Florida Governor Backs Python Removal From Everglades

DeSantis posted support for trapping invasive Burmese pythons after an otter video circulated on social media.

Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in Reptiles

Wide view of a sawgrass marsh with a winding canal, cypress trees on the horizon, and a half-submerged log under warm late-afternoon light. — Florida Governor Ron DeSantis publicly backed removing invasive Burmese pythons from the Everglades on October 30, responding to a viral otter video shared by a wildlife trapper. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Florida Governor Ron DeSantis posted on X on October 30 in support of eliminating invasive Burmese pythons from the Everglades. The post responded to a tweet from the account 'Python Cowboy,' whose video showed an otter running along a water body.

Why it matters

Burmese pythons, first sighted in the Everglades in the 1970s, have spread across South Florida and threaten native wildlife by consuming prey populations. Reptile owners and wildlife managers in Florida are closely watching efforts to control the species.

A 2015 study by the USGS, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, and the University of Florida found pythons caused 77 percent of marsh rabbit deaths within 11 months after 95 adult rabbits were released. The extraction does not indicate whether the post affects current removal budgets or policy.

The players

Ron DeSantis

Ron DeSantis is the Governor of Florida, who has publicly supported efforts to control invasive species in the state.

Python Cowboy

Python Cowboy is the social media account operated by the owner of Martin County Trapping & Wildlife Rescue, a python-trapping operation.

Martin County Trapping & Wildlife Rescue

Martin County Trapping & Wildlife Rescue is a trapping and wildlife rescue operation in Florida that removes invasive pythons.

The details

DeSantis's post read 'Nice -- get them pythons out of the glades!' and was a reply to a video showing an otter along a waterway, shared by Python Cowboy, the operator of Martin County Trapping & Wildlife Rescue. Python populations now extend from Monroe to Palm Beach counties and from western Broward to Collier County, having entered through the pet trade and accidental or intentional releases.

2015: USGS study on python impact on marsh rabbits published.
October 30, 2026: DeSantis posted support for python removal on X.

Big Picture

The governor's post builds on the 2015 USGS study that tied python predation to a 77 percent share of marsh rabbit deaths in the Everglades. That evidence has shaped ongoing efforts to remove the species from South Florida.

Florida residents who own reptiles should be aware that invasive pythons are established across much of South Florida. Pet owners are reminded that releasing exotic animals into the wild contributes to the species' spread.

The takeaway

Releasing exotic pets into the wild has lasting consequences for native wildlife. Reptile owners who can no longer keep an animal should contact a licensed rehoming resource instead.