U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, a native Floridian and lifelong hunter, tried his hand at python hunting Thursday. Biologist Shawn Heflick talked about how tough it is to spot the snakes.
The Florida Everglades python hunt is already more than halfway through and so far 37 of the invasive species have been killed, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said Tuesday.
The FWC's "Python Challenge" began Jan. 12 and ends Feb. 10. More than 1,000 people signed up to hunt pythons in the hopes of winning cash prizes.
Competitors are allowed to keep the python skins, once researchers finish examining the snakes. University of Florida researchers examine each snake, hoping to learn more about the elusive species that's considered a menace to the fragile Everglades ecosystem.
No one knows for sure how many pythons live in South Florida. A tally of 37 may seem low, but researchers say that number reflects how hard it is to spot pythons in the swamps.
