A record-breaking result from Florida's annual python hunt is drawing attention — but for a sobering reason.
Even after 294 Burmese pythons were removed in just 10 days, experts say the Everglades invasion is still nowhere near under control.
The hunt barely affected a crisis that has reshaped one of the country's most important wetlands for decades, the Florida Museum reported.
The 2025 Python Challenge in August drew nearly 1,000 participants from across North America, and together they removed 294 snakes, the highest total yet.
But wildlife researchers said estimates suggest that only around 1% of Burmese pythons are ever detected or caught.
"They're just so good at hunting, hiding, and surviving here," Analise Fussell, a master's student in the Global Ecology Research Group at the University of Florida, said. "They seem like they were made to be in this type of environment."
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The species has spread across Everglades National Park, Big Cypress National Preserve, and other areas. Introduced through the exotic pet trade and likely aided by Hurricane Andrew in 1992, the snakes went from novelty pets to one of Florida's most destructive invasive species.
Burmese pythons have helped drive steep wildlife losses in the Everglades.
Medium-size mammals have declined by more than 90% in invaded areas. Since 1997, raccoon populations have fallen by 99.3%, opossums by 98.9%, and bobcats by 87.5%, while marsh rabbits, cottontail rabbits, and foxes were considered extirpated across most areas where pythons took hold.
Endangered Florida panthers have less prey. Native birds, reptiles, and amphibians face added pressure.
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Researchers have also linked pythons to the spread of an invasive lungworm parasite that has infected snakes in about 35 counties.
A damaged Everglades strains restoration efforts and leaves fewer healthy habitats for native wildlife.
Fellow master's student Ashlynn Canode warned that the problem could worsen as temperatures rise, saying pythons are "likely to move north as climate change progresses."
"It's likely we'll see more impacts than we already do," she said.
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