Tom Rahill won the annual event, earning $10,000 for removing 96 Burmese pythons from South Florida

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.

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.

Researchers are using new AI technology to detect and catch invasive species in South Florida — tools that they say save time and cut down on resources.

An unusual discovery in the Florida Everglades may carry a bit of good news. Researchers spotted vultures eating eggs from a Burmese python nest in what they described as the first recorded case of native birds targeting the invasive snake's eggs.