FLORIDA — Registration is now open for the 2025 Florida Python Challenge.

The 10-day competition is hosted by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the South Florida Water Management District.

The event kicks off on Friday, July 11, at 12:01 a.m. and runs until Saturday, July 20, at 5 p.m.

For those who want to participate in the hunt, visit FLPythonChallenge.org to register for the competition, take the required online training, view the optional training opportunities, learn more about Burmese pythons and the unique Everglades ecosystem, and find resources for planning your trip to south Florida. 

Burmese pythons are not native to Florida and negatively impact native wildlife. The invasive species is found primarily in and around the Everglades ecosystem in south Florida, where they prey on birds, mammals and other reptiles. According to FWC, a female Burmese python can lay 50 to over 100 eggs at a time.

New to this year’s event includes the Everglades National Park as one of eight official Florida Python Challenge competition locations.

“Every Burmese python removed from our iconic Florida Everglades means one less invasive snake negatively impacting our native wildlife,” said FWC Executive Director Roger Young. “This annual event encourages the public to get involved in removing nonnative species while raising awareness worldwide about invasive species and what people can do to help.”

During the 2024 Florida Python Challenge, 195 Burmese pythons were removed from the Everglades. Since the start of the competitions, 1,112 nonnative constrictors have been removed.

Since 2000, FWC reported 23,000-plus Burmese pythons have been removed from Florida’s environment.

FWC encourages people to remove and humanely kill invasive pythons from private lands whenever possible.

The registered participant who removes the most pythons during the 2025 hunt will earn the Ultimate Grand Prize of $10,000. Prizes will also be awarded in the professional, novice and military categories.