Florida Hunters Found a Genius Way to Wipe Out Thousands of Pythons

Summary

Burmese pythons are an invasive species in South Florida. Native to Southeast Asia, they were imported into the United States in large numbers. Federal estimates cited in the video put imports at about 300,000 between 1979 and 2009. Some snakes escaped or were released, and the Everglades’ warm, densely vegetated wetlands provide extensive habitat where they are difficult to detect.

Effects on native wildlife

The video describes substantial declines in native wildlife. A 2012 survey of Everglades roads, compared with surveys from the 1990s, reported 99.3% fewer raccoons, 98.9% fewer opossums, and no marsh rabbits on the surveyed roads. Researchers examining python stomach contents found remains from as many as 86 species.

These figures document survey and stomach-content findings; they do not, by themselves, demonstrate that removing pythons will restore native populations.

Challenges of finding pythons

Pythons’ camouflage and stillness make them difficult to spot, and the estimated population remains broad—about 100,000 to 300,000. Removing a breeding female before she lays eggs may prevent many hatchlings, so locating females is a central goal.

Broad public hunts and paid contractors remove snakes, but cannot reliably locate all breeding females. The first Florida Python Challenge, in 2013, resulted in 68 pythons caught by more than 600 participants. According to the video, contractors paid by the hour and for captures have removed more than 19,000 snakes since 2017.

Using tagged males to locate breeding snakes

The main scientific method is to use radio-tagged male pythons as “scouts”:

• Veterinarians implant radio transmitters inside selected male pythons, which are then released and tracked.
• During breeding season, males follow chemical cues from females, detected with their forked tongues.
• Researchers follow the males’ radio signals through the wetlands. A male may lead them to a female or to a group of snakes gathered to mate.
• The approach resembles the “Judas goat” technique used to locate feral goats: an animal fitted with a tracking device leads people to others of its kind.

Notable finds and results

In December 2021, a tagged male named Dion led researchers to a 215-pound female, nearly 18 feet long. An examination later found 122 eggs and deer remains in its stomach. Dion also led the team to four other females that breeding season.

In February 2024, a scout led a team to a mating group. They found 11 snakes weighing about 500 pounds in one day.

The video reports that the program removed 177 pythons and about 4,100 eggs during the November 2025–April 2026 season. The Conservancy team’s cumulative total since 2013 was reported as 1,750 pythons, weighing more than 23,000 kilograms. Eggs and reproductive data collected from removed snakes also support research into python biology and behavior.

Limits of removal efforts

Removal is not the same as eradication or demonstrated ecosystem recovery. Program leaders say eradication is not currently achievable. Record catches may mean hunters are improving at finding snakes, or that the population is larger than previously thought. The video notes that fewer catches over time could be a sign of progress, but recovery of animals such as raccoons and rabbits has not been established.

The video also describes a radio-tagged python found killed by a lynx, which a biologist called a “home win.” This is an observation, not evidence that native predators can control the python population.

Practical advice: Do not approach a Burmese python in Florida; report it to the state’s python hotline.

Researchers and sources featured

• Jan Bartoszek — wildlife biologist, Conservancy of Southwest Florida
• Jan Easterling — biologist involved in field tracking
• Kyle Findlay — intern involved in field tracking
• Frank Ridgely — wildlife veterinarian, Zoo Miami
• Niall Marsh — biologist involved in python removal

Organizations and sources cited include the Conservancy of Southwest Florida, University of Florida, U.S. Geological Survey, Zoo Miami, Outdoor Life, and federal estimates of python imports and population.