Biologists use 'scout snakes' to pull record 177 pythons, 4,100 eggs from the Everglades

Biologists in South Florida ended the latest Everglades breeding season with a record-setting round of Burmese python removals.

Using tagged "scout snakes" to locate breeding females, the team removed 177 pythons and 4,100 eggs from a key stretch of habitat before more hatchlings could spread.

What happened?

The program's biggest single-season python biomass total since 2013 came from a 200-square-mile section of Collier County this breeding season, WFLA reported. From November 2025 through April 2026, biologists with the Conservancy of Southwest Florida removed 177 pythons there, weighing a combined 8,080 pounds.

To find breeding females, researchers use radio telemetry and 40 tagged male pythons. Those males, called "scout snakes," help lead the team to females before eggs can be laid.

Among the females taken out this season, each carried about 70 eggs and weighed an average of 95 pounds. The largest female measured 17 feet and weighed 153 pounds. Along with the adult snakes, the team removed 4,100 eggs from the ecosystem.

Why does it matter?

These snakes are an invasive species in Florida. In the Everglades, they face no natural predators, which allows them to reproduce freely while competing with native wildlife for food and space.

The Conservancy also reported that one-quarter of the female pythons it removed contained white-tailed deer remains.

Each breeding female removed can stop dozens more snakes from entering the landscape later.

What are people saying?

Rob Moher, president and CEO of the Conservancy of Southwest Florida, summed up the stakes this way: "Without the Conservancy's continued removal efforts, these invasive predators would still be out there decimating native wildlife and reproducing across the landscape."

"No organization has done this much heavy lifting and boots-on-the-ground research and removal to address the threat of Burmese pythons in Southwest Florida," he said.

The Conservancy said community members can report Burmese python sightings in Collier County by calling 1-888-Ive-Got-1 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Residents are advised to call 911 after hours.

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