294 Pythons Eliminated, but this Snake was the Longest Caught in the Florida Python Challenge
Florida’s headline wildlife contest ended with a clear message: more snakes came out of the Everglades this year than ever before, and one of them stretched just shy of 16 feet. The 2025 Florida Python Challenge recorded 294 Burmese pythons removed during the 10-day event held July 11 to 20, the highest total since the challenge began.
Record-Setting 2025 Florida Python Challenge
Officials said 934 participants from 30 states and Canada took part, pushing the removal count to a new record and underscoring how public participation is now central to python control in South Florida. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission confirmed the final tally and thanked partners for opening more ground this year, including Everglades National Park.
Everglades National Park joined seven other competition areas, bringing the official total to eight locations: Big Cypress Wildlife Management Area, Everglades and Francis S. Taylor Wildlife Management Area, Everglades National Park, Frog Pond North Public Small Game Hunting Area, Holey Land Wildlife Management Area, Rocky Glades Public Small Game Hunting Area, Rotenberger Wildlife Management Area, and Southern Glades Wildlife and Environmental Area.
Who Won and by How Much
Taylor Stanberry captured the Ultimate Grand Prize and $10,000 after removing 60 pythons, the most of any competitor in 2025. The official winners list also confirms division awards across Professional, Novice, and Military categories.
- Professional: Donna Kalil took the Most Pythons with 56. Hannah Gray finished runner-up with 22. Kennith Chamberland won Longest Python at 9 feet 8 inches.
- Novice: Krista Hoekstra won Most Pythons with 14. Kymberly Clark was runner-up with 7. Michael Marousky won Longest Python at 15 feet 11 inches, the longest snake of the entire 2025 competition.
- Military, Active Duty, and Veteran: John Southworth (U.S. Army) won Most Pythons with 5. Matthew Jamison (U.S. Air Force) was runner-up with 3. Jonathan Miller (U.S. Air Force) won Longest Python at 11 feet 2 inches.
By the sums of the posted awards, prize money totaled $25,000, including the $10,000 grand prize and $2,500, $1,500, and $1,000 awards in each division.
Also Read: Warnings of Dangers of Snake Bites: Tennessee Hiker Dies
Why Burmese Pythons Are a Florida Problem
Burmese pythons are a nonnative apex predator in South Florida. Peer-reviewed research and federal summaries link their spread to steep declines in small mammals in Everglades National Park, with past surveys showing drops in raccoons, opossums, and bobcats where pythons are established. Marsh rabbits and cottontails can vanish entirely in core python areas.
Recent field work also documented a Burmese python swallowing a 77-pound white-tailed deer, about 67 percent of the snake’s body mass at the time, which illustrates how large prey can be fair game for big constrictors. That single meal helps explain why deer, rabbits, and other mammals feel the pressure.
Since 2017, FWC and partners have reported removing more than 16,000 pythons through year-round contractor programs, on top of the annual challenge totals.
Expert and Official Guidance on Removal and Humane Killing
FWC rules are strict. Members of the public and Novice competitors cannot transport live pythons. If you capture a Burmese python, you must humanely kill it at the site of capture and follow area rules. Firearms are prohibited in competition areas, and participants complete the required training before registering.
The humane method is a two-step process aligned with American Veterinary Medical Association guidance. Step 1 targets the brain to cause an immediate loss of consciousness. Step 2 is pithing, which substantially destroys the brain to prevent the snake from regaining consciousness. Failure to follow humane standards leads to disqualification.
Also Read: Hiker dies after being bitten by Timbler rattlesnake in Tennessee’s Savage Gulf State Park
Public Misconceptions Addressed
Myth: Pythons can be relocated. Florida rules do not allow the public to transport live pythons. They must be humanely killed on-site, whether on private lands with permission or designated public lands.
Myth: The challenge opens every inch of the Everglades. The competition is limited to eight defined areas with posted maps and specific regulations. Everglades National Park participated in 2025, but competitors still had to follow NPS and FWC rules.
Myth: Pythons mainly eat rats, so the impact is small. Studies connect python expansion with dramatic mammal declines, and documented cases include predation on deer and alligators. Their impact reaches well beyond rodents.
Why This Year’s Totals Matter
A record 294 pythons in ten days sets a high bar for public-assisted removal and shows how experience, training, and access to more ground can raise the numbers. Organizers also highlighted continued contractor work year-round, which removes far more snakes than the event itself and helps chip away at breeding adults.
The winners’ list tells another story. Stanberry’s 60 snakes eclipsed many prior grand-prize totals. Category leaders in Professional, Novice, and Military divisions show steady skill growth across the board, which is vital because large females can lay 50 to 100 eggs. Stopping a few big breeders can have an outsized effect.
What Comes Next for Residents and Visitors
If you live in or visit South Florida and spot a python, report it and learn how removal works where you are. FWC’s hotline and online reporting tools channel observations to trained responders. On many public lands and private property with permission, people may humanely kill nonnative reptiles, but always check the local rules first.
Our Opinion
As record numbers fall, the big takeaway is simple: consistency matters. One event won’t erase decades of spread, yet a trained public plus year-round contractors can keep pressure on an invasive predator that rarely shows itself. The 15-foot-11-inch python stands out, but the quieter wins are the dozens of breeding-age snakes that won’t make next spring’s egg count.
Sourcing and verification notes: Official results, dates, winners, participation figures, competition locations, and humane-kill rules were confirmed from FWC and the Florida Python Challenge website. Ecological impact and the 77-pound deer observation were verified from USGS-linked research and the Conservancy of Southwest Florida. (FWC, Florida Python Challenge, PMC, conservancy.org)
