What began as a family outing to help remove invasive snakes from Florida's Everglades quickly turned into a terrifying fight for survival. Carl Jackson believed he had spotted a Burmese python measuring about 12 feet as it crossed a dirt road in Big Cypress National Preserve.

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

Florida researchers fitted GPS-collared opossums to track Burmese pythons from the inside — and the hidden biology of this tiny marsupial makes it the perfect secret weapon.

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.

Brandon Welty, a python researcher with Croc Docs, holds up an antenna and receiver to track where a male python during breeding season on March 11, 2026 in the interior of the northern Everglades. Ashley Miznazi amiznazi@miamiherald.com

Python tacos? Python pizza? 'Chicken of the Glades?' Florida considered making invasive snakes a food source. Then science stepped in.