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The 2026 Florida Python Challenge is over.
Now, the wait begins to find out how the $25,000 in cash prizes will be distributed to hunters, including who won the $10,000 grand prize for eliminating the most pythons.
The annual competition to eliminate the invasive Burmese pythons officially ended at 5 p.m. on Sunday (July 19). For 10 days hundreds of hunters combed eight designated competition zones stretching across the Everglades with a single purpose: eliminate as many snakes as possible no matter how big or small.
Prize money will go to winners in three categories − professional, novice and military.
According to Lisa Thompson, a communications specialist for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commissions' Division of Habitat and Species Conservation, all winners for this year's challenge will be announced soon. Last year it wasn't until a FWC meeting on Aug. 13 when the winners were announced, including the competition's first ever woman to win the $10,000 grand prize, Taylor Stanberry.
Stanberry eliminated 60 pythons in 2025 and she was back this year defending her title, although she told the Naples Daily News in a exclusive interview last week that weather and exhaustion were making the hunt more challenging compared to 2025.
Stanberry eliminated 33 female pythons and 27 males during the 2025 comptition. The longest snake she caught was just over 9 feet and weight about 16 pounds.
As of Friday (July 17), Thomson said more than 700 hunters had registered for this year's Python Challenge and approximately 100 of them were registered from out of state. She said registration was open right up until the last day of the Python Challenge on July 19.
There were 934 total registered participants in 2025 coming from two countries (U.S. and Canada). That was up from 857 participants in 2024.
How many pythons were removed during the 2025 challenge in Florida?
A total of 294 pythons were removed – the most of any python challenges so far.
The Python Challenge started in 2013 to help raise awareness about the invasive species and to take a significant step in removing the snake that is negatively impacting the South Florida ecosystem.
How serious is the python problem in Florida?
Burmese pythons have wrought destruction in the Florida Everglades. They've contributed to the decline of small mammals including raccoons, opossums, bobcats, foxes, marsh rabbits and cottontail rabbits.
A recent study revealed that Burmese pythons can eat prey much larger than previously reported. Scientists observed a Burmese python swallowing a 77-pound white-tailed deer, nearly 70 percent of the snake’s mass.
Where was the 2026 Florida Python Challenge held?
The Florida Python Challenge took place at these eight competition locations:
Southern Glades Wildlife and Environmental Area
Big Cypress Wildlife Management Area
Everglades and Francis S. Taylor Wildlife Management Area
Frog Pond North Public Small Game Hunting Area
Holey Land Wildlife Management Area
Rocky Glades Public Small Game Hunting Area
Rotenberger Wildlife Management Area
How many Burmese pythons are in Florida?
"Burmese pythons are hard to find due to their cryptic coloration and secretive behaviors, and their low detection probability is a major challenge to effective python control and research," according to Florida Fish and Wildlife.
However, conservative estimates by the USGS put the Burmese python population in the Florida Everglades region in the tens of thousands.
Mark H. Bickel is the Audience Development Director for The News-Press & Naples Daily News. Reach him by emailing [email protected].
This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: Who won the Florida Python Challenge? Announcement 'soon', FWC says
