Burmese pythons spread beyond the Everglades as Florida's Python Challenge begins, offering $25,000 in prizes.

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.

Python hunters should wear long pants, closed-toed shoes, and bring tools like a flashlight and snake hook. Novice hunters must humanely kill pythons immediately at the capture site; firearms are prohibited in the competition. The Florida Fish and Wildlife ...