Record python removal season highlights Conservancy’s science-based efforts to protect native wildlife | Conservancy of Southwest Florida
Four tons of invasive pythons removed as Conservancy of Southwest Florida continues long-term suppression efforts
The Conservancy of Southwest Florida shattered its own record for Burmese python research and removal this season, with biologists removing 177 invasive pythons weighing a combined 8,080 pounds. Conservancy scientists monitor pythons in a 200-square-mile area in Collier County during the breeding season from November 2025 to April 2026.
This marks the greatest biomass of invasive Burmese pythons removed in a single season by the Conservancy’s python tracking team and volunteers since the program began in 2013. The average weight of removed female pythons was 95 pounds, with the largest female captured this season weighing 153 pounds and measuring 17 feet long. The females carried an average of 70 eggs, and a quarter of them contained the remains of white-tailed deer.
“This was our first four-ton removal season. Our tagged scout snakes helped us locate large breeding snakes deep in the landscape before they had a chance to lay eggs,” said Ian Bartoszek, Wildlife Biologist and Conservancy Science Project Manager, who pioneered the nonprofit’s python program. “These science-based management efforts are suppressing local python reproduction. With continued pressure, we hope to see these removal numbers decline over time.”
Using radio telemetry and 40 tagged male Burmese pythons known as scout snakes, the Conservancy’s Science team tracks the scouts during the breeding season, capturing mating males with female pythons before the females can lay eggs. This season alone, the team removed an additional 4,100 Burmese python eggs from the ecosystem.
“Without the Conservancy’s continued removal efforts, these invasive predators would still be out there decimating native wildlife and reproducing across the landscape,” said Rob Moher, President and CEO of the Conservancy of Southwest Florida. “Every python removed reduces pressure on the ecosystem. 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.”
Since 2013, the Conservancy’s python research and removal program has removed 1,750 pythons weighing more than 53,000 pounds from Southwest Florida. The program has also contributed to 25 collaborative scientific publications focused on Burmese python biology and behavior.
The program collaborates with Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve researchers, the United States Geological Survey, the University of Florida, and the South Florida Water Management District. Funding for the program comes from private philanthropy, grants, the Naples Zoo Conservation Fund, and the Fish & Wildlife Foundation of Florida.
Residents can help protect Everglades native wildlife by reporting Burmese python sightings and remaining nearby until a wildlife responder arrives. In Collier County, call 1-888-Ive-Got-1 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. After hours, call 911.
To schedule an interview with Conservancy Wildlife Biologist Ian Bartoszek, please email [email protected]. Interview availability is June 10 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and June 11 from 10 a.m. to noon. Interviews may be conducted in person at the Conservancy campus or via Zoom. To learn more about the Conservancy’s work with Burmese pythons, visit conservancy.org.
About the Conservancy of Southwest Florida
The Conservancy of Southwest Florida is a nonprofit environmental organization that has protected water, land and wildlife in Collier, Lee, Charlotte, Hendry and Glades counties for more than 60 years. Through environmental science, policy, education and wildlife rehabilitation, the Conservancy safeguards Southwest Florida’s natural resources for future generations.
Headquartered in Naples, Florida, the Conservancy is home to Collier County’s only native wildlife hospital and its vibrant Nature Center. Currently open to visitors, the Nature Center is undergoing a major transformation into a new, impactful community offering—the John & Carol Walter Nature Experience, set to open in 2028. This state-of-the-art facility will serve as a gateway to conservation, offering immersive exhibits, hands-on learning and expanded programs to inspire environmental stewardship and enhance the region’s quality of life.
Learn more and support Southwest Florida’s environmental future at conservancy.org.
Media Inquiries
Reneé Stoll, Conservancy of Southwest Florida Director of Communications and Marketing, (239) 430-2460, [email protected]
