University of Florida researchers documented a surprising new threat to Burmese python eggs in the Everglades, adding to growing evidence that native wildlife is fighting back against the invasive species.

Large pythons have shared forests, grasslands and river systems across Asia for thousands of years, yet two of the region's most famous species are often mistaken for one another. The Burmese python and the Indian rock python belong to the same genus and were even treated as closely related forms of the same species for many years.

Still, scientists no longer consider complete eradication realistic.

Over the past 12 years, one specially trained Florida team has removed 770 adult pythons from South Florida, primarily in and around the Everglades. That adds up to about 36,000 pounds of pythons. But rarely have they seen this — a Burmese python caught ...

The Burmese python is already considered a destructive force in the South Florida ecosystem. A new collaborative study that the Conservancy of Southwest Florida in Naples was part of has revealed things are worse than experts thought when it comes to the ...

Researchers captured 177 invasive Burmese pythons and removed more than 4,100 eggs during a single breeding season in Southwest Florida.

UC Professor Bruce Jayne poses with a Burmese python specimen with a 22-centimeter gape, right, compared to an even larger specimen with a 26-centimeter gape. Credit: Bruce Jayne UC Professor Bruce Jayne poses with a Burmese python specimen with a 22 ...

Last year’s winner was Taylor Stanberry, who removed 60 Burmese pythons in the record-breaking 2025 event

One-quarter of the female pythons it removed contained white-tailed deer remains.