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A Burmese python is held during a safe capture demonstration on June 16, 2022, in Miami.

More than 800 competitors will be trudging through the Florida Everglades for the next eight days, in search of invasive Burmese pythons that will bring in thousands of dollars in prize money.

The python hunt officially began Friday morning and runs through 5 p.m. on Aug. 15, according to officials who gathered in Miami to kick off the annual event.

"This is significant because every python removed is one less invasive species preying on our native birds, mammals and reptiles," said Florida First Lady Casey DeSantis.

Since 2000, more than 17,000 pythons have been removed from the Everglades ecosystem, according to a news release. Burmese pythons, which are not native to Florida, prey on birds, mammals and other reptiles. A female python can lay as many as 100 eggs a year.

Cash prizes of up to $2,500 are available in both the professional and novice categories for those who remove the most pythons, officials said. There are additional prizes for the longest python in each category. Each python must be dead, with hunters facing disqualification if they kill them inhumanely or kill a native snake.

So far, the registered hunters represent 32 states and Canada. Registrations are being accepted throughout the competition. It costs $25 to register and participants must also complete an online training course.

This rare venomous sea snake found slithering on the sand in Newport Beach is one of a growing number of the serpents apparently drawn far north of their usual habitat by the spread of warm ocean temperatures, a biologist says.

The yellow-bellied sea snake discovered near the 18th Street lifeguard tower on Monday was the third report of the species in Southern California since 2015 — and the fifth since 1972, said Greg Pauly, herpetological curator at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County.

"Oceans are warming and the species that respond to that change will be those that are the most mobile," Pauly said. "So the big question now is this: Are sea snakes swimming off the coast of Southern California the new normal?"

Sporting short sharp fangs capable of delivering extremely potent venom, the snake — named for its bright yellow underside and flattened yellow tail with black spots — is no joke.

But Pauly said "these are pretty mellow animals" and they are unlikely to bite a person unless they are picked up.

Saw-scaled, or carpet vipers, are a major cause of snakebite envenoming in Sub-Saharan African savannas north of the rainforest belt, in the Arabian Peninsula and extending through Iran to Pakistan, India and Sri Lanka, according to the World Health Organization. This is a West African carpet viper from Nigeria. (David J. Williams/World Health Organization)

Several cobra species belong to the genus Naja, according to the World Health Organization. Cobras are found throughout Sub-Saharan Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, parts of the Middle East and Central Asia, as well as throughout South and South East Asia. This is an Egyptian cobra, photographed in Kenya. (David J. Williams/World Health Organization)

Several cobra species belong to the genus Naja, according to the World Health Organization. Cobras are found throughout Sub-Saharan Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, parts of the Middle East and Central Asia, as well as throughout South and South East Asia. This is a monocellate cobra from Thailand. (David J. Williams/World Health Organization)

Puff adders are found in Sub-Saharab Africa and the Arabian Peninsula, causing many snakebites that result in permanent disability or death, according to the World Health Organization. This puff adder is from Kenya. (David J. Williams/World Health Organization)

Mambas are a group of widely distributed venomous snakes with neurotoxic venom, feared because of high fatality rates associated with envenoming, according to the World Health Organization. This is a black mamba photographed in Swaziland. (David J. Williams/World Health Organization)

Russell's vipers are responsible for thousands of snakebite envenoming cases in South and South East Asia, according to the World Health Organization. Bites by this snake are a major cause of acute kidney injury requiring haemodialysis. This is a Siamese Russell's viper from Cambodia. (David J. Williams/World Health Organization)

Several krait species with potent neurotoxic venom are found in South and South East Asia, according to the World Health Organization. They can enter homes at night, biting people sleeping on floor mats. This is the Malayan krait from Thailand. (David J. Williams/World Health Organization)

The Malayan pit viper is a major cause of snakebite envenoming in South East Asia, according to the World Health Organization. They are found in forests and plantations, remaining motionless. Many victims are bitten after walking on or near it. This is a Malayan pit viper from Cambodia. (David J. Williams/World Health Organization)

Papuan taipans cause the most deaths from snakebite in Australia and Papua New Guinea, according to the World Health Organization, with most occurring in Papua New Guinea. Fatality rates are close to 100 percent without antivenom. (David J. Williams/World Health Organization)

According to the World Health Organization, brown snakes from genus Pseudonaja cause 50 percent of all snakebite-related deaths in Australia. This is a common brown snake from eastern Australia. (David J. Williams/World Health Organization)

Several lancehead viper species are found throughout Central and South America, according to the World Health Organization. They are responsible for many snakebite envenomings. This is a Bothrops asper from Costa Rica. (David J. Williams/World Health Organization)

Rattlesnakes are found from southern Canada, throughout the United States and into Mexico, as well as Central and the northern half of South America, according to the World Health Organization. Bites are common. This is a neotropical rattlesnake from South America. (David J. Williams/World Health Organization)

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A Burmese python is held during a safe capture demonstration on June 16, 2022, in Miami.

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