Today is the first day of The Florida Python Challenge, where snake hunters will wade into the Everglades to track down invasive Burmese pythons. Up to $25,000 in prizes are up for grabs during this annual 10-day challenge from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
In 2000, Burmese pythons were first identified in Everglades National Park. According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), they were either intentionally or accidentally released by people who owned them as pets.
Since then, the enormous reptiles have quickly become one of the most destructive foreign species in the park’s history. The population has only continued to grow and it now occupies most of southern Florida. Burmese pythons can grow to over 18 feet long and weigh over 200 pounds. A female Burmese python can lay up to 50 to 100 eggs at a time, and they have thrived in the Everglades’ humid tropical to subtropical climate.
[Related: Scientists propose eating more python.]
Since they eat a wide range of animals, they have greatly altered the food web and ecosystems across the Greater Everglades. A 2023 review from the USGS, found that the snakes have contributed to the declines of possums, bobcats, foxes, cottontail rabbits, and raccoons. The odds of eradicating them once they spread across a large area are very low.
“The iconic Everglades is a national treasure and the Florida Python Challenge is a great way to get the public involved in understanding the unique Everglades ecosystem. Removing invasive pythons from across the Greater Everglades Ecosystem is critical, and we must do everything we can to combat this invasive species,” South Florida Water Management District Governing Board Member “Alligator Ron” Bergeron said in a statement.
The hunt begins today and ends at 5 p.m. local time on Sunday, August 18. The goal is to humanely kill as many Burmese pythons as possible. The species is not protected in Florida, but…
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