I’m excited to announce that the annual Florida Python Challenge™ is back for 2026! Kicking off on Friday, July 10 at 12:01 a.m., and running until Sunday, July 19 at 5 p.m., registered participants in this year’s Challenge will get the chance to win a share of $25,000 in prizes while removing invasive Burmese pythons from the Everglades and raising awareness about nonnative species.
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The 2026 Florida Python Challenge, hosted by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) and the South Florida Water Management District, features an Ultimate Grand Prize of $10,000 for the registered participant who removes the most pythons. A highlight of this year’s event is the return of Everglades National Park as a partner and one of eight official Florida Python Challenge competition locations.
Registration is now open for this year’s 10-day event and will remain open until the last day of the competition on July 19. Visit FLPythonChallenge.org to register and take the required online training, as well as get access to educational information on Burmese pythons and the unique Everglades ecosystem, optional training opportunities, and resources for planning your trip to south Florida for the event.
Prizes will also be awarded in the professional, novice and military categories, courtesy of our sponsors and the Fish & Wildlife Foundation of Florida. We thank our Platinum Level Sponsor, Inversa, for donating $10,000 to support conservation efforts in Florida through the Florida Python Challenge. We also thank our Gold Level Sponsors – Bergeron Everglades Foundation, Mrs. Daphne & Mr. C. Martin Wood III, Edison National Bank/Bank of the Islands and The Garcia Companies for their donations of $5,000 each in support of conservation efforts through this event. Additional sponsors at the Silver Level ($2,000+) and Friends of Wildlife Level ($500+) further provide support through the Challenge; additional details can be found at FLPythonChallenge.org/Sponsors-Partners.
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Last year, participants in the 2025 Florida Python Challenge™ removed a competition record of 294 invasive Burmese pythons from the Everglades, resulting in a total of 1,406 of the nonnative constrictors being removed cumulatively during all Florida Python Challenge™ competitions to date. In 2025, 934 people from 30 states and Canada registered for the 10-day competition.
In addition to python removal opportunities on 32 Commission-managed lands which are available year-round, Burmese pythons may be humanely killed on private lands at any time with landowner permission and no permit or hunting license required. The FWC encourages people to remove and humanely kill invasive pythons from private lands whenever possible.
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