By exploiting the snakes' mating behavior, a team in southwest Florida removed a record 8,080 pounds of invasive pythons in just six months. The effort points to a simple but effective idea: use the snakes' instincts against them to stop the next generation before the population grows further.

Annual 10-day competition drew more than 900 participants from across the U.S. and abroad.

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.

As Florida keeps removing invasive Burmese pythons from the Everglades, many Floridians are wondering if the snakes could serve an additional role as an edible delicacy.

For decades, Florida’s Everglades have faced a silent invasion unfolding beneath the dense vegetation and winding waterways. What began with the arrival of Burmese pythons through the exotic pet trade has become one of the most significant wildlife challenges in the United States.

Burmese pythons — destructive invasive snakes with few natural predators in Florida — have developed a new foothold outside the Everglades.