Registration opened Wednesday for the 2023 Florida Python Challenge.
The challenge is held yearly in the Everglades to combat the growing number of the invasive Burmese Python species in South Florida.
Recommended Videos
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officials said even though Burmese pythons are large animals, they are notoriously difficult to find and pose a threat to native wildlife.
Because these snakes require specific handling guidelines and are tough to spot, all participants in the challenge must take an online training course.
The course is designed to help hunters more effectively find the snakes and remove them from the wild.
According to event organizers, during the 2022 challenge, a record 231 pythons were rounded up in the Everglades.
Matthew Concepcion, the 2022 Ultimate Grand Prize Winner, removed 28 pythons during the challenge. Concepcion won a $10,000 grand prize. Dustin Crum received the award for removing the longest python at a length of 11 feet, 0.24 inches, according to an FWC news release.
The python removal competition begins at 12:01 a.m. on Aug. 4 and ends at 5 p.m. on Aug. 13.
For more information on how to register, click here.
To learn more about opportunities to remove pythons year-round outside of the Florida Python Challenge, click here.