Sean Graham , assistant professor of biology at Sul Ross State University who received a doctorate in biological sciences from Auburn University in 2011 , is also on the Python Challenge team . Graham and Steen worked toward their doctorates at the same time in the lab of Craig Guyer , a professor of biological sciences at Auburn who is a widely recognized expert herpetologist .
“ It ’ s really neat to have an opportunity to take the knowledge we learned at Auburn and apply it out in the field , getting dirty and catching big snakes ,” said Steen .
The fourth team member is Stephen Neslage , a senior coordinating producer at The Weather Channel who received a bachelor ’ s degree in radiotelevision-film from Auburn in 2005 . Although not a herpetologist , Neslage is an outdoor enthusiast who met Steen when he was a guest on The Weather Channel show , Weather Geeks .
“ People believed that when Hurricane Andrew came through , exotic pets got flooded out of people ’ s homes , and that ’ s how pythons got into the Everglades . Dave helped us prove that is probably not true . Dave busted the Hurricane Andrew python myth for us ,” said Neslage . “ When he said he was going to do this Python Challenge , I thought , ‘ It sounds like a heck of an adventure .’ The thought of going into a harsh landscape , hunting an apex predator and taking it alive … that ’ s a rush . I had read about the Python Challenge in 2013 and thought it sounded incredible , but I didn ’ t know what to expect . I had never been to the Everglades , never tried to capture a python . The brush is really thick , so if you are looking for colors , you won ’ t see it . To find a python , you have to look for something shiny and round . They have elite-level camouflage .”
In addition to learning to spot pythons , team preparations were made months in advance by looking at maps , discussing strategies , and talking to other experts about plotting routes through the Everglades .
“ We knew pythons are hard to find . In the back of my mind I knew there was a strong possibility that we would end up going home without seeing one , let alone catching one ,” said Steen . “ It was a big relief to check that box off . Now we can focus on finding more instead of just proving ourselves .”
Locating pythons isn ’ t the only challenge the team faced . The Everglades also provide a relentless sun and deceptively rough terrain .
“ We logged many miles of walking , wading through mud and dirt , trying to avoid the sun . After 20 miles , we all really started to feel it ,” said Steen .
Sunscreen , hats , close-toed shoes , heavy duty pants , long-sleeved shirts and headlamps are essential to the hunt .
“ The whole operation is pretty low tech . Basically we need blood , sweat , tears , and pillowcases ,” said Steen . “ But this is something we like to do for fun .
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