The Burmese python (Python bivittatus) has become one of the most successful and damaging invasive species in the Florida Everglades. These non-native constrictors were introduced largely through the exotic pet trade, and their population has exploded across South Florida. Because the pythons lack natural predators, their unchecked proliferation necessitates continuous, organized removal efforts to protect native wildlife populations.
The 2023 Python Removal Statistics
A definitive total for all pythons removed by every entity in 2023 is not immediately available, but combined efforts of professional contractors and public events accounted for thousands of removals. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) and the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) contractor programs typically remove between 1,600 and 3,000 pythons annually. The total number removed since 2000 has exceeded 19,000 as of late 2023, with the majority coming from these state-run programs.
The annual public competition, the 2023 Florida Python Challenge, resulted in the removal of 209 Burmese pythons by over 1,000 participants during the 10-day event. 2023 also saw the capture of record-setting specimens. A 19-foot long female python, weighing 125 pounds, was captured, setting the record for the longest python ever documented in Florida. Another massive female caught weighed 198 pounds, making it the second-heaviest captured to date.
The Threat to Florida’s Ecosystem
The Burmese python poses a major threat to the Everglades food web, acting as an apex predator with few checks on its population growth. Research has documented dramatic declines in native mammal populations that coincide with the python’s establishment in Everglades National Park. Surveys show that populations of raccoons and opossums have declined by approximately 99% in the remote southern regions of the park.
The pythons also significantly impact smaller prey; marsh rabbits, cottontail rabbits, and foxes have essentially vanished from areas where the pythons are well-established. The snakes’ generalist diet includes birds, such as the federally endangered wood stork, and larger prey like white-tailed deer. Pythons introduce a non-native lung parasite, Raillietiella orientalis, which can infect and harm native snake species.
State-Run Python Removal Initiatives
The majority of pythons removed each year are taken by professional contractors who are part of two coordinated government efforts: the FWC’s Python Action Team – Removing Invasive Constrictors (PATRIC) and the SFWMD’s Python Elimination Program (PEP). These programs compensate qualified individuals an hourly wage, ranging from $13.00 to $30.00 per hour, for actively searching for pythons on designated public lands. Contractors receive additional incentive payments for each python captured, which includes a base fee plus an extra amount for every foot of the snake’s length over four feet.
The professionals use a combination of methods to locate the snakes, which are notoriously difficult to spot in the dense environment. Visual surveys, conducted on foot, by vehicle, or by airboat, are a primary technique. A specialized method involves using surgically implanted “scout snakes” that are tagged with radio transmitters. These male scout snakes naturally lead researchers to large, breeding female pythons, allowing for the removal of the most reproductively significant individuals.