Exactly one minute after midnight tonight, hundreds of hunters will fan out across the Florida Everglades with a single mission: track down and remove as many invasive Burmese pythons as possible. The 2026 Florida Python Challenge™ officially begins at 12:01 a.m. on Friday, July 10, and will run for 10 days, concluding at 5:00 p.m. on Sunday, July 19.
The annual competition, hosted by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) and the South Florida Water Management District, aims to protect native wildlife and raise public awareness about the damage nonnative species cause to the Everglades ecosystem.
This year, Everglades National Park joins the event as an official partner, serving as one of eight designated competition locations.
Participants this year are competing for a total prize pool of $25,000, funded by corporate and private sponsors through the Fish & Wildlife Foundation of Florida.
The competitor who removes the highest number of pythons during the 10-day window will take home the Ultimate Grand Prize of $10,000. Additional cash prizes will be awarded for the most pythons and the longest pythons caught across three distinct registration categories: professional, novice, and military.
For those who want to participate but have not yet signed up, registration remains open throughout the entire event, closing on the final day, July 19. Event organizers note that because Burmese pythons are notoriously difficult to spot in the wild, registering early gives participants the best mathematical chance of success. To join, competitors must visit FLPythonChallenge.org, complete a mandatory online training course, and pay the registration fee. The website also provides optional educational resources and advanced training tips.
The prize money and event support are made possible by several conservation donors. Inversa, the event’s Platinum Level Sponsor, donated $10,000. Four Gold Level Sponsors—the Bergeron Everglades Foundation, Mrs. Daphne & Mr. Martin C. Wood III, Edison National Bank/Bank of the Islands, and The Garcia Companies—each contributed $5,000. Silver Level sponsors ($2,000+) include Robin Hanes along with Geoffrey and Robbie Roepstorff, while the Rotary Clubs of Florida contributed at the Friends of Wildlife Level ($500+).
While the Florida Python Challenge is a high-profile 10-day event, state officials emphasize that python removal is a year-round effort.
The FWC allows the removal of Burmese pythons on 32 Commission-managed lands at any time. Additionally, the state encourages the public to humanely kill invasive pythons on private lands whenever possible; no hunting license or permit is required, provided the hunter has the landowner’s permission.
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