Biologists in South Florida have confirmed cases of Burmese pythons, an invasive species, being killed and eaten by native animals that were previously considered unlikely to prey on them. The findings include documented attacks by alligators, bobcats, birds of prey, other snakes, and possibly black bears.

The Burmese python, which can exceed 17 feet and weigh more than 100 pounds, became established in the Everglades after escaping or being released from the exotic pet trade in the late 20th century. The warm climate and abundant prey allowed the population to reproduce rapidly, and a single female can lay between 50 and 100 eggs. The species caused significant declines in native mammal populations, with raccoon numbers falling by more than 90 percent in the most affected areas, according to regional surveys.

For years, no native predator was observed successfully challenging the python as a dominant consumer in the marsh. That has changed in recent years, according to researchers and monitoring programs.

A US Geological Survey study published in 2023 tracked juvenile pythons in the Big Cypress region using radio transmitters equipped with mortality sensors. Of 19 snakes found dead during the study, five had been killed by alligators. Field cameras have also recorded alligators carrying full-grown pythons in open water. Pythons have also been recorded killing and consuming alligators, meaning the two species compete and the outcome often depends on the size of the animals involved.

A more unexpected case occurred in December near Naples, Florida, involving a 13-foot male python named Loki that had been fitted with a radio tracker as part of a state program that uses males to locate breeding females. Researchers found Loki dead, with his head and neck separated from his body and the remainder of his body stashed under pine needles, which is consistent with food caching behavior by a feline. The following morning, a camera trap recorded an adult bobcat weighing about 25 pounds returning to feed on the python, which weighed 52 pounds. On one hand, the researchers noted that cold weather had likely made the snake sluggish and more vulnerable. On the other hand, the case became the first confirmed observation of a bobcat killing and eating a Burmese python in Florida.

Bobcats have since been recorded raiding python nests and destroying eggs, sometimes while a large female python remained nearby. Other native predators have been observed taking advantage of the invasive species as well. Raptors have been recorded striking python hatchlings, and Florida’s eastern indigo snake, a protected species, has been observed consuming young pythons. Investigators have also found evidence suggesting black bears may have killed exploratory pythons during cold periods, although these cases remain rare and are still under study.

In addition to natural predation, Florida operates an active python removal program managed by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Its most visible component is the Florida Python Challenge, an annual ten-day competition held each July, in which licensed hunters remove pythons from South Florida. In 2025, 934 participants from 30 states and Canada removed a record 294 pythons. The grand prize of $10,000 went to Taylor Stanbury, who captured 60 snakes and became the first woman to win the top prize. Donna Khalil won the professional category with 56 removals. The challenge has resulted in more than 1,400 pythons being taken since its inception, and the state estimates more than 23,000 snakes have been removed since 2000.

Participants in the challenge report that prize money is modest compared to the effort required, and that the primary motivation for most hunters is protecting the Everglades ecosystem rather than financial reward.

The combined effect of natural predation and human removal has shifted the status of the Burmese python in some areas from an unchallenged apex predator to a species that is itself being hunted. Native animals, over time, have begun to treat the python as prey, and the long-term trajectory of the python population remains uncertain.

Researchers say the full recovery of the Everglades has not yet been measured, and the extent to which native species can continue to limit python numbers is still unclear. The documented cases of predation and the scale of human removal efforts represent the first sustained counter-pressure against the invasive population since it became established.