Full Breakdown
Florida Pizza Joint Trades Free Pies for Invasive Burmese Pythons
7/17/2026, 4:05:40 AM
Core Event: Free Python Pizza for Captured Snakes
Wildman’s Pizza, Pasta, and Python in Everglades City, Florida, is offering a complimentary large specialty pizza to anyone who brings in a humanely euthanized Burmese python captured during the 2026 Florida Python Challenge. The promotion runs while the challenge is active, from July 10 to its deadline at 5 p.m. EDT on July 19. Because state health regulations prohibit the commercial sale of snake meat, the restaurant must give the pizza away at no charge.
Background & Context: Invasive Burmese Pythons in the Everglades
Burmese pythons (Python bivitattus) were introduced to the Everglades in the 1970s after escaped or released pet snakes established breeding populations. With few natural predators, the reptiles have proliferated, preying on mammals, birds, and reptiles and contributing to dramatic declines in native wildlife. Conservationists label the species one of the most “intractable” invasive-species problems in the United States.
Data & Statistics
- Estimated python population in Florida: 100,000–300,000 (Popular Science) and up to 300,000 (NY Post).
- Adult pythons typically reach 13 feet (Popular Science) but reports note individuals can exceed 20 feet (NY Post).
- Females lay up to 70 eggs per clutch.
- The Florida Python Challenge offers a $10,000 top prize and $15,000 across other categories.
- More than 900 participants signed up for the 2025 challenge, and registration remains open for 2026.
Official Statements & Responses
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) organizes the annual challenge, requiring participants to complete an online training course and follow state guidelines for humane capture and euthanasia. Wildman’s owner Dustin Crum says the promotion “supports efforts to remove these reptiles from the Everglades ecosystem” and that “everything gets used” – from meat for pizza to fat for soaps and bones for jewelry. He also notes that “I can’t sell that stuff, I just gotta give it away for free” because of food-safety regulations.
Criticism & Opposition
Health experts and some commenters have raised concerns about potential mercury accumulation in snake tissue, describing it as “100 × more mercury than humanly safe.” The same regulations that prevent sale also limit the restaurant’s ability to certify the safety of the free pies. Environmental groups caution that while the promotion raises awareness, it does not address the broader need for systematic habitat management and predator reintroduction.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
Sources differ on the size range of adult pythons (13 feet vs. over 20 feet) and on the total population estimate (100,000–300,000 vs. up to 300,000). No data are provided on how many pythons have been turned in at Wildman’s to date, nor on the long-term impact of the pizza incentive on overall python removal rates.
Verbatim Quotes
- “We do python toppings, python pizza, iguana, you know, whatever,” — Dustin Crum, owner
- “The fat I use to make the snake oils for the skin, creams, soap,” — Dustin Crum, owner
- “The bones we make jewelry, everything gets used.” — Dustin Crum, owner
- “I’m the first place in the world to accept python as currency,” — Dustin Crum, owner
- “You can trade in a python for a pizza,” — Dustin Crum, owner
- “Yeah, I can’t sell that stuff, I just gotta give it away for free,” — Dustin Crum, owner
What’s Next
The Florida Python Challenge concludes at 5 p.m. EDT on July 19, 2026. Participants who submit qualifying pythons before that deadline will receive their free pizza, and the FWC will announce prize winners shortly thereafter.
