This Florida Restaurant Is Accepting Burmese Pythons For Pizza. Here's Why

A US restaurant is making headlines for accepting 'pythons' in exchange for a free pizza. Wildman's Pizza, Pasta and Python, located in Everglades City, Florida, launched the unique promotion to support the 2026 Florida Python Challenge. The 10-day environmental event runs from July 10 to July 19. During this period, amateur and professional hunters track down the invasive reptiles to protect the Everglades ecosystem. Participants compete for massive cash prizes, but they can now also drop by the restaurant to exchange their catches for a hot, fresh slice of pizza.

"I'm the first place in the world to accept python as currency. So you can trade in a python for a pizza. We do python toppings, python pizza, iguana, you know, whatever," Dustin Crum, owner of Wildman's Pizza, Pasta and Python, was quoted as saying by NBC Miami.

Crum stated that customers will also get to learn everything they need to know about pythons. In addition, they can also buy items made from python skin.

"The fat I use to make the snake oils for the skin, creams, soap. The bones we make jewelry, everything gets used," Crum said.

Though there are health regulations around cooking python pizza, Crum appears to have found a way around. "Yeah, I can't sell that stuff, I just gotta give it away for free," he said.

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2026 Florida Python Challenge

This year's event is being hosted by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the South Florida Water Management District. The state holds the challenge every year, as the Burmese pythons are one of the most notorious invasive species found in Florida.

The Burmese pythons are known for feasting on the federally threatened and federally endangered species like wood stork and Key Largo wood rats, respectively. They have even been known to eat alligators, which are also federally protected by the Endangered Species Act. They also pose a threat to human safety and may prey upon pets such as cats and dogs.

More than 23,500 pythons have been removed from natural areas in the state of Florida between 2000 and April 2025. The number of pythons captured and removed increased drastically once the paid program was launched in 2017.