Over 230 pythons removed from Everglades in annual competition

They snaked their way right into the winner’s circle.

Participants removed more than 230 Burmese pythons from the Florida Everglades during the Sunshine State’s annual 10-day contest.

Nearly 1,000 people from 32 states, Canada and Latvia took part in the Florida Python Challenge, where the goal is to remove as many of the invasive reptiles as possible from the preserve, the Flordia Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said Thursday.

Participant Matthew Concepcion took home the top prize of $10,000 for capturing the most snakes. Concepcion caught 28 pythons — 13 more than the second-place winner.

The longest python captured during the competition measured over 11-feet, earning its finder, Dustin Crum, a $1,500 prize.

Burmese pythons are native to Southeast Asia and were transplanted to the Everglades, where they have been wreaking environmental havoc on the wetland habitats for decades. The massive snakes primarily feed on birds, mammals and other reptiles.

The reptiles are incredibly invasive. A female Burmese python may lay 50 to 100 eggs at a time, Flordia officials said.

“Removing these snakes is one of the many efforts we are employing to restore and maintain the Everglades ecosystem,” Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said.

With Post wires