FWC – The 2025 Florida Python Challenge™ kicked off today, with competitors starting as early as 12:01 this morning, searching the Everglades to find and remove invasive Burmese pythons. While registration is still open, hundreds of people have already registered for a chance to win their share of up to $10,000 in prizes while working to protect Florida’s native wildlife and our incredible Everglades ecosystem. This year’s competition features the exciting addition of Everglades National Park as one of eight official Florida Python Challenge locations.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the South Florida Water Management District host the annual python removal competition to increase awareness about invasive species in the state and the threats they pose to Florida’s ecology. Want to compete but not yet registered? Registration will remain open until the last day of the competition, Sunday, July 20 — visit FLPythonChallenge.org to register and learn more. There is a $25 registration fee and participants must pass the required online training to complete their registration for this year’s event. Once registered, participants are invited to visit one of our Training Outposts during opening weekend for additional instruction from experts, located at each check station from 4-7 p.m., July 11-13.
This year, a total of $25,000 in cash prizes is available. Participants have the opportunity to win the $10,000 Ultimate Grand Prize for the removal of the most pythons during the competition. Participants also have the opportunity to win other cash prizes for most and longest pythons removed in three different categories, including novice, professional and military categories. Prizes will be awarded at a later date after the competition courtesy of our sponsors and the Fish & Wildlife Foundation of Florida.
We thank our three different Platinum Level Sponsors – Inversa, Rotary Clubs of Florida, and Mrs. Daphne and Mr. Martin C. Wood III – for donating $10,000 each to support conservation efforts in Florida through the Florida Python Challenge. We also thank our three Gold Level Sponsors – Bergeron Everglades Foundation, Edison National Bank/Bank of the Islands and The Garcia Companies – for their donations of $5,000 each in support of conservation efforts through this event. All prizes support conservation efforts in Florida through the 2025 Florida Python Challenge.
Want to get involved in removal of invasive species at any time of the year? In addition to year-round python removal opportunities on 32 Commission-managed lands, Burmese pythons may be humanely killed on private lands at any time with landowner permission — no permit or hunting license required. The FWC encourages people to remove and humanely kill invasive pythons from private lands whenever possible.
About Invasive Burmese pythons
Burmese pythons are not native to Florida and negatively impact native species. They are found primarily in and around the Everglades ecosystem in south Florida where they prey on birds, mammals and other reptiles. A female Burmese python can lay 50 to 100 eggs at a time. More than 23,000 Burmese pythons have been removed from the state since 2000. For more information on Burmese pythons, visit MyFWC.com/Python.
