The South Florida Water Management District is now rewarding hunters for removing python eggs and active nests from the landscape.

Burmese pythons are recognizable by more than their size. Hunters should be on the lookout for a telltale, arrow-shaped marking on the snake’s head, along with giraffe-like spots across its body and dark spots around its eyes. During the summer months, they’re most likely to be found sunning on levee banks or near trees.

Florida has spent decades trying to reduce python numbers through organized removal programs, public hunts, and contractor teams trained to capture the snakes.