A tool created by University of Florida researchers aims to guide Burmese python removal efforts by helping hunters prioritize snakes for capture.
Researchers associated with the University of Florida
and the South Florida Water Management District developed and tested a weighted removal index (WRI), according to the study, published in Ecological Applications on Sept. 21. The index estimates the effect of removing individual pythons on the potential growth of the population."What we want to optimize for is not just how many pythons do we take out of the ecosystem, but how can we most impact the stability, the growth, the persistence of these populations?" said Alexander Romer, quantitative ecologist at the University of Florida Institute of Food
and Agricultural Sciences and lead author of the study.
The weighted index takes survival and reproductive potential into consideration. Removing mature female pythons, for instance, could more greatly affect future population growth than removing hatchlings.
"We know that the juveniles, they have a lot higher mortality than the adults," Romer said. "And those adults, especially in Florida, have really low predation rates. There's a couple things that will eat them, but mostly it's humans that are especially removing the full-grown animals. We count all of the removals equally, but are all of the removals actually having an equal impact?"
Ultimately, part of the goal is for python hunters to benefit from the WRI. Since Burmese pythons are so "cryptic," the study states that removal programs "benefit" from tools that support decision-making and "prioritize effort toward high-impact removals, rather than treating all captures as equivalent."
"The most impactful factor on whether removal occurs or not is the person running the survey," Romer said. "That tells you that we can try to look into these variables, but ultimately the experience and knowledge and skill of these contractors is extremely important to making this program run."
Contractors could use a "demographic weighting scheme" for Burmese pythons to target "key demographics," which could make efforts to manage the python population more efficient and reduce the resources required for removal, according to the paper.
"Models of invasive species control" suggest that removing members of the population based on demographics can help speed up population suppression, says the study, which cited research showing that removing "large reproductive females" had the biggest impact on the population vital rates of Brown treesnakes.
"A lot of these contractors have a really impressive knowledge of the Everglades, of python biology, and because they're putting that knowledge into practice, it actually makes this management system work," Romer said. "Contractors do a very good job at solving a very hard problem, and we're trying to help them accomplish that."
Mature snakes removed during winter months
Total python removals were highest from June through August, according to the study, mostly due to the high number of "hatchlings" during the summer.
In winter, though there were fewer overall captures, the pythons that were removed were more likely to be mature adults. Winter months "contributed a disproportionate share of total" weighted removal index, "despite having far fewer captures," which reflected the removal of "large, demographically important" adult snakes.
Removing snakes during the "breeding season" also causes "disproportionate demographic impacts," according to the study.
Florida's professional Burmese python hunters
Two initiatives, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission's Python Action Team Removing Invasive Constrictors (PATRIC) program and the South Florida Water Management District’s python elimination program, work "in tandem" to compensate qualified people with "nonnative constrictor control experience," according to the FWC's website.
Being a state contractor is "demanding," according to the PATRIC application form, which says that "most contractors" remove "over 30 pythons per year."
"As of April 2025, over 23,500 pythons have been removed from natural areas in the state of Florida," reads the FWC's website. "Of that total, over 11,000 pythons have been removed by FWC PATRIC and SFWMD PEP contractors since program inception."
The department says that "hunters, anglers" and other "outdoor recreationists with experience removing pythons or other large constrictors from the wild" should apply.
How much can Burmese python hunters make?
The South Florida Water Management District's python elimination program contracts python "removal agents" to work "on designated lands across South Florida, including in Monroe, Miami-Dade, Broward, Collier, Hendry, Lee, and Palm Beach counties," according to its website.
The program pays contractors a variable hourly survey rate, which depends on the area they're searching, according to the program's FAQ. Regular pay is $14 per hour, premium pay is $20 per hour and ultra-premium pay is $30 per hour, with 10 billable hours per day.
An additional incentive is paid "for every python removed based on length," according to the program's website — $50 for the first four feet and $25 per foot for every foot after four.
Additionally, $200 will be paid for any verified active python nest, and $50 for the "documented catch and release of any telemetered research pythons."
Burmese pythons pose a threat to Florida's native species
Adult Burmese pythons have few predators, according to the FWC, and frequently prey upon native species, including those that are threatened or endangered.
Burmese pythons can also threaten the safety of human beings, although they ultimately pose the biggest danger to the ecosystems they become established in. They can also prey on household pets, such as cats and dogs.
Though Burmese pythons can grow to over 20 feet in length, those captured in Florida are usually between six and 10 feet long, says the FWC. In adulthood, they’re larger than almost all native snakes, and are usually tan with dark blotches along their backs and sides.
Additionally, the dark patches along their bodies usually fit together like puzzle pieces, and can look similar to the patterns on giraffes. They also have dark wedges along the tops and bottoms of their heads, as well as behind their eyes.
Sarah Perkel is a South Florida Connect Reporter for the USA TODAY Network's Florida Connect team. You can get all of Florida’s best content directly in your inbox each weekday day by signing up for the free newsletter, Florida TODAY.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: New tool intends to help python hunters. How much can they make?
