DYK: 2024 Florida Python Challenge® Kicks Off This Week

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

DID YOU KNOW: Every python that is removed and eliminated is making a difference to protect America's Everglades and the region's diverse and native wildlife.

CHECK OUT THE CHALLENGE: 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.

Click here 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.

BY THE NUMBERS: Since 2017, the state has taken unprecedented action to protect the Everglades and eliminate invasive pythons from across the landscape. Over 14,500 pythons have been removed since the FWC and the SFWMD teamed up to combat this invasive species.

JOIN THE EFFORT: Working together to eliminate harmful pythons is making a difference. A total of 917 pythons have been removed as a result of the Florida Python Challenge® to date.

The Florida Python Challenge® allows you to join the effort to protect the Everglades and the animals that live there from these invasive snakes while also raising awareness about the threat they pose to Florida's ecology.

Visit FLPythonChallenge.org to learn more about the 2024 Florida Python Challenge®.