The 2024 Florida Python Challenge® begins Aug. 9, providing both professional and novice participants a firsthand opportunity to join in the effort to remove these invasive snakes from the Everglades ecosystem.

Every python that is removed and eliminated is making a difference to protect America’s Everglades and the region’s diverse and native wildlife.

The 2024 Florida Python Challenge® runs from August 9-18, 2024. The annual 10-day competition and conservation effort is a partnership between the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) and the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) that promotes the protection of native wildlife through the removal of Burmese pythons.

Visit flpythonchallenge.org to register for the competition, take the required online training, view the optional training opportunities, learn more about Burmese pythons and the Everglades ecosystem, or find resources for planning a trip to South Florida to participate in the Florida Python Challenge®.

Why It Matters: Invasive pythons are one of the most destructive and harmful species in America’s Everglades. They threaten our precious native ecosystem by preying upon the wildlife that lives there, including wading birds, mammals, and other reptiles.

Their aggressive predation on native wildlife robs panthers, raptors, bobcats, and other native predators of their primary food sources.