Mark your calendars — the annual Florida Python Challenge™ 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’s 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.

Are you looking to help raise awareness about nonnative species and remove invasive Burmese pythons from our treasured Everglades ecosystem? Register for the 2025 Florida Python Challenge™!

The event is hosted by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) and the South Florida Water Management District. An exciting addition to this year’s event is the inclusion of Everglades National Park as one of eight official Florida Python Challenge™ competition locations.

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. — Today, Lieutenant Governor Jeanette Nuñez announced that registration for the 2024 Florida Python Challenge® is now open. Participants this year will have the chance to win a share of more than $25,000 in prizes for removing invasive Burmese pythons from the wild. Starting today, those interested in participating in the 2024 Florida Python Challenge® can complete the required online training to compete in the 10-day competition which runs August 9–18, 2024. The competition is open to both professional and novice participants.

Invasive Burmese pythons are one of the most destructive and harmful species in America’s Everglades. They threaten our precious native ecosystem by preying upon the wildlife that lives there, including wading birds, mammals, and other reptiles.

Did you know the 2023 Florida Python Challenge® continues to advance efforts to remove invasive pythons and raise awareness about the threat they pose to Florida’s ecology?

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Today, Governor Ron DeSantis announces that registration for the 2023 Florida Python Challenge® is now open. Participants this year will have the chance to win a share of more than $30,000 in prizes while removing invasive Burmese pythons from the wild. Starting today, those interested in participating in the 2023 Florida Python Challenge® can complete the required online training to compete in the 10-day competition which runs August 4–13, 2023. The competition is open to both professional and novice participants.

A record-breaking 231 invasive Burmese pythons were removed from the Greater Everglades Ecosystem during the 2022 Florida Python Challenge®, marking the largest number of destructive snakes ever captured as part of the annual competition. 

Did you know invasive pythons are one of the most harmful invasive species in the Everglades, preying upon native birds, mammals and even alligators? Safely capturing and eliminating these destructive snakes protects native wildlife and our one-of-a-kind Everglades ecosystem.

Burmese pythons are one of the most destructive and harmful invasive species in the Greater Everglades, preying upon native birds, mammals and even alligators. Did you know members of the public can help to safely eliminate these invasive snakes and protect our one-of-a-kind Everglades ecosystem? 

Python elimination hunters Kevin Pavlidis (left) and Ryan Ausburn (right) hold their record breaking 18 foot 9 inch python eliminated as part of SFWMD and FWC's python elimination program.

Python removal agents working for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) and the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) recently broke the record for the longest Burmese python eliminated in Florida.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) and the South Florida Water Management District, working together under the direction of Gov. Ron DeSantis, removed 5,000 invasive Burmese pythons from South Florida’s Everglades ecosystem.