Pythons, hatchlings and eggs removed from south Florida; Python Challenge: Aug. 5-14
FWC photo: FWC Officer Matthew Rubenstein (left) and SWFWMD python contractor Alex McDuffie.
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC)
Shortly before midnight on July 11, 2022, FWC Officer Matthew Rubenstein was on patrol in Big Cypress National Preserve when he encountered Alex McDuffie, a python removal contractor with the South Florida Water Management District (SWFWMD).
McDuffie was in the process of catching and bagging a Burmese python hatchling from the area. The python appeared to be freshly hatched, so the two began searching the immediate area for more hatchlings. They found a female Burmese python on a nest that contained 23 unhatched eggs and 18 additional python hatchlings. Nearby, they found a separate nest site, but no snakes were present. All the snakes and unhatched eggs were turned over to Big Cypress National Preserve.
McDuffie reported to Officer Rubenstein, that upon returning to the same site the following evening, he removed a second breeding female, which measured 17 feet, 6 inches long.
2022 Florida Python Challenge®
The FWC is partnering with the South Florida Water Management District and the Fish & Wildlife Foundation of Florida for the 10-day (annual) 2022 Florida Python Challenge® which will be held August 5-14, 2022. Entrants have the potential to win thousands of dollars in prizes while removing invasive Burmese pythons from the wild.
If you are inerested in competing in this event, please register at https://flpythonchallenge.org/participate/competition/registration/, where you can also take the required online training to compete in this event, learn more about Burmese pythons and the unique Everglades ecosystem, and also find resources for planning your trip.
The competition is open to professional and novice participants, alike. Active duty military personnel and veterans who register for the competition will be eligible for additional prizes.
Participants in the 2021 Florida Python Challenge® removed 223 invasive Burmese pythons from the Everglades, more than double the number removed in 2020. Over 600 people from 25 states registered to take part in the 10-day competition in 2021.
In addition to python removal efforts on public lands, pythons may be humanely killed on private lands at any time with landowner permission - no permit or hunting license required - and the FWC encourages people to remove and kill pythons from private lands whenever possible.
About Invasive Burmese Pythons
Burmese pythons are not native to Florida and negatively impact native species. They are found primarily in and around the Everglades ecosystem in south Florida where they prey on birds, mammals and other reptiles. A female Burmese python can lay 50 to 100 eggs at a time. More than 16,000 Burmese pythons have been removed since 2000. For more information on Burmese pythons, visit MyFWC.com/Python.