Florida’s Python Challenge just opened for 2025 registration with ambitious goals that could help save a national treasure

The battle against massive invasive snakes threatening the Everglades has a new chapter.

Wildlife officials are recruiting an army of snake hunters.

And Florida’s Python Challenge just opened for 2025 registration with ambitious goals that could help save a national treasure.

Florida announces dates for its annual python hunt

Florida wildlife officials have officially announced the dates for the 2025 Florida Python Challenge, a 10-day competition aimed at tackling the devastating invasion of Burmese pythons in the Everglades ecosystem.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) and South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) revealed at a press conference on Thursday that this year’s challenge will run from 12:01 a.m. on July 11 through 5 p.m. on July 20.

The announcement ceremony, held at the S-356 Pump Station near Homestead, included demonstrations of safe python capture techniques by state biologists and interviews with nonnative wildlife experts.

Registration is already open for both professional python hunters and novices willing to join the fight against what many consider Florida’s most destructive invasive species. 

Participants must complete online training and pass a quiz with a score of at least 85% before paying the $25 registration fee.

Pythons pose existential threat to Florida’s natural heritage

The Python Challenge isn’t just a hunting competition – it’s a desperate battle to save Florida’s iconic Everglades. 

These massive constrictors, which can grow to 20 feet long and weigh up to 200 pounds, have devastated native wildlife populations since they were introduced through the pet trade.

According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Burmese pythons are considered “generalist predators” because they consume such a wide variety of animals. 

FWC has documented these invasive snakes feeding on federally threatened wood storks and endangered Key Largo woodrats.

Perhaps most alarmingly, the pythons even prey on American alligators, which are protected under the Endangered Species Act. 

The impact of these invasive snakes extends beyond wildlife, as they potentially threaten human safety and domestic pets in areas where they’ve established breeding populations.

The python invasion represents a genuine ecological crisis for South Florida, with potentially tens of thousands of the massive snakes now slithering through the region’s delicate ecosystem. 

Their presence has thrown the natural food chain into chaos, with devastating cascading effects throughout the Everglades.

Cash prizes await successful python hunters

To incentivize participation, officials are once again offering substantial prize money for successful hunters. 

Last year’s challenge featured $25,000 in total prizes, with the top award of $10,000 going to Ronald Kiger, who removed an impressive 20 pythons.

While the exact prize structure for 2025 hasn’t been announced, previous challenges awarded $2,500 for the most pythons caught in the Novice, Professional, and Military categories. 

Runners-up received $1,500, with an additional $1,000 prize for the longest snake captured in each division.

The 2024 challenge removed 195 pythons from the wild, slightly down from the 209 captured in 2023. Participation also decreased, with 857 hunters compared to over 1,000 the previous year.

Since 2017, more than 14,000 pythons have been successfully removed by FWC and SFWMD contractors, though this represents just a fraction of the estimated population.

Strict rules protect native wildlife during the hunt

Participants must adhere to detailed rules during the competition. 

All python carcasses must be kept chilled or frozen and turned in to the nearest check station within 24 hours of capture.

To protect Florida’s native species, the use of firearms is strictly prohibited during the challenge, as is the use of dogs or other animals to aid in hunting. 

Air guns and captive bolts are allowed. 

According to the official competition rules, participants who kill native snakes or damage eggs of native species face immediate disqualification.

Only professional hunters are permitted to transport live pythons; novices must humanely kill captured snakes on site.

The challenge covers seven FWC-managed lands in South Florida, focusing efforts where python populations are most concentrated.

The FWC describes the challenge as “a conservation effort that raises awareness about the python’s impacts on local ecology and encourages the public to continuously remove the snake from the wild.”

Multi-agency effort takes aim at growing threat

The Python Challenge represents just one component of Florida’s broader strategy to combat invasive species. 

Governor Ron DeSantis has supported the initiative as part of the state’s commitment to Everglades restoration.

The competition has evolved since its inception in 2013, when it was originally a month-long event. 

Since 2020, it has been condensed into a 10-day competition, focusing on intensive removal efforts during optimal hunting conditions.

According to official FWC data, more than 14,000 pythons have been successfully removed by FWC and SFWMD contractors since 2017, though experts believe this represents just a fraction of the estimated population in South Florida.

With continued support from state agencies and growing public awareness, officials hope to eventually turn the tide against these invasive snakes, though they acknowledge this represents a long-term conservation challenge requiring sustained effort.

For Floridians concerned about their state’s natural heritage, the Python Challenge offers a rare opportunity to directly participate in protecting one of America’s most distinctive ecosystems. 

Those interested in joining the hunt can register at the official Florida Python Challenge website.