Burmese Pythons in the Everglades: Captain Greg’s 2026 Field Notes

By Captain Greg Mislow, owner of Airboat Adventures Everglades · Published October 8, 2026

Burmese pythons are one of the biggest threats to native Everglades wildlife. During the 2026 Florida Python Challenge, 907 participants removed 280 of them, and the FWC says almost 28,000 wild Burmese pythons have been removed and reported since 2000. Here's what the research shows, and what I saw in the field this year.

What the research says

Burmese pythons don't belong in Florida. The National Park Service says they became established in Everglades National Park through the accidental or intentional release of captive pets. They're secretive and so well camouflaged that even big snakes are hard to find, and they eat a wide range of mammals, birds and reptiles. The park service calls pythons probably the main reason mammals have declined so sharply in the park.

The best-known evidence is a 2012 study summarized by the U.S. Geological Survey. Before 2000, mammals turned up often on nighttime road surveys in the park. Surveys covering 56,971 km between 2003 and 2011 found a 99.3% drop in how often raccoons were seen, 98.9% for opossums and 87.5% for bobcats, and they didn't record a single rabbit. Those figures measure encounter rates on the surveys, not a full count of every animal.

Pythons also breed fast. The FWC says a female can lay 50 to 100 eggs at a time, which is why taking breeding-age snakes out of the system matters.

The 2026 Florida Python Challenge

This year's challenge ran from July 10 to July 19, 2026. According to the FWC's results announcement, 907 people from 30 states, Canada and Vietnam took part and removed 280 pythons. Everglades National Park was back as a partner and competition site, and the longest snake measured 16 feet, 5 inches.

Ten days of attention helps, but the snakes are here all year. The FWC allows removal year-round on 32 Commission-managed lands and on private land with the owner's permission. That steady work matters as much as the headline event.

What I saw in the field this year

These are my own observations from python hunts and time on the water. They aren't a scientific survey, and they don't prove a population trend on their own, but they're what I've seen with my own eyes in 2026:

• Breeding groups. I've come across several males gathered around a single female, a python breeding aggregation.
• Big prey. I've photographed pythons with large prey, including deer and alligators.
• Mink. I've seen more than one Everglades mink this year. Plenty of locals go a decade without spotting one.
• Otters. I've seen more otters this year than in the previous ten years put together.

The mink and otter sightings give me hope, but I'm careful with them. Sightings change with water levels, weather, where you look and how much time you spend looking. It would take long-term monitoring to say whether those animals are really coming back, and why.

Drought, fire and python work

Water levels and fire change where I can go and where animals end up. CBS Miami covered this year's dry season with me, and I wrote about it in my post on the 2026 drought and my account of the June wildfires. Low water can shift where snakes and their prey turn up, but my observations alone can't tell you whether that makes removal more effective.

Python footage and content creators

We share a lot of what we find on our YouTube channel, like this monster python catch. Content creators and streamers also film with us. If you're planning a shoot, see our page for content creators.

Join a python hunt

If you want to be part of the search, we run Everglades python hunts two ways. A road hunt, from $800, is a nighttime search along roads. An airboat hunt, from $1,250, heads into the backcountry and can be physically demanding. Interested in more than pythons? Our invasive species roundup is $800, and this comparison helps you choose. These are specialty trips, so call (305) 766-1929 to book. Wild animals are never guaranteed.

See the Everglades from an airboat

Our tours run outside Everglades National Park, on the Tamiami Trail side, so our captains can legally bring you closer to alligators, wading birds and other wildlife than park rules allow. Every tour is private, so the boat and the pace belong to your group. You ride with one of our USCG-licensed, CPR and first-aid certified local captains, a team I lead and captain with. If you'd rather watch wildlife than hunt it, a private sightseeing tour is the better pick.

Daytime, sunrise, sunset and night tours can be booked online on our booking page, or call (305) 766-1929. Compare options on our tours and prices page. Kids 5 and under ride free, and you get a full refund if you cancel at least 24 hours before your tour.

Python questions

How many pythons were removed in the 2026 Florida Python Challenge?

280 Burmese pythons, removed by 907 participants between July 10 and July 19, 2026, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. The longest measured 16 feet, 5 inches.

Can people remove pythons outside the Florida Python Challenge?

Yes. According to the FWC, python removal is open year-round on 32 Commission-managed lands, and Burmese pythons may be humanely killed on private land at any time with the landowner's permission, with no permit or hunting license required. You can also book a guided python hunt with us.

Will we see a python on a regular airboat tour?

Probably not. The National Park Service says visitors are unlikely to see a python in the wild because they are so well hidden. A sightseeing tour is not a hunt. If pythons are the goal, book a dedicated python hunt, and even then sightings and captures are not guaranteed.