Florida biologists remove 177 invasisve Burmese pythons weighing over 8,000 pounds. Stops 4,100 eggs from entering the ecosystem. Still there is a much bigger problem

Florida wildlife researchers have recorded a major removal effort against one of the state’s most damaging invasive species, taking 177 Burmese pythons out of a 200-square-mile area and preventing thousands of eggs from entering the ecosystem. The snakes, which weighed a combined 8,080 pounds, were removed from Collier County during the November 2025 to April 2026 breeding season. Along with the adult pythons, researchers removed around 4,100 eggs, cutting off another potential generation of predators in the Everglades ecosystem.

177 pythons removed in record season

The work was carried out by the Conservancy of Southwest Florida's python research and removal team. According to reports, the 2025-26 season marked the organisation's largest removal by weight since its programme began in 2013. The average female python caught during the effort weighed about 95 pounds, while the largest measured 17 feet and weighed 153 pounds. Researchers also found that many of the females were carrying eggs.

The team estimated that the females were carrying an average of 70 eggs each, making the removal of breeding females particularly important for limiting future population growth. “This was our first four-ton removal season,” wildlife biologist Ian Bartoszek said, according to the Conservancy's statement cited by Action News Jax. He added that tagged male “scout snakes” helped researchers locate large breeding snakes before they had an opportunity to lay eggs.

How ‘scout snakes’ help researchers

Instead of searching randomly across the vast Florida landscape, researchers use radio telemetry to track around 40 tagged male Burmese pythons. These snakes are known as “scout snakes” because they can lead researchers to areas where pythons gather during the breeding season. Once the tagged males are tracked to mating areas, teams can search for females, including large egg-carrying snakes.

The approach allows researchers to focus their efforts on pythons that can have a particularly large impact on reproduction. The latest results are part of a much longer campaign. Since 2013, the Conservancy says its programme has removed 1,750 pythons weighing more than 53,000 pounds from Southwest Florida.

Why Burmese pythons are a concern in Florida

Burmese pythons are native to parts of Southeast Asia but have established a breeding population in southern Florida. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission describes them as an invasive species that negatively affects native wildlife. The snakes are known to prey on birds, mammals and reptiles. The state's wildlife agency says female Burmese pythons can lay between 50 and more than 100 eggs at a time.

Research also shows why reproduction is an important focus. A US Geological Survey study described Burmese pythons as an established species in southern Florida and examined reproductive conditions in wild-caught females from the Greater Everglades Ecosystem. The scale of the challenge was also highlighted during the 2026 Florida Python Challenge. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said 907 participants removed 280 invasive Burmese pythons during the 10-day event.

Stopping eggs before they hatch

Removing an adult python prevents one predator from continuing to hunt native wildlife, but removing a breeding female can have a much wider effect. That is why the approximately 4,100 eggs recovered during the latest research season are significant. Each egg represented a potential new snake that could eventually enter the ecosystem. Conservancy President and CEO Rob Moher said the removal programme remains important because invasive pythons continue to reproduce and put pressure on native wildlife. “Every python removed reduces pressure on the ecosystem,” Moher said, according to Action News Jax.

A continuing battle in the Everglades

The latest figures show both the scale of Florida's python problem and the increasingly targeted methods being used to address it. Researchers are not simply looking for individual snakes; they are focusing on breeding activity and trying to stop reproduction before it produces another generation. However, removing thousands of pounds of snakes does not by itself establish that the wider python population is declining.

As EcoTicas noted, scientists still face difficulties estimating the total population because Burmese pythons are difficult to detect in the wild. For Florida's conservation teams, the goal remains long-term pressure on the invasive population while protecting the native animals of the Everglades. The removal of 177 pythons and thousands of eggs represents one significant step in that ongoing effort.