The full list of this year’s top python hunters is finally here. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) announced the results of this year’s Florida Python Challenge, which featured 907 participants from 30 states as well as Vietnam and Canada.

By exploiting the snakes' mating behavior, a team in southwest Florida removed a record 8,080 pounds of invasive pythons in just six months. The effort points to a simple but effective idea: use the snakes' instincts against them to stop the next generation before the population grows further.

Annual 10-day competition drew more than 900 participants from across the U.S. and abroad.

The 2026 Florida Python Challenge ended on July 19, and organizers have officially finished tallying the number of bagged snakes. Over 10 days, 907 participants hunted down a collective total of 280 invasive Burmese pythons (Python bivittatus) across the Everglades.

As Florida keeps removing invasive Burmese pythons from the Everglades, many Floridians are wondering if the snakes could serve an additional role as an edible delicacy.

Burmese pythons in Florida are devouring animals as small as rabbits and as big as deer and alligators. How they do it is fascinating and unsettling.

More than 900 contestants vying for the $10,000 grand prize scoured South Florida for 10 days during the 2026 Florida Python Challenge.

Three python hunters received $1,000 for catching the longest snake in their division during the 2026 Florida Python Challenge.

Over 900 participants helped remove 280 invasive Burmese pythons from South Florida during the 2026 Florida Python Challenge, according to FWC.