Giant Burmese python seen slithering in tall grass in Florida
The invasive Burmese python is threatening the south Florida ecosystem. One challenge in controlling the population is finding the snake.
And the Ultimate Grand Prize winner of the 2025 Florida Python Challenge is …
Stanberry, who was recognized at the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission meeting today (Aug. 13) in Havana (Gadsden County), elminated 60 Burmese pythons during the 10-day competition that was held from July 10-20 this year.
She received the $10,000 grand prize for her accomplishment. Stanberry was introduced at the meeting by Sarah Funk, the FWC’s Nonnative Fish and Wildlife Program Coordinator.
According to the FWC, Stanberry eliminated 33 female pythons and 27 males. The longest snake she caught was just over 9 feet and weight about 16 pounds.
When she was called up to the podium to say a few words, the 4-foot-11-inch Stanberry needed help to adjust the microphone to her height.
“I don’t have much to say,” she said. “Thank you so much for the win and the money.”
According to Facebook, Stanberry and her husband, Rhett, live in Naples. Rhett Stanberry has a Facebook page dedicated to snakes and hunting.
They also have a YouTube Channel and post content on Instagram.
A total of $25,000 in prize money was distributed to winners in three categories − professional, novice and military. The other winners were not announced at the meeting.
How many pythons were eliminated during the 2025 Florida Python Challenge?
Funk said 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.
“Every python removed is a win for the habitat,” Funk said.
How many hunters participated in the 2025 Florida Python Challenge?
This year’s competition started at 12:01 a.m. on July 11 at eight competition locations. There were 934 total registered participants this year coming from two countries (U.S. and Canada). That was up from 857 participants in 2025.
“And we had 30 states represented (including Florida),” Thompson said.
Who were the other 2025 Florida Python winners?
PROFESSIONAL WINNER
- Donna Kalil
- Pythons: 56
- Prize: $2,500
PROFESSTIONAL RUNNER-UP
- Hannah Gray
- Pythons: 22
- Prize: $1,500
LONGEST PYTHON PRIZE
- Kennith Chamberland
- Length: 9 feet, 8 inches
- Prize: $1,000
NOVICE
Most Pythons Prize
- Krista Hoekstra
- Pythons: 14
- Prize: $2,5000
Most Pythons Runner-Up Prize
- Kymberly Clark
- Pythons: 7
- Prize: $1,500
Longest Python Prize
- Michale Marousky
- Length: 15 feet, 11 inches
- Prize: $1,000
MILITARY – Active Duty and Veteran
Most Pythons Prize
- John Southworth (U.S. Army)
- Pythons: 5
- Prize: $2,500
Most Pythons Runner-Up Prize
- Matthew Jamison (U.S. Air Force)
- Pythons: 3
- Prize: $1,500
Longest Python Prize
- Jonathan Miller (U.S. Air Force)
- Length: 11 feet, 2 inches
- Prize: $1,000
Florida Python Challenge 2024 results. 195 pythons removed
Last year, according to FWC, 195 Burmese pythons were removed. Ronald Kiger (20 Burmese pythons removed) was the 2024 Grand Prize winner.
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.
What is the Florida Python Challenge?
The Florida Python Challenge is a ten-day competition encouraging participants to remove Burmese pythons from seven Commission-managed lands in South Florida.
According to FWC, the event is held to raise public awareness about invasive species in Florida, like Burmese pythons, that are a threat to the Everglades ecosystem.
Where was the 2025 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
Burmese pythons in Florida must be humanely killed
If you catch a Burmese python in Florida, you must humanely kill the snake where it was captured. Transporting live pythons is not allowed.
Two steps must be completed to kill a python humanely:
- Step 1 – Target the brain: The application of the tool should immediately result in the python losing consciousness.
- Draw an imaginary line between each eye and opposite jawbone.
- The brain is located where the two lines intersect.
- Apply the tool to the target area (brain) to achieve an immediate loss of consciousness.
- Step 2- Destroy the brain: Immediately and substantially destroy the python’s brain by manually “pithing” which prevents the python from regaining consciousness.
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.
Can Burmese pythons ever be removed from Florida?
Because Burmese pythons are distributed across more than a thousand square miles of southern Florida, including all of Everglades National Park and across the southern coast, the chances of completely eliminating the snake from Florida is low.
Controlling their numbers and preventing their spread out of the area are critical goals for conservation efforts and land managers, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.