Yes, there was a python. In a controlled environment with a wrangler off-screen, Brittany held a juvenile Burmese python during the shoot. The caption that accompanied the exclusive on her Patreon (later reposted to Twitter/X) read: "You can be girly and gritty. Protect the Glades in heels or barefoot. Just protect them."

Let us set the scene for the specific editorial that drove the keyword. The shoot took place at sunrise in the Western Everglades, near the Fakahatchee Strand. Temperature: 92°F with 80% humidity.

For those unfamiliar, Guardians of the Glades documented the dangerous work of removing invasive Burmese pythons from the Florida Everglades. While Dusty was the face of the mission, Brittany was the heart. She frequently appeared on the show, helping with logistics, managing the emotional toll of the hunt, and proving she wasn’t afraid to get her hands dirty.

But the "Brittany Borges bikini exclusive" shoot—which we obtained exclusive distribution rights to preview—paints a different side of the Florida native. Shot at a private beach on the Gulf Coast, the series features Borges in a high-waisted, vintage-inspired olive-green bikini that echoes the military-adjacent aesthetic of the Everglades, contrasted with vibrant coral numbers that pop against her sun-kissed skin.

In an exclusive interview accompanying the photos, Borges opened up about why she decided to pivot from snake handling to swimsuit modeling.

"People think that just because I live on an airboat, I don't know how to turn on the glamour," Borges laughs. "But the truth is, the Everglades are beautiful. The water, the sunsets—it’s a runway all on its own. I wanted to show that you can be a tomboy in the mud and a vixen on the shore."

The photographer, Miami-based lensman Carlos Rivas, told us that capturing the Brittany Borges bikini exclusive required a specific palette. "We didn't want the typical white sand, blue water Miami shoot," Rivas explains. "We wanted the Glades. We used lighting that mimics the hazy, humid heat of the swamp. The olive tones, the wet hair, the natural look—it’s feral glamour."

Borges credits her husband, Dusty, for encouraging her to do the shoot. Despite the machismo often associated with python hunting, Crum is reportedly Brittany’s biggest cheerleader.

"Dusty looked at the mood board and said, 'Babe, you hunt harder than most guys I know. Show them the trophy.'"

Producers have floated a spin-off concept tentatively titled Guardians: After Dark, which would follow the lifestyle of the hunters' families. Brittany is attached as the host, promising more "exclusive" content that mixes survival skills with high-fashion survival wear.

The Everglades are not sexy. They are hot, buggy, and scary. By placing a beautiful, fit woman in a bikini in the middle of them, the exclusive re-contextualized the Glades as a viable adventure destination. After the shoot went viral, airboat tour companies in the Everglades saw a 40% spike in inquiries from young couples wanting "adventure photos."

Since the release of the "Guardians of the Glades" bikini exclusive, Brittany Borges has leveraged her fame into several successful verticals.