What began as a family outing to help remove invasive snakes from Florida's Everglades quickly turned into a terrifying fight for survival. Carl Jackson believed he had spotted a Burmese python measuring about 12 feet as it crossed a dirt road in Big Cypress National Preserve.

Burmese pythons are recognizable by more than their size. Hunters should be on the lookout for a telltale, arrow-shaped marking on the snake’s head, along with giraffe-like spots across its body and dark spots around its eyes. During the summer months, they’re most likely to be found sunning on levee banks or near trees.

"I probably would have ridden right past it, but I saw movement."

A giant snake once kept as an exotic pet can become a serious ecological problem when it enters the wrong environment. In the wetlands of southern Florida, Burmese pythons have established themselves far from their native range in Southeast Asia,

This year’s event, hosted by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) and the South Florida Water Management District, features National Park as a

Burmese pythons have already earned a reputation as one of Florida's most destructive invasive species, wiping out populations of native mammals and disrupting ecosystems across the Everglades. But scientists have now uncovered another surprising way these ...

The Conservancy’s python tracking team made the first capture of the breeding season with scout snake #118 “Snaquan” in November 2025, removing a 17-foot, 148 lb female python. Conservancy of Southwest Florida Four tons of invasive Burmese pythons ...