How 8,080 Pounds of Pythons Were Removed in One Season
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📰 The quick summary: Biologists in Collier County removed a record 8,080 pounds of Burmese pythons and 4,100 eggs from 200 square miles of Everglades in a single season, giving Florida’s struggling wildlife a fighting chance before the invasive snakes spread further into the Florida Keys.
📈 One key stat: Raccoon populations fell by 99.3% in the worst-hit areas of the Everglades after Burmese pythons spread through the region, showing just how devastating the invasive species has been for native wildlife.
💬 One key quote: “Kill the mothers, and thousands of future hatchlings never arrive,” capturing the core logic behind a scout snake strategy that is now delivering record results in Southwest Florida.
1️⃣ The big picture: Burmese pythons have become one of the most destructive invasive species in Florida’s Everglades, decimating native mammal populations since they first spread through the region. To fight back, the Conservancy of Southwest Florida has run a python removal program since 2013, using radio-tagged male scout snakes to locate and capture breeding females during mating season. This past season, biologists pulled a record 8,080 pounds of pythons from just 200 square miles of Collier County, the first time the program ever crossed the four-ton mark in a single season. Along with 177 individual snakes, they also removed roughly 4,100 eggs before any could hatch. The urgency behind the effort is growing, as python hatchlings have already been spotted on Key Largo, signaling that the invasion is pushing south toward the fragile Florida Keys.
2️⃣ Why is this good news: Removing 8,080 pounds of pythons and 4,100 eggs in a single season is the most effective haul the program has ever achieved, directly cutting off thousands of future hatchlings before they can establish themselves. Every breeding female taken off the board erases an entire nest before it exists, making this kind of targeted removal far more impactful than it might seem at first. Since 2013, the program has now pulled more than 20 tons of python from Southwest Florida, a cumulative effort that gives native species like raccoons, opossums, and bobcats a real opportunity to recover. The scout snake method continues to prove itself as one of the most efficient tools available, allowing biologists to locate breeding females directly rather than searching vast wetlands at random. Each record season also builds momentum for continued funding and public support, keeping this critical conservation work alive for future seasons.
3️⃣ What’s next: Scientists still cannot pinpoint exactly how many pythons remain across the Everglades, with estimates ranging from tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands. Monitoring Key Largo closely for nesting activity remains a priority, especially since hatchling pythons have already shown they can survive saltwater exposure in lab conditions. The Conservancy of Southwest Florida is expected to continue its scout snake program next winter, with each new season building on the data and methods refined over 13 years.
Read the full story here: EcoPortal – Biologists in Collier County pulled 8,080 pounds of Burmese pythons from 200 square miles of Everglades in one season, and the 4,100 eggs they also removed matter because the snakes are already hatching on Key Largo
