MIAMI – The 2022 Florida Python Challenge is on the horizon and registration is now open.
“Last year, 223 pythons were removed from the Everglades and more than 600 people participated from over 25 different states,” Gov. Ron DeSantis said Thursday during a visit to Miami.
The hype expands beyond South Florida, and everyone wants to see if they can get their hands on this elusive, invasive species.
Experts say said the proper technique to catching a python is to get the head pinned.
They say you must also make sure they are not coiled, and when they are slithering away is the best time to cease the moment.
“They are the most hissiest snakes I’ve ever worked with,” one python expert said.
The power behind these overly hissy snakes is impressive and you also need to watch out for the extension of their mouth.
The pythons are a threat to the Everglades and can lay about 100 eggs at a time.
The goal of the challenge is to extinguish the population.
“These snakes are destroying the natural food chain and you can’t have a healthy environment without a healthy food chain,” Gladesman Ron Bergeron said.
The competition begins at 8 a.m. Aug. 5 and ends at 5 p.m. Aug. 14.
Click here for more information about this year’s Florida Python Challenge.