Mark your calendars \u2014 the annual Florida Python Challenge\u2122 is back for 2026! Kicking off on Friday, July 10 at 12:01 a.m., and running until Sunday, July 19 at 5 p.m., registered participants in this year\u2019s Challenge will get the chance to win a share of $25,000 in prizes while removing invasive Burmese pythons from the Everglades and raising awareness about nonnative species.<\/p>\n
The 2026 Florida Python Challenge, hosted by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) and the South Florida Water Management District, features an Ultimate Grand Prize of $10,000 for the registered participant who removes the most pythons. A highlight of this year\u2019s event is the return of Everglades National Park as a partner and one of eight official Florida Python Challenge competition locations.<\/p>\n
Registration opened today for this year\u2019s 10-day event and will remain open until the last day of the competition on July 19. Visit\u00a0FLPythonChallenge.org\u00a0<\/a>to register and take the required online training, as well as get access to educational information on Burmese pythons and the unique Everglades ecosystem, optional training opportunities, and resources for planning your trip to South Florida for the event.\u00a0<\/p>\n Become A Member<\/p>\n Mainstreet does not have a paywall, but pavement-pounding journalism is not free. Join your neighbors who make this vital work possible.<\/p>\n See Member Benefits<\/a>Join Our Newsletter<\/a><\/p>\n Prizes will also be awarded in the professional, novice and military categories, courtesy of our sponsors and the Fish & Wildlife Foundation of Florida. We thank our Platinum Level Sponsor, Inversa, for donating $10,000 to support conservation efforts in Florida through the Florida Python Challenge. We also thank our Gold Level Sponsors \u2013 Bergeron Everglades Foundation, Mrs. Daphne & Mr. C. Martin Wood III, Edison National Bank\/Bank of the Islands and The Garcia Companies for their donations of $5,000 each in support of conservation efforts through this event.\u00a0Additional sponsors at the Silver Level ($2,000+) and Friends of Wildlife Level ($500+) further provide support through the Challenge; additional details can be found at\u00a0FLPythonChallenge.org\/Sponsors-Partners<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are excited to announce the dates for this year\u2019s Florida Python Challenge, which will be our ninth such event to date,\u201d said\u00a0FWC Executive Director Roger Young. \u201cWe look forward to the Challenge each year as a way to raise awareness about nonnative fish and wildlife, while also encouraging the public to get involved in Everglades conservation by removing invasive Burmese pythons. This year\u2019s event is made possible thanks to the continued support of Governor Ron DeSantis and our partners at the South Florida Water Management District, Everglades National Park, and the Florida Fish & Wildlife Foundation, as well as our generous sponsors.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe continue to advance Everglades restoration efforts thanks to the support of Governor Ron DeSantis, and we\u2019ll keep doing everything we can to protect this important ecosystem,\u201d said\u00a0South Florida Water Management District Governing Board Member \u201cAlligator Ron\u201d Bergeron. \u201cRemoving 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 protecting the Everglades, and I want to thank everyone participating in the 2026 Florida Python Challenge. Long live the Everglades!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cProtecting the Everglades requires strong collaboration across agencies, organizations, and the public,\u201d said\u00a0Superintendent Pedro Ramos of Everglades National Park. \u201cWe are pleased once again to participate in the Florida Python Challenge, which highlights how shared stewardship can contribute to the long-term protection of native species and park resources.\u201d<\/p>\n Last year, participants in the 2025 Florida Python Challenge\u2122 removed a competition record of 294 invasive Burmese pythons from the Everglades, resulting in a total of 1,406 of the nonnative constrictors being removed cumulatively during all Florida Python Challenge\u2122 competitions to date. In 2025, 934 people from 30 states and Canada registered for the 10-day competition.\u00a0<\/p>\n In addition to\u00a0python\u00a0removal opportunities on 32 Commission-managed lands<\/a>, which are available year-round, Burmese pythons may be humanely killed on private lands at any time with landowner permission, and no permit or hunting license is required. The FWC encourages people to remove and humanely kill invasive pythons from private lands whenever possible.\u00a0<\/p>\n About Invasive Burmese Pythons\u00a0<\/p>\n Burmese pythons are not native to Florida and negatively impact native wildlife. This invasive species is found primarily in and around the Everglades ecosystem in South Florida, where they prey on birds, mammals and other reptiles. A female Burmese python may lay 50 to over 100 eggs at a time. Since 2000, more than 27,000 Burmese pythons have been reported to the FWC as removed from Florida\u2019s environment. For more information on Burmese pythons, visit\u00a0MyFWC.com\/Python<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Mark your calendars \u2014 the annual Florida Python Challenge\u2122 is back for 2026! 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