Registration for the 2026 Florida Python Challenge is officially underway, as participants have the chance to take part in a 10-day competition to win a grand prize. The competition takes place from Friday, July 10, until 5 p.m. Tuesday, July 19.

Florida wildlife officials released more information about the 2026 Florida Python Challenge on Tuesday, which brings hunters from all over to compete for a big cash prize while also helping protect the local ecosystem. The competition has been held every ...

Python hunters should wear long pants, closed-toed shoes, and bring tools like a flashlight and snake hook. Novice hunters must humanely kill pythons immediately at the capture site; firearms are prohibited in the competition. The Florida Fish and Wildlife ...

A Burmese python sits in the grass at Everglades Holiday Park in Fort Lauderdale, Florida on April 25, 2019. - Along with the venomous lionfish, the Burmese python is perhaps the least welcome invasive species in Florida: lacking any natural predators, it ...