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Florida Python Challenge winner nets 96 snakes, $10,000 prize
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has named Tom Rahill the winner of the 2026 Florida Python Challenge after he captured 96 invasive Burmese pythons during the annual competition.
ORLANDO, Fla. - The Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) has released the winners of the 2026 Florida Python Challenge.
More than 900 snake hunters helped remove nearly 300 invasive Burmese pythons from South Florida during this year's 10-day challenge, which ran from July 10-19, 2026.
It's a challenge intended to raise awareness about invasive species and to engage the public in conserving the Florida Everglades.
2026 Florida Python Challenge Winner
The winner of this year's Florida Python Challenge was Tom Rahill. He captured and killed 96 Burmese pythons in the Florida Everglades, earning the $10,000 grand prize.
What they're saying:
Rahill said he accomplished the feat after just having surgery on both hips.
"So I started clearing the area, going back and forth in the saw grass and I came across the nest. This is the nesting season, the hatching season for pythons. So if you find a nest, you have a strong possibility of finding the hatchlings. And in this particular case, they were hatching. It was like a medusa party."
Rahill does all of this to make a difference.
He runs a nonprofit called the Swamp Apes, which aims to support veterans, first responders and their families.
Adventures like the python challenge are just the kind of thing that brings them all together.
"This organization that I founded, the Swamp Apes, is dedicated to veterans. And i had a veteran waiting for me to come down from where I live now by Tampa. And I was able to get out there and meet him. And on e-bikes, we took the bikes, like, nine miles down an old abandoned jungle road in the dead of night and came across this huge python that was just out of the jungle on this old trail."
Now, Rahill says he respects and appreciates the python. However, the species is getting way out of control.
Rahill said he'll be using the money to be put back into his organization and to celebrate his and his wife's 45th wedding anniversary.
Other winners
Professional category
- Most Pythons ($2,500): Christina Kraus – 36 pythons
- Most Pythons Runner-Up ($1,500): Taylor Stanberry – 34 pythons
- Longest Python ($1,000): Rahm Levinson – 16 feet, 5 inches
Novice category
- Most Pythons ($2,500): Bart Shreve – 9 pythons
- Most Pythons Runner-Up ($1,500): Michael Marousky – 4 pythons
- Longest Python ($1,000): Vincent Poole – 8 feet, 2 inches
Military (Active Duty and Veteran)
- Most Pythons ($2,500): Stephen Payton (U.S. Army) – 3 pythons
- Most Pythons Runner-Up ($1,500): Jonathan Miller (U.S. Air Force) – 2 pythons
- Longest Python ($1,000): Jeffery "Heath" Roser (U.S. Army) – 8 feet, 7 inches
FWC: 19,000 pythons removed since 2017
What they're saying:
FWC Chairman Rodney Barreto said more than 19,000 Burmese pythons have been removed from South Florida over the last nine years.
"The number of invasive pythons removed from the Everglades during the 2026 Florida Python Challenge is a major victory for Florida’s native wildlife and a testament to what can be accomplished through strong partnerships and public participation," said FWC Chairman Rodney Barreto in a statement.
"With more than 1,600 pythons removed through Florida Python Challenge events to date and more than 19,000 removed by FWC and South Florida Water Management District contractors since 2017, these collective efforts continue to reduce the threat Burmese pythons pose to Florida’s native wildlife and ecosystems."
What is the Florida Python Challenge?
The Florida Python Challenge is a yearly 10-day competition that brings hunters from all over the U.S. and the world to Florida to hunt and kill these invasive snakes.
Prizes are given out to those who capture the most snakes, and who find the longest snakes. Burmese pythons are considered to be one of the longest snakes in the world, averaging between 6–9 feet.
The largest snake ever found in Florida was more than 18 feet long, the FWC said.
About Burmese Pythons
Why you should care:
Burmese pythons are not native to Florida and are considered to be an invasive species, preying on birds, mammals, and other native animals within South Florida and the Everglades.
FWC officials said Burmese pythons can lay 50–100 eggs at a time.
What you can do:
People can report sightings of Burmese pythons, non-native snakes, tegus, and monitor lizards to the FWC’s Invasive Species Hotline at 888-IVE-GOT1 (888-483-4681).
The Source: The Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) released the winners of the 2026 Python Challenge on Wednesday, Aug. 5, in a news release.