We're almost halfway through the 2026 Florida Python Shooting Contest, which means many snakes have likely already been killed by this year's hunters. But what to do with the body of a recently killed 15-foot Burmese python? Python bivitattus ), not to mention a few snake carcasses? There are plenty of options, but only one place accepts pythons as payment for pizza.
In Everglades City, about 120 kilometers west of Miami, Wildman's Pizza, Pasta, and Python accepts freshly (and humanely) killed snakes from its customers in exchange for menu items. According to owner Dustin Crum, it's a fair deal for both parties: customers get food, and Crum gets supplies for his business.
«"We use snake skin as toppings, python pizza, iguana, you name it," he recently told NBC Miami. "I use the fat to make snake oil for leather, creams, and soap," Crum said. "We make jewelry from the bones, and all of that stuff is used.".
Since their introduction to the Everglades in the 1970s, Burmese pythons have increasingly depleted the region's native ecosystem. Conservationists estimate that between 100,000 and 300,000 of these snakes currently inhabit Florida, effectively acting as apex predators to local wildlife populations. Pregnant females typically lay around 70 eggs at a time, and adult pythons regularly reach lengths of around 4 meters.
The Florida Python Challenge first took place in 2013 and was held intermittently for the next few years before becoming an annual event in 2020. More than 900 people participated in the competition last year, and a similar number are likely looking for snakes in the 2026 competition. A $10,000 prize will be awarded to the person who catches the most snakes, with an additional $15,000 distributed among other categories.
But whether or not you deliver a python to Crum's Pizzeria's doorstep, don't expect to pay cash for your python pizza. Florida health regulations prohibit the actual sale of snake-topped pizza.
«"Yeah, I can't sell these things, I have to give them away for free," Kram explained.
Those interested in python hunting in Florida can still register for the Florida Python Challenge after completing an online training course. The event concludes at 5:00 PM ET on July 19.