The Florida Python Challenge is arguably the most well-known and well-attended snake hunt in the country. And according to the results released Wednesday, the 2025 Challenge that took place in July was one of the biggest yet. More than 900 participants competed in the 10-day event, and they removed 294 of the invasive snakes, which officials say is a new record.
The winners were announced at the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission meeting in Havana on Aug. 13. As in past years, prizes were awarded for the most pythons caught, and the longest pythons caught, with different categories for professional snake hunters and novices. Taylor Stanberry, a 29-year-old wildlife rehabilitator and python removal contractor based in Naples, won the Ultimate Grand Prize with 60 pythons, making her the first-ever female participant to win the whole thing.
Outdoor Life caught up with Stanberry over the phone Thursday morning, the day after she claimed her $10,000 grand-prize paycheck from FWC. We discussed her background hunting Burmese pythons and working with wildlife. We also talked about how she finds the giant but elusive snakes, and why education is so important when it comes to managing invasive species. The following interview has been condensed and edited for clarity:
Q&A with Taylor Stanberry
Outdoor Life: So, first off. How did you win? Like, what was like the main tactic that you guys used, and how were you able to find so many snakes?
Taylor Stanberry: Well, I’ve been hunting pythons for more than 10 years, so I kind of know the general areas and the kinds of habitats to find them in. I have a john boat, but my husband and I also take out e-bikes, we drive. And, of course, we hike. So we have to use those different methods [and vehicles] to look for pythons in all these different areas.
OL: It sounds like the general idea is to just cover as much ground as you can. Are you doing this mostly at night?
TS: Yeah. Right now it’s summer, and you rarely see a python during the day this time of year. So it’s all nighttime hunting. We typically start at 8pm, or when it gets dark, and we’ll go until 5am.
OL: Can you talk a little more about the kinds of areas you’re looking in?
TS: Well if we’re talking about the Python Challenge, you have to hunt certain areas that are approved, like specific locations.
But in general, when you’re hunting at night, pythons could be hanging out by canals to try and get water or eat an alligator, so you want to look near canals. A lot of times, you’re just driving on roads because these snakes are often moving. They’re looking for food or habitat or a new home. So road cruising is really effective. And if you happen to find babies in the road or maybe in a tree, that means you probably have a nest nearby, and you really want to hike around and cover that area.
OL: Okay. So, what you’re really hoping to find are young snakes.
TS: Yeah, so July, when the Challenge was going on, is when nests are hatching. And that’s really how I won. By finding nests, including the eggs. And then the momma snakes are also getting off the nests as they hatch. And of course, you’ll find other size snakes too, but babies are the biggest thing to find, at least this time of year.
OL: That makes sense. What interesting things have you learned about python behavior from all this hunting you’ve done over the last 10 years?
TS: Honestly, it’s hard to say. Because I can go out at night when I think conditions are perfect. You know, it’s humid out, it just rained the day before, maybe a few hours before, and pythons should be moving. But then they’re not. So, really, to me, they’re still a mystery in a sense. They just happen to be one of the more common snakes here in South Florida, so they’re easy to find compared to the native wildlife that I would prefer to find.
There are some things I’ve noticed, though. Like with babies, for example. When they’re hatching, they climb trees, and normally you don’t find pythons in trees. So if you do find babies in trees, that means there is probably a nest nearby. And then with the breeding females. When the moms sit on the nest for a few months, they don’t eat for that entire time, they just stay there. As soon as those eggs hatch, they’re moving to find food and going back to an area where they normally live.
OL: Interesting. What was the biggest snake that you caught during the Challenge?
TS: [Laughs] So, it’s gonna sound really pathetic and small. It was only 9-and-a-half feet.
OL: That does not sound pathetic and small to me. That sounds like a giant snake.
TS: No, that’s small. The most common ones we were finding during the Challenge were like 5 to 10 feet, which is a pretty common size, but 9-and-a-half-feet, I think it was like 15 pounds. That’s not too crazy for me. I’m used to catching 14-, 15, even 18-footers.
OL: And what’s the biggest python you’ve ever caught?
TS: There was one time, and this was many years ago. It was a fun night. My husband and I were out, and this was before everyone was out hunting these roads, this was seven years ago I want to say. And we got two 18-footers in one night crossing the road. Our truck was full.
This year I haven’t been as lucky. I think I caught a 15-footer. But two 18-footers in a night was something.
OL: Yeah, I’ll bet. Now, remind me. Part of the rules with the Challenge is you’re required to catch them by hand, right?
TS: Yes. So, a lot of people always ask, “Why don’t you just shoot them on sight?” But we’re often in areas where you aren’t legally allowed to shoot. And yeah, during the challenge, you’re not allowed to use firearms anyways.
Since I’m in the professional category, I am allowed to catch them by hand and bring them home to then euthanize them. Which is really the best way, because if you shoot a python in the nose or the side of the head, they can survive that and get away. They don’t die very easily.
OL: So, the snakes you caught during the Challenge. What are you doing with all of them?
TS: For the hatchlings, the babies, I sell those as food for other animals — king cobras, alligators or crocodilians, they’ll all eat baby pythons. So I sell most of those to people who keep exotic animals. And then the bigger snakes we catch, anything 6 feet or over, I sell to a leather company.
OL: What do you like about python hunting?
TS: Really, I’m just doing it to save the native wildlife, to be honest. I don’t like the actual killing of the snakes because I really like snakes and animals, so that part of it I don’t really enjoy. But I have noticed just in the last eight years since I’ve moved to Naples — I lived in Orlando before. I’ve just seen huge differences. Like, the bunny rabbits are gone. You don’t see as many rattle snakes or corn snakes in areas where pythons are super prominent. And that means they’re just eating all the native wildlife. So I’m really just doing it to try to help this ecosystem.
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OL: And did you grow up in Florida?
TS: We moved to Florida when I was six years old. I am from New York originally, but I don’t really remember being there.
OL: So, as a kid. Did you just gravitate toward wildlife, like catching little snakes and stuff like that?
TS: I was my dad’s only kid. So he took me fishing. And we’d catch toads, and I’d bring the toads home and swim in the bath tub with them. And as soon as we moved to Florida, I was always catching bugs, and little snakes, or just looking at birds and stuff. I’ve always been obsessed with wildlife and animals.
OL: That’s cool. And how did you turn it into a profession? Because you have an exotic wildlife rehabilitation center, right?
TS: Yeah, so I’ve had monkeys since I was 14 years old. The state actually gives me monkeys that need to be re-homed because they’re too aggressive. So I’ve been working with monkeys for around 15 years now. I’ve also kept and taken care of tortoises.
But I didn’t become a professional python contractor until maybe six years ago. I’ve been catching them for 11 years but I finally applied, so I’ve been doing that with FWC for six or seven years. And that’s why I’m considered a professional in the Python Challenge, because I do it for a living. Technically it’s a side job, but…
OL: And there’s also an amateur side of the Challenge too, right? So, if you are new to this, what’s the key to catching a python without getting yourself hurt?
TS: I mean. You just gotta be smart with it. As soon as you grab them by the back of the head by the neck, you’re seen as the predator. You’re hurting them. So, they’re going to start trying to wrap you. The key is to make sure they don’t coil around you. And honestly if they do coil around you, and you let go of the neck, they’ll usually let go of you,
You just have to stay smart and keep watching them. Usually you want to have a friend with you so they can help unwrap you if needed. Also, just don’t grab a snake that you don’t think you can handle. For me, the max I can really grab by myself is like 14- or 15-feet. Once it gets over that, I need a friend nearby.
OL: So when you have a big snake like that, what’s the plan? It’s usually you and your husband working together, right? So, what’s the strategy once you guys are ready to grab it?
TS: Usually if we’re boating or driving, he’ll be the driver because he’s better at that than me. I’ll be honest. And I’m usually the one getting out and grabbing the snake just because, I don’t know, I enjoy doing it more. Like I said, I can grab a 14- or 15-footer no issue. I grab them by the back of the head and they’ll start coiling, but I know how to get out of it. I’ll keep hopping out of the coil, or I’ll just push them off.
For me, it’s like, I don’t know, I’ve been doing it for so long that it’s easy. It’s almost second nature. Just grab it and don’t get coiled.
OL: Yeah, easy [laughs]. Talk to me about the social media part. You guys have a pretty big YouTube following and a bunch of engagement on your Instagram. So what is that all about?
TS: When it comes to social media, I don’t promote the pythons as much just because everyone gets worked up about killing snakes, killing any animals, and that’s not really what I’m trying to put out there. I’m more about education. I like to travel around the world looking for animals to film and take photos of, so I can kind of educate people about why these animals are good. Especially snakes. A lot of people are scared of snakes, they hate snakes, because that’s just what we’re taught growing up. So I try to do a lot of education around that.
But of course, people like seeing pythons, and they aren’t good for [our] wildlife, so you do have to euthanize them. I also do rattle snake and cottonmouth relocations, and I don’t kill those. But you know how social media is. People can be really mean. I kind of just laugh at that stuff now. It doesn’t really bother me.
OL: Yeah. I imagine it’s kind of tricky when it comes to pythons versus native snakes. Because with native snakes, you want more of them, and you’re focused on killing the pythons. But on social media, it seems like everything is either good or it’s bad. So people just see snakes and they’re like, “Kill ‘em all!” Which is kind of the opposite of what you’re trying to promote, right?
TS: Exactly. People are like, “You like snakes, but you’re killing them?” And it’s hard to explain to some people that the overall thing you’re doing is good. Like I said, I don’t like killing the pythons, but you gotta do what you gotta do to help the native wildlife.
OL: Yeah. And I’m curious about that message. Because the Python Challenge has been going on for a long time now, and there’s been a ton of media attention around catching pythons. Discovery Channel shows and all that stuff. Do you think this message around invasive pythons and why they’re bad is starting to hit home now, finally?
TS: Yes, I do. You still get the people who ask, “Why you are harassing animals and killing them?” They just don’t understand.
But over the last, say, 10 years, I think people appreciating native snakes has gotten a lot more popular. So I’m excited about that. Even my friends in Chicago, they saw the news about me winning the Python Challenge, and they were like, “Oh yeah! You’re getting invasive snakes, I didn’t know you did that.” So even people in other states know about the issues around invasive pythons here. But there’s still a lot of education needed.
OL: Had you done the Python Challenge before?
TS: I have not. I’m usually out of town. And honestly, it can be so hectic with all the novices going out and everyone going crazy, it’s not really my vibe. But I was like, Hey, you know what? I’m gonna try this year. Why not?
OL: And you won.
TS: Yeah, I was like, “Look at me. I’m gettin’ it.”
I also found out I’m the first female ultimate winner, which was shocking. Because I’ve known a lot of amazing women who have gotten first place in the professional category but they didn’t win the ultimate prize. So it’s definitely an honor when there are so many other awesome females — and males — out there competing.
OL: What are you gonna do with the prize money?
TS: So, I have the exotic rescue. I’m gonna be expanding some of those cages. And also gas money for more python hunting. Because that comes out of my pocket. And that money will go fast, between cages and gas.
OL: I hear you. One other thing I was wondering. The places where you hunt really aggressively. Have you noticed a positive impact there in terms of native wildlife?
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TS: In certain areas, yes. I’m seeing more opossums — not tons — and a few more raccoons. I have not seen more bunny rabbits. And in other areas, no, not much of a difference. Some of these places you’re just getting the roadside pythons. Other hunters aren’t getting deep into the Everglades and getting those. So it depends on where you go.
I mean, pythons, once they hit 4 feet in the first year, there’s just not many predators to get them besides alligators. They just do so well out there, especially where they aren’t getting hit by cars or found by people. They are thriving.
Dac Collins contributed reporting.
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