Florida conservationists remove record‑sized 4‑ton invasive python pitfall.
The Conservancy of Southwest Florida reported a record involuntary removal of invasive Burmese pythons in Collier County. From November 2025 through April 2026, the organization’s biologists captured 177 snakes, a total of more than four tons. Combined, the pythons weighed 8,080 pounds and 4,100 eggs were collected.
The removals were part of a targeted program to reduce breeding populations. The organization’s wildlife biologist, Ian Bartoszek, stated that tagged scout snakes helped locate breeding individuals before egg laying. He noted that ongoing pressure could decrease future removal numbers as reproduction is suppressed.
The effort has been referenced as a counter to the ongoing problem of Burmese pythons in the Everglades and Big Cypress National Preserve. The largest snake previously documented in Florida was a 19‑foot, 125‑pound female captured in Big Cypress in July 2023. In December 2021, a 215‑pound female was taken, the heaviest recorded in the state.