The dates for the 2026 Florida Python Challenge – the annual 10-day hunt for invasive Burmese pythons – were announced today, May 19, with registration now open.
The 2026 python hunt will run from July 10, 2026, to July 19, 2026.
The hunt helps protect the Florida Everglades habitat from the nonnative snakes that wreak havoc on the ecosystem and native wildlife.
Participants can win money prizes in several categories, including a $10,000 Ultimate Grand Prize.
In 2025, there were 934 total registered participants from 30 states and Canada. Competitors removed a record 294 pythons.
The grand prize went to Naples native Taylor Stanberry, the first woman to win the event, after she captured a whopping 60 pythons during the 10-day event. Stanberry won $10,000.
Here’s how Taylor Stanberry won last year and what to know for the 2026 python hunt, including how to register, rules and hunting locations:
How last year’s Florida Python Challenge winner caught 60 Burmese pythons
Taylor Stanberry won the 2025 Florida Python Challenge, removing 60 invasive Burmese pythons while hunting in the eight approved locations.
Stanberry, who stands just 4 feet, 11 inches tall, became the first woman to win the event.
Stanberry told The News-Press she and her husband, Rhett, had previously caught more than 100 pythons during the same time of year, so she knew a big number was possible.
Her longest python during the 2025 event was about 10 feet long.
“I caught a 12-foot one the day before the Challenge but obviously that did not count for the Challenge,” she said.
Half of Stanberry’s 60 pythons caught came from a nest with hatchlings.
“I found a nest one night with 30 babies (hatchlings) and the eggs!” she said.
She capped off the challenge with 7 pythons on the last night of competition for the win and the $10,000 grand prize.
During the 10 days of competition, she hunted from 7-8 p.m. each night until 5 a.m. the next morning and dropped off her captured snakes during the day, she told The News-Press. She was bitten a handful of times, but said she’s used to it.
“It was a long 10 days,” she said.
Why pythons are a problem in Florida
Burmese pythons are an invasive species established across more than a thousand square miles of South Florida, including Everglades National Park, Big Cypress National Preserve and Collier-Seminole State Park.
The constrictors have few predators and prey on native species, eating just about anything from field mice to deer.
According to a 2012 study, they’ve contributed to the decline of raccoons, opossums, bobcats, foxes, and marsh and cottontail rabbits.
A recent study revealed that Burmese pythons can eat prey much larger than previously reported. Scientists observed a Burmese python swallowing a 77-pound white-tailed deer, nearly 70 percent of the snake’s mass.
Where did Burmese pythons in Florida come from?
Burmese pythons are native to Southeast Asia. Many of the invasive snakes came to the U.S. because of their popularity in the pet trade, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
The snakes were then intentionally or accidentally released in South Florida.
Are Burmese pythons venomous?
Burmese pythons are non-venomous. Pythons constrict their prey, then swallow it.
What is the Florida Python Challenge?
The Florida Python Challenge is a ten-day competition encouraging participants to remove Burmese pythons from seven Commission-managed lands in South Florida.
According to FWC, the event is held to raise public awareness about invasive species in Florida, like Burmese pythons, that are a threat to the Everglades ecosystem.
2026 Florida Python Challenge dates
This year’s Florida Python Challenge starts at 12:01 a.m. July 10 and ends at 5 p.m. on July 19, Florida Fish and Wildlife announced May 19.
Can everyone participate in the Florida Python Challenge?
Yes. But if you’re 18 or younger, you’ll need a parent or guardian to complete your registration.
Aside from that, applicants are required to read the hunt rules, pass an online quiz and pay a registration fee.
How to register for Florida Python Challenge invasive snake hunt
To register as a novice or professional, potential participants must first read the rules and take a free, required online training and pass a quiz with at least 85%. Those under 18 must have a parent or guardian complete their registration and be accompanied by a registered adult during the competition.
The cost to register is $25 and not refundable.
Florida Python Challenge rules
Per FWC, any participant or person who has violated or violates any rules of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, South Florida Water Management District, National Park Service, the Florida Administrative Code, or Florida State Statutes shall be subject to disqualification from the Florida Python Challenge and be charged accordingly for said violation. Persons disqualified from the contest will not receive a refund of their entry fee.
➤ Read the Florida Python Challenge competition rules
Where is the 2026 Florida Python Challenge being held? Competition locations
The Florida Python Challenge will take place in these eight competition locations:
Florida Python Challenge 2026 prizes
Along with the $10,000 top prize for the most pythons caught, this is the breakdown by category:
Professional Category
Novice Category
Military Category
Can you shoot pythons during the Florida Python Challenge?
There is no established firearm season during the time of the event. The use of firearms during the competition is prohibited.
Pythons in Florida must be humanely killed
Burmese python caught in Florida must humanely killed where they were captured. Transporting live pythons is not allowed.
Two steps must be completed to kill a python humanely, regardless of the method used:
How many pythons are in Florida?
“Burmese pythons are hard to find due to their cryptic coloration and secretive behaviors, and their low detection probability is a major challenge to effective python control and research,” according to Florida Fish and Wildlife.
However, conservative estimates by the USGS put the Burmese python population in the Florida Everglades region in the tens of thousands.
Can pythons be eliminated in Florida?
Because Burmese pythons are distributed across more than a thousand square miles of southern Florida, including all of Everglades National Park and across the southern coast, the chances of completely eliminating the snake from Florida is low.
Controlling their numbers and preventing their spread out of the area are critical goals for conservation efforts and land managers, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
Kim Luciani is a journalist for the USA TODAY Network-Florida’s Audience team. You can get all of Florida’s best content directly in your inbox each weekday by signing up for the free newsletter, Florida TODAY, at https://naplesnews.com/newsletters.
This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: Florida Python Challenge 2026 dates are set. How 2025 champ scored the win
Reporting by Kim Luciani and Mark H. Bickel, USA TODAY NETWORK – Florida / Naples Daily News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
