Participants will compete July 10-19 to help remove Burmese pythons from the Everglades and raise awareness about invasive species.
Published Jun 25, 2026 10:43 AM EDT
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Updated Jun 25, 2026 10:43 AM EDT
The Florida Python Challenge was started in 2013. From Aug. 5 through Aug. 14, the person who brings back the most Burmese pythons wins a cash prize.
Florida residents and snake hunters are gearing up for the 2026 Florida Python Challenge™, which will take place from July 10-19.
The event is a removal competition aimed at raising public awareness about invasive species, such as Burmese pythons, according to the National Park Service (NPS). The challenge is hosted by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) and the South Florida Water Management District, with support from the Everglades National Park.
Florida Python Challenge Media Day 2026, May 19, 2026. (Image credit: MyFWC Florida Fish and Wildlife)
FWC
“Protecting Everglades National Park, one of the world’s most globally significant ecosystems, requires ongoing partnerships and community stewardship,” Superintendent Pedro Ramos of Everglades National Park said in a NPS news release. “By engaging the public in science-based invasive species management, we are able to raise awareness and strengthen support for conservation across South Florida.”
In addition to helping protect the Everglades ecosystem, participants have the chance to win a share of $25,000 in prizes for removing the pythons, according to the FWC. The participant who removes the most pythons will win $10,000. Registration is required, which includes a required online training that covers how to humanely kill the snakes.
In 2025, Taylor Stanberry took home the top prize after removing 60 Burmese pythons. Stanberry, also known as the “Swamp Queen,” accounted for over 20% of all the snakes removed during the 10-day event.
“This is not about trophy hunting or just killing pythons… I actually want to save the native wildlife,” Stanberry said.
Burmese python closeup, December 12, 2006. (Image credit: MyFWC Florida Fish and Wildlife/Kevin Enge)
FWC
Other organizations have also been working to eradicate this invasive species. From November 2025 to April 2026, researchers from the Conservancy of Southwest Florida, a nonprofit environmental organization, set a record this year, removing 177 pythons with a combined weight of 8,080 pounds. Scientists monitor the snakes in a 200-square-mile area in Collier County, located on the southwestern coast of Florida.
According to the Conservancy, the average weight of removed female pythons was 95 pounds, with the largest weighing 153 pounds and measuring 17 feet long. By capturing the snakes, team members also removed about 4,100 eggs before they could be laid.
“Every python removed reduces pressure on the ecosystem,” Rob Moher, Conservancy President and CEO said in a statement.
Everglades Wildlife Management Area sign from Florida Python Challenge Media Day 2026, May 19, 2026. (Image credit: MyFWC Florida Fish and Wildlife)
FWC
According to the NPS, Burmese pythons negatively impact the vulnerable Everglades ecosystem by competing for habitat and food across the South Florida wetlands. Females can lay 50 to over 100 eggs, per the FWC.
The National Invasive Species Information Center explains that Burmese pythons are native to Southeast Asia, and U.S. populations were established after intentional release or escape following the pet trade. They prey on native species, some of which are threatened or endangered.