For the first time, a woman won the Florida Python Challenge in July and collected her $10,000 reward this week.
More than 900 people from 30 different states and even some from Canada participated in the 2025 Florida Python Challenge last month, removing a record-breaking number of 294 invasive Burmese Pythons in just 10 days.
But there was one Florida-native python hunter who removed more of the gigantic snakes than anyone else who participated, securing a $10,000 prize that was awarded to her by the FWC this week.
Taylor Stanberry, who stands at less than half the height of most of the snakes she catches, pulled in a whopping 60 pythons during the challenge.
Here’s what we know about Taylor and what the Python Challenge is, if you aren’t familiar.
Q&A with the winner: Florida Python Challenge winner captured 60 snakes and $10K. How she did it
How does the Florida Python Challenge work?
The Florida Python Challenge is one of the many efforts the FWC has in place to keep the python population in the state as low as possible. It offers a cash prize to the python hunter who removes the most pythons over a 10-day period.
Although the event is usually held in August, it was held in July this year and included a broader range of hunting grounds. This year, the challenge began on Friday, July 11 at 12:01 a.m. and lasted through Sunday, July 20 at 5 p.m.
“The event, hosted by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) and the South Florida Water Management District, features an Ultimate Grand Prize of $10,000 for the registered participant who removes the most pythons,” the FWC’s website says.
“An exciting addition to this year’s event is the inclusion of Everglades National Park as one of eight official Florida Python Challenge competition locations.”
Throughout the yearly python challenges, more than 1,100 of the invasive snakes have been removed. Last year’s challenge alone removed 195 invasive Burmese pythons. This year, 294 snakes were removed.
More about Taylor: Florida Python Challenge winner nabbed 60 pythons
Who won the Florida Python Challenge in 2025?
Taylor Stanberry, a Naples native, was the 2025 Florida Python Challenge winner. She captured 60 of the invasive snakes, finding 30 of those (hatchlings) in a single nest during one night of the challenge.
Stanberry told The Naples Daily News that although she’s been python hunting with her husband, Rhett, for years (she has more than a decade of experience), this was her first time participating in the challenge.
The biggest python Stanberry caught in this year’s challenge was between 9.5 and 10 feet long, more than double her height at 4-feet, 11-inches. Don’t worry, she’s aware that her height is one of the most recognizable things about her. She’s known to her almost 69,000 Instagram followers as @taylor2short.
Stanberry said that she also caught a 12-footer the day before the challenge kicked off, which obviously did not count toward her total of 60, since it was before the official start of the challenge.
“I have been catching pythons for over 10 years. It’s all about knowing what areas to hunt, what habitat to look for and just putting in the time,” Stanberry said.
“Some nights I go out and won’t find a single python, then other nights, I’ll find a nest of 60 babies (hatchlings)! I would tell newbie hunters to just put in the time. I’ve heard from some that they’ve hunted for a few hours and caught nothing.”
Who is Taylor Stanberry? Meet the 2025 Python Challenge winner
Stanberry is a 29-year-old Naples native and the first woman to win the Florida Python Challenge grand prize.
She works at a canine physical therapy rehab center, is a python contractor with the FWC, runs a small exotic animal rescue and posts online about her adventures with her husband to the tune of almost 69,000 Instagram followers and 227,000 YouTube subscribers.
“I’ve been looking for wildlife since I was a little kid. I used to go fishing with my dad and we would catch toads and I would bring them home to play with them,” Stanberry said. “As I’ve gotten older, I’ve started traveling around the world looking for wildlife, especially snakes, to video and photograph.”
She told The Daily News that she plans to use the prize money to expand her animals' enclosures and pay for gas to do more of what she does best: python hunt.
How much is a license to hunt pythons in Florida?
Since pythons are invasive and plentiful, you don't need a license or permit to hunt them in Florida.
Hunting them in Florida is encouraged because Burmese pythons have very few predators. That’s why the FWC runs the statewide python challenge to get the public involved in the hunt for the massive, invasive snakes. Although the chances of completely eradicating pythons from South Florida are low, the hunt helps control their numbers.
"Hunters, anglers and outdoor recreationists with experience removing pythons or other large constrictors from the wild are encouraged to apply, with preference given to Florida residents and military veterans," the Fort Myers News-Press reported last year.
The FWC also has a Python Action Team that hires contractors to kill the invasive snakes.
This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: Florida Python Challenge winner Taylor Stanberry caught 60 snakes
Comments