Photo by Karine Aigner kaigner / I love this picture for what it is and the experience I had making it, but I don’t love the problem it illustrates. In 2014 Florida held a python-killing contest and has continued to do so each year. Herpers from all over participate. I had the unique opportunity to hang out with an incredible group of very talented snake hunters, who used nothing but their hands and feet and instinct to find the ever elusive and extremely invasive Burmese python. These men were in it for the challenge of the hunt, the thrill of the capture. This group of guys spent a lot of time admiring the pythons they captured—discussing them, examining their designs and unique characteristics and behaviors. But when it came time to turn them in, it was necessary to euthanize them. There was a sad silence that permeated the rest of the day. The hunters were helping the environment in a small way, but they were destroying the very creatures they are enthralled with. The Burmese pyth...