The 2026 Florida Python Challenge ended on July 19 with 907 participants removing 280 invasive Burmese pythons from the Everglades. Professional hunter Tom Rahill set a new individual record by capturing 96 snakes and won $10,000. Overall removals were slightly below 2025 totals, but conservation concerns persist: experts estimate 100,000 to 300,000 pythons now live in Florida. Rahill, founder of Swamp Apes, also assisted a veteran in capturing a 17-foot python during the event.
Florida Python Challenge 2026: Tom Rahill Breaks Record With 96 Pythons, Wins $10,000
Over 900 participants caught a total of 280 snakes this year.
The 2026 Florida Python Challenge concluded on July 19 after ten days of snake removal across the Everglades. Organizers say 907 participants collectively removed 280 invasive Burmese pythons (Python bivittatus). While that total was slightly below last year's 294 captures, the competition produced a new individual record.
Record Haul and Prize
Professional python hunter Tom Rahill captured an astonishing 96 pythons and received the $10,000 first-place prize, according to Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission program coordinator Sarah Funck. Rahill's tally outpaced last year's winner, Taylor Stanberry, by 36 snakes; Stanberry made history in 2025 as the first woman to win the contest.
Sarah Funck, Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission: "We are grateful to every participant who helps reduce the python population and support Everglades recovery efforts."
Conservation Context
Burmese pythons were introduced accidentally to South Florida starting in the 1970s. With few natural predators in the region, their population exploded and severely impacted native wildlife. Conservationists estimate there are between 100,000 and 300,000 pythons now in Florida despite ongoing removal efforts.
An average adult Burmese python reaches roughly 13 feet in length; pregnant females can lay as many as 70 eggs. During the 2026 event, Rahill also helped a veteran capture a 17-foot python, one of the largest removed during the contest.
What Comes Next
Organizers will announce the remaining prize winners across professional, novice, and military categories. Although a far larger snake is unlikely to top Rahill's captures, the longest Burmese python on record was nearly 19 feet long, so surprises remain possible.
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