Alligator Alcatraz is Florida's recently opened migrant detention center in the Everglades.
The center was the brainchild of Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier, who announced the site in a video on X. In the video, Uthmeier said, "You don't need to invest that much in the perimeter. People get out, there's not much waiting for them other than alligators and pythons."
The Burmese python is one of the largest snakes in the world. Adult pythons average between 6 and 9 feet, though the longest ever caught in Florida was 19 feet. The heaviest was over 200 pounds.
Burmese pythons are an invasive species in Florida, with a population spread across more than 1,000 square miles of South Florida, including Everglades National Park and Big Cypress National Preserve.
According to FWC, Burmese pythons can consume meals equivalent to 100% their body mass. During a study, the Conservancy of Southwest Florida took part in, researchers realized that Burmese pythons can eat prey larger than previously thought when they observed a python ingesting a 77-pound white-tailed deer, which was 66.9 percent of the snake’s mass.
Burmese pythons can pose a threat to human safety. Attacks on humans are improbable but possible in any locality where the animals and people are present.
Here's what to know about the biggest Burmese pythons caught in Florida and how many there are in the Everglades:
What is Alligator Alcatraz?
Alligator Alcatraz is a temporary migrant detention center near the Florida Everglades.
The controversial center reportedly has a capacity of up to 3,000 detainees, housed in FEMA tents and trailers.
Where in Florida is Alligator Alcatraz?
Alligator Alcatraz was built at the Miami-Dade Collier Training and Transition Airport, a 39-square-mile airport facility with a 10,500-foot runway in Ochopee, an unincorporated community in Collier County, Florida.
The facility is in the Big Cypress National Preserve.
Longest, heaviest Burmese pythons ever caught in Florida?
Burmese pythons are among the largest snakes in the world, with adult animals averaging between 10 and 16 feet long, according to the University of Florida.
A group of python hunters caught the longest Burmese python ever measured on July 10, 2023, in the Big Cypress National Preserve in eastern Collier County.
The massive snake was 19 feet long.
The heaviest Burmese python ever recorded was caught by Conservancy of Southwest Florida biologists in the Florida Everglades in 2022. The colossal female python weighed an eye-popping 215 pounds and was nearly 18 feet long.
Has a Burmese python ever killed a human in Florida?
According to the U.S. Geological Survey, human fatalities from non-venomous snakes are rare, with an average of one or two per year worldwide.
There have been no human deaths from wild-living Burmese pythons in Florida.
And while python attacks on humans are unlikely, they're not impossible.
Per USGS, "In suburban areas and parks in Florida that contain ponds, canals or other bodies of water where large snakes could feel at home, the situation is likely similar to that experienced with alligators: attacks are improbable but possible in any locality where the animals are present and people are also present. The simplest and most sure-fire way to reduce the risk of human fatalities is to avoid interacting with a large constrictor."
How many pythons are in the Everglades?
It's hard to get an exact count, given the Burmese python's ability to live in various South Florida environments and the difficulty accessing some areas.
"Burmese pythons are hard to find due to their cryptic coloration and secretive behaviors, and their low detection probability is a major challenge to effective python control and research," according to Florida Fish and Wildlife.
However, conservative estimates by the USGS put the Burmese python population in the Florida Everglades region in the tens of thousands.
2025 Florida Python Challenge starts July 11
The 2025 Florida Python Challenge — a 10-day event to remove invasive Burmese pythons — starts at 12:01 a.m. July 11 and ends at 5 p.m. July 20.
Participants can win money prizes in several categories, including a $10,000 Ultimate Grand Prize.
The top prize of $10,000 goes to the person who catches the most pythons. Those with the most catches in the Novice, Professional and Military categories win $2,500, while runners-up in each group receive $1,500, and $1,000 is awarded for the longest pythons caught.
Burmese pythons captured in Florida must be humanely killed. While they are not protected in Florida, anti-cruelty law still applies.
On the hunt: These 5 python hunters have combined to capture almost 100 invasive snakes in 2025
What to do if you see a Burmese python?
You can report a python sighting to the FWC.
If you think you see a Burmese python, take a photo, note your location and report your sighting by calling the Exotic Species Hotline at 888-Ive-Got1 (888-483-4681), using the free IveGot1 mobile app or online at IveGot1.org.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Alligator Alcatraz in the Everglades: What's the python population?
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