Tom Rahill pulls a Burmese python from a bag. The Florida Everglades has a massive problem with the pythons, an invasive species of escaped pets which have bred exponentially, killing off entire populations of small rodents, birds and reptiles.

During late summer and early fall, python hunters need to hunt at night. They drive back and forth for hours along park roads and often see nothing. The Everglades is a river, and the roads crossing it are warmer than the water. Cold-blooded snakes prefer the heat from the asphalt.

Python hunting in Everglades National Park is highly regulated; only a small group of contractors are permitted to enter restricted areas to hunt. Contractors must get clearance from both the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the national park.

Naysha Ramos wears a python-skin bracelet from a snake she captured on a previous hunt. Tom Rahill started Swamp Apes as therapy to help war veterans who have PTSD.

A painting adorns the entrance to a restricted area in Florida’s Everglades National Park.

Pythons have almost no fear of humans and will stay almost perfectly straight on the pavement until touched. Pythons move forward in a straight line by stiffening their ribs, lifting a set of scales on their belly which move them forward.

Hatchling pythons bite as their defense mechanism. They have very sharp teeth that can embed like a splinter, causing infection and pain.

Naysha Ramos uses her military police training to ensure the python does not escape when captured.

Naysha Ramos celebrates the thrill of capturing a Burmese python. Python hunting gives vets like Ramos a mission in a safe environment. Swamp Apes, with the help of researchers, is working toward making wildlife encounters, like python hunts, prescribable treatment for PTSD.

A barred owl watches the hunt. Human hunters are not the only animals helping control the python population. Raptors, alligators and wild hogs prey on smaller hatchling pythons.

Tom Rahill looks for python nests along a canal on the border of Everglades National Park. Python nests are distinct from other animal nests by their round shape.