Florida - Wednesday May 24, 2023: Registration for the 2023 Florida Python Challenge is now open. The event is a conservation effort which helps protect the native species in the Everglades from invasive, nonnative, snakes like the Burmese Python.
Those interested in participating in the 2023 Florida Python Challenge can now register to complete the required online training to compete in the 10-day competition.
Click here 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 to participate in the Florida Python Challenge.
The 10-day python removal competition begins at 12:01 a.m. on August 4, 2023 and ends at 5 p.m. on August 13, 2023.
Participants this year will have the chance to win a share of more than $30,000 in prizes. Whoever catches the most number of pythons wins the grand prize of $10,000.
“We are once again hosting this event for the public to get involved in protecting our native wildlife while competing to win thousands of dollars for their efforts removing Burmese pythons from our iconic Florida Everglades ecosystem,” said Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) Chairman Rodney Barreto. “Since the first Florida Python Challenge in 2013, we have reached a countless number of people across the globe, alerting them to the negative impacts caused by Burmese pythons and other invasive species in Florida."
Participants in last year's Challenge removed 231 Burmese pythons from the Everglades, an increase from the 2021 number and more than double those removed in 2020.
Nearly 1,000 people from 32 states, Canada, and Latvia took part in the 2022 competition.
About Invasive Burmese Pythons
Burmese pythons are not native to Florida and they negatively impact native wildlife. This invasive species is found primarily in and around the Everglades ecosystem in south Florida where they prey on birds, mammals, and other reptiles.
A female Burmese python may lay 50 to 100 eggs at a time. Since 2000, more than 18,000 Burmese pythons have been reported to the FWC as removed from the environment.
For more information on Burmese pythons, visit MyFWC.com/Python.