The 2026 Florida Python Challenge kicked off at midnight on July 10, with participants competing for cash prizes to help rid the Everglades of invasive Burmese pythons. The event, hosted by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the South Florida Water Management District, features Everglades National Park as a partner and one of eight official competition locations.

How to Participate

To participate, individuals can sign up on the challenge’s official website for a $25 registration fee. Participants must read and understand the rules, complete online training, and pass a quiz with a score of at least 85%. The challenge runs from July 10 to July 19, with a grand prize of $10,000 and an additional $15,000 available across different categories.

There are rules guiding the removal of Burmese pythons, including the prohibition of firearms, dogs, or other animals to aid in the hunt. Participants will be disqualified if they kill a native snake or damage, destroy, or remove eggs of a native species. Only professional hunters can transport live pythons, while novices must humanely kill the python immediately at the site of capture.

Impact of Burmese Pythons

Burmese pythons are one of the state’s most notorious invasive species, posing a threat to human safety and native wildlife. They are known to feed on a wide variety of species, including the federally threatened wood stork and the federally endangered Key Largo wood rats. More than 23,500 pythons have been removed from natural areas in Florida between 2000 and April 2025, with the number of pythons captured and removed increasing drastically since the launch of the paid program in 2017.

Original reporting: NBC6 Miami — read the source article.