Thomas Rahill claimed the top prize in Florida's 2026 Python Challenge after removing 96 Burmese pythons from the Everglades. Participants removed 280 invasive snakes during the annual conservation competition.

As Florida keeps removing invasive Burmese pythons from the Everglades, many Floridians are wondering if the snakes could serve an additional role as an edible delicacy.

Burmese pythons have been spreading across southern Florida for more than four decades, consuming native mammals at rates that have reshaped entire ecosystems. U.S. Geological Survey occurrence records document the invasion’s geographic expansion from 1979 through 2021,

This year's Florida Python Challenge was July 10-19 at eight designated locations in south Florida. More than 900 hunters participated.