Python No More: DeSantis talks funding for Everglades python removal

EVERGLADES NATIONAL PARK, Fla - Action against the Burmese Python, a non-native predator in the state's Everglades, is continuing since 2019 to remove pythons from the Everglades. 

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis hosted a news conference Oct. 21 highlighting the success of the 2025 Florida Python Challenge, saying Florida Everglades restoration is the "biggest environmental project in the history of the country." 

What is the Florida Python Challenge? 

What we know:

Over 900 participants participated in the 2025 Florida Python Challenge – setting a new record by removing 294 invasive pythons.

The 10-day challenge is a conservation effort to raise awareness about invasive species in Florida and to protect native wildlife by removing Burmese Pythons.

When is it held? 

The Florida Python Challenge began at 12:01 a.m. on Friday, July 11, 2025, and ends at 5 p.m. on Sunday, July 20, 2025. Participants were instructed to submit the humanely killed pythons they captured and submit them at a check station. 

An ‘apex predator’ 

The backstory:

Not native to Florida, the Burmese Python threatens the ecosystem by eating native wildlife. Ranging from 10 to 16 feet, the Burmese Python, which was brought to Florida from southern and southeastern Asia, has been established in the area since the 1980s, the Florida Museum said. The python can reach a length of 26 feet and a weight of more than 200 pounds, the Nature Conservancy said. 

The species is found in the southern Florida peninsula from Lake Okeechobee south to Key Largo and Florida Bay. 

The python can be recognized by its dark brown splotch-like markings on a tan, yellow or cream-colored back and sides and a light stripe on both sides of its dark head. 

Why is the Burmese Python invasive? 

Why you should care:

Florida is home to almost three dozen threatened or endangered species, including the Florida panther, the Florida Manatee and the American Alligator. The Burmese Python preys on the endangered Key Largo wood rat, the South Florida Water Management District reported. The python also preys on other mammals, birds and reptiles. 

Native deer, raccoon and fox populations have dwindled as a result of the pythons, DeSantis said. 

DeSantis called the Burmese Python an "apex predator." "A single female python can lay up to 100 eggs at a time, and they have no natural predators in the Florida Everglades," he said. 

The species also robs native predators, including panthers, bobcats and alligators of their primary food sources.

Who won the 2025 Florida Python Challenge?

Taylor Stanberry of Naples won a $10,000 Ultimate Grand Prize for capturing 60 snakes. Stanberry is the first woman to win this award. 

Other categories included capturing the longest python by a novice – 15 feet – most pythons by a professional – 56 . 

By the numbers:

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and Department of Environmental Protection allowed the removal of pythons from all Florida State Parks, DeSantis said in the press conference. 

In three months, the Python Action Team – Removing Invasive Constrictors (PATRIC) program removed 1,022 pythons in May to July 2025, compared to 343 during that same period in 2024, and 748 were removed in July alone—more than the entire previous year’s total, an Oct. 21 press release said. 

This initiative is funded by a $2 million investment from the state. 

What is DeSantis doing for Everglades restoration? 

Aimed to restore the state’s Everglades and water quality, DeSantis listed current Everglades restoration projects including:

• Alleviating high water emergencies and addressing wildlife habitat flooding with the S-333N Water Control Structure
• The Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA) Reservoir plans to reconnect Lake Okeechobee to Florida Bay, allowing clean freshwater to flow south.
• The South C-23/24 Reservoirs at Indian River Lagoon, operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, will treat storm water sediment, phosphorus and nitrogen by reducing the amount going to the St. Lucie River Estuary and the southern portion of the Indian River Lagoon, South Florida Water Management District reported.

DeSantis also provided updates on fundraising and project milestones under his leadership towards Everglades projects. 

• He promised $2.5 billion in his first four years and delivered $3.3 billion, he said.
• DeSantis promised $3.5 billion in his current term and has already delivered $4.6 billion, he said.
• They've completed or broken ground on more than 75 projects, DeSantis said.

"We have reached more Everglades project milestones than ever before in state history," DeSantis said. 

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