The Everglades goal is to make sure the public can identify a snake should they come in contact with one, in your home or in the wild. If Florida residents are prepared and have the snake knowledge ahead of time they can better handle the situation. To this date only 30 burmese pythons have been caught and killed, 11 pythons were caught and killed the first three days.
Two separate python challenges
The competition for the public and the Python Permit Holders Competition for those who have permits from the FWC and other agencies to harvest the snakes. A $1500 reward is open for both competitions to entrants who have captured the most Burmese Pythons. A $1000 prize is open for anyone who captures the longest snake. Funding is provided by the sponsors and the entrance fees.
Florida ban
Florida laws prohibit importing or exporting the Burmese Python to the state of Florida. Sale of the snakes is illegal. South Florida has become a breeding ground for the Burmese Python. Pythons like the water and are great climbers. No other snake has been so worrisome and more damaging to the environment.
The Burmese Python lays up to 100 eggs at one time. The snakes have been increasing in numbers over the last decade on public lands, permitted holders have been allowed to go in once-a-year to have hunters “capture and kill” to help reduce their numbers, the this effort is just not enough.
How far would the Burmese Pythons spread
The Everglades seem to be the mainstay of the Burmese Python but they are indeed moving. . The big snakes have been captured in Big Cypress National Preserve and Collier Seminole State park and around Miami and Key Largo and throughout the region.
The Lacey Act
The United State Fish and Wildlife Services also list the Burmese Python as “Injurious Species” in other words it is illegal to transport the snake between any state lines or to import or export the snake to or from the United States.
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