights with an alligator in the Everglades. [Photo by John Oshun]

Captured pythons are humanely euthanized in accordance with American Veterinary Medical Association guidelines. Because the snakes can carry parasites and diseases unique to the Everglades, returning them to their native range is not practical or environmentally responsible.

Additional information and registration are available at flpythonchallenge.org.

Ultimately, Kirkland says, the challenge is about protecting one of Florida’s natural treasures.

“The Everglades is home to a wide array of biodiversity, and that’s really what we’re trying to protect,” he says. “Everglades restoration will never be complete until we’ve removed the threat of invasive species.”