Florida Python Challenge Opens July 10 as Pro Biologists Quietly Dominate Removals
Four professional biologists quietly removed 177 pythons totaling 8,080 pounds — even as Florida’s annual amateur Python Challenge prepares to open July 10 with nearly a thousand contestants.
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA — Florida’s annual Burmese python hunting contest kicks off July 10, drawing hundreds of participants to South Florida swamps, even as a small team of professional biologists continues to outpace the amateur field in actual snake removals.
Amateur Contest Returns July 10–19
The Florida Python Challenge, running from July 10 through July 19, will bring professional and amateur snake hunters into the wetlands of South Florida to capture as many Burmese pythons as possible. Prize money and public attention are among the key motivators, and the event has grown in profile to the point that a documentary film has been produced about the hunt, according to reporting by the Florida Phoenix.
Last year’s contest drew 934 contestants from 30 states and Canada, who collectively captured 294 pythons. The 2025 competition produced a notable milestone: Taylor Stanberry, a social media personality from Naples, became the first female champion of the Florida Python Challenge, claiming the $10,000 first-place prize after catching 60 pythons.
Professional Team Posts Record Numbers
While the public contest generates significant attention, four biologists working for the Conservancy of Southwest Florida recently posted numbers that dwarf what the amateur competition typically produces. The four-person team removed 177 pythons weighing a combined 8,080 pounds, a record haul reported last week by WINK News.
The Conservancy team uses a method known as “scout snakes” to locate large female pythons before they can reproduce. In one instance documented by the organization, biologists captured a 17-foot, 148-pound female python found inside an armadillo burrow near the start of mating season last fall.
Invasive Species Removal Ongoing
Burmese pythons have established a substantial invasive population in South Florida, particularly in and around the Everglades. The species poses a significant threat to native wildlife, and both the state-sponsored challenge and professional removal efforts are part of broader attempts to reduce the python population.
The contrast between the two approaches is stark: 934 contestants over ten days captured 294 pythons in the 2025 challenge, while four Conservancy biologists working outside the contest framework removed 177 pythons on their own, totaling more than four tons of invasive snakes. Information about registering for the 2026 Florida Python Challenge is available at flpythonchallenge.org.
