The annual Florida Python Challenge begins at 12:01 a.m. Friday and ends at 5:00 p.m. August 18. Participants can win over $25,000 in prizes by removing invasive Burmese pythons from South Florida.
Burmese pythons, which are not native to Florida, have a negative impact on native wildlife. This invasive species is primarily found in and around the Everglades ecosystem in South Florida, where it preys on birds, mammals, and other reptiles. The Florida Python Challenge is a 10-day competition created by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to help protect the Everglades habitat and all of the animals native to it by removing the invasive Burmese pythons. Participants have nine days to kill as many Burmese pythons as possible.
In 2023, the Florida Python Challenge removed 209 invasive Burmese pythons from the Everglades. A total of 917 pythons have been removed since the challenge began. A total of 1,050 participants from 35 states (and Belgium) have registered for the 10-day competition in 2023.
Where does the Python Challenge take place?
The Florida Python Challenge takes place on seven Commission-managed properties in South Florida.
What are the rules of the Florida Python Challenge?
◾ Participants must carry a printed or digital copy of the Florida Python Challenge registration notification email during the hunt.
◾ Participants must complete the required online training and receive a one-time completion code.
◾ Only Burmese pythons removed from competition venues are valid entries.
◾ The use of firearms is prohibited during the competition.
◾ The use of dogs or other animals to search, catch or kill is prohibited.
◾ Air rifles and bolt guns are permitted.
◾ Python carcasses must be refrigerated or frozen and then delivered to the nearest Florida Python Challenge inspection station within 24 hours of capture.
Prizes for the Florida Python Challenge
Prizes are awarded by the Fish & Wildlife Foundation of Florida. The contestant who removes the most pythons will receive a grand prize of $10,000. The competition has three categories: professional, novice and military. Each category offers these prizes.
◾ Most Pythons in the category: $2,500.
◾ Most Pythons in the Runner-up category: $1,500.
◾ Longest Python in the category: $1,000.
Where do Burmese pythons live?
Originally from Southeast Asia, the Burmese python was introduced to southern Florida either through accidental escape or through the deliberate release of captive animals.
The first Burmese python was spotted in the wild in 1979 in Everglades National Park in South Florida. The heaviest python ever caught in Florida was a 18-foot-long, 215-pound snake caught in Naples in 2021 by a biologist with the Conservancy of Southwest Florida.
Size of the Burmese Python
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission records the length and weight of Burmese pythons after sightings are reported. The longest Burmese python caught in Florida in July 2023 was over 22 feet long.
What should you do if you see a Burmese python?
Summer is the best time of year to see a Burmese python. During the summer months, Burmese pythons may remain calm at sunrise, but at night they may become more active and be more easily spotted crossing dams or roads.
A report from the U.S. Geological Survey last year found that Burmese pythons are expanding their range so rapidly that in some areas it can be several miles per year.
If you spot a Burmese python, take a photo, mark your location and call the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission at 888-483-4681. With the landowner’s permission, you can humanely kill Burmese pythons on private property at any time. You do not need a permit to kill the invasive species. Transporting live pythons is not permitted.
There are several ways to humanely euthanize a python, but here are the basic guidelines from the Fish and Wildlife Commission:
◾ Step 1: Immediate unconsciousness.
◾ Shoot directly at the brain with a bolt gun, firearm or air rifle.
◾ step 2: Destroy the brain.
◾ Make sure the python is unconscious.
◾ Insert a small rod, such as a screwdriver, a pick or a pickaxe, into the cranial cavity and twist it to ensure that the entire brain is destroyed.
Contributor: Kendall Little, Naples Daily News
