Forrest Galante, wildlife biologist, on invasive species in Florida: “The Burmese python problem really is out of control”
In the Florida Everglades, the Burmese python has established itself as “a slithering menace that is wiping out species”, Galante says.
Florida has a Burmese python problem - and it’s unlikely the U.S. state will ever find a solution, says a major expert on wild animals.
“Slithering menace”
Forrest Galante, a wildlife biologist and TV personality who hosts nature shows on the channel Animal Planet, has described the snake as “a slithering menace that is wiping out species”.
An animal that is not native to the U.S., the Burmese python is “taking over the Florida Everglades”, Galante told a video on his popular YouTube channel, which has more than 2.5 million subscribers. “They’re eating everything.”
“One of the most destructive and harmful species”
A 1.5 million-acre region of wetlands in southern Florida, the Everglades are home to a wide range of native wildlife - spanning birds, reptiles, fish, amphibians, invertebrates and mammals. However, since the Burmese python’s presence was first recorded in the Everglades in the 1970s, it has thrived in the area, at the expense of numerous indigenous species.
A snake that chiefly feeds on mammals, birds and other reptiles, the Burmese python represents “one of the most destructive and harmful species in America’s Everglades”, warns the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD).
Of particular concern, the snake preys on endangered Florida Everglades species such as the wood stork and Key Largo woodrat, says the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
The Burmese python’s voracious appetite is also depriving native predators of food sources. What’s more, the snake carries parasites and pathogens that can prove harmful to indigenous species.
How did the Burmese python arrive in the U.S.?
Native to countries in southern and eastern Asia, the Burmese python is a non-venomous snake that kills its prey by constriction. Described by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) as “one of the largest snake species in the world”, the python can grow to up to 20 feet in length and weigh over 250 pounds.
The Burmese python was brought to Florida by the pet trade. “Once sought-after commodities, pythons have been sold by breeders as pets or showpieces to exotic animal collectors for decades,” says the SFWMD.
Having arrived in the Sunshine State, Burmese pythons then found their way into the Everglades ecosystem as a result of “accidental or intentional releases by pet owners”, the organization says.
In August 1992, Galante notes, Hurricane Andrew caused the destruction of a python breeding facility in Florida, leading “a couple dozen” of the snakes to be released into the wild. “And from those few dozen, thousands have exploded”, he says.
A conservative estimate of the Burmese python’s current population in the greater Florida Everglades region would be “tens of thousands”, says the USGS.
In response, the SFWMD has introduced the Python Elimination Program, which pays ‘removal agents’ to help eradicate the Burmese python - and other similar species - from southern Florida. The scheme even offers bonuses for pythons measuring over four feet in length.
One such python hunter, Aaron Mann, had by August 2025 earned over $1,000 for capturing nearly 100 Burmese pythons, it was reported in the U.S. media.
“Out of control in Florida”
However, Galante is highly pessimistic that Florida will ever rid itself of the invasive species. “I would say that the Burmese python problem really is out of control in Florida,” he said.
“Even with all the efforts out there, I would give the likelihood of us ever being able to truly eradicate Burmese pythons [as] a very, very low one out of ten.”
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