It's Florida, Man. season 2 episode 4 ending explained: Was the Skunk Ape real for Travis?

It’s Florida, Man. season 2 episode 4 introduces a man named Travis, who gets pulled into chaos when he joins a local named Roman on an adventurous journey. Together, they go into the woods to hunt for a mysterious creature believed to be living there.

Travis is from Sarasota, Florida, a blue-collar guy who moved to Florida in 2017 from Atlanta, Georgia. He says he always felt “genetically destined” to live in Florida. Travis explains that around 80% of Florida’s population is over 60 years old, which makes it hard for him to find people his age to socialize with. To stay active socially, he goes clubbing, but most of the crowd is older. Later, he visits a sober bar called Manna Tea and Kava Bar, where he meets Roman, the bartender.

Travis and Roman instantly connect. They bond over their shared love for random and unusual things. Travis describes Roman as a “rockabilly kind of guy,” and the two even discover they have similar mushroom tattoos.

Roman then reveals that he organizes trips for locals who are curious about mysterious creatures. One such creature is the Skunk Ape, a hairy, mythical being said to live in the Everglades.

Was the Skunk Ape real or Travis’s imagination? 

Roman shows Travis a sketch of the Skunk Ape. It looks like a swamp gorilla, similar to a Sasquatch of the Everglades. The creature is said to be "big, hairy, and scary." In Florida, there are many rumors about it, and people are divided on whether the "Skunk Ape is real or just a hoax."

The episode also features researchers from around the world, trying to find this creature. One of them is Connor Flynn. He believes the Skunk Ape is a bridge to the unknown, even a connection to God, and to our true instincts and primitive purpose on Earth.

Another researcher featured is Dave Shealy, who is the lead researcher at the Skunk Ape Research Headquarters. He claims to have found clear evidence, including footprints with a distinct four-toe imprint believed to belong to the Skunk Ape.

After learning what the Skunk Ape looks like and hearing the stories about it, the episode’s main focus shifts to Travis packing his bags for an adventure with Roman. Roman is experienced in camping, while Travis is naive and unaware that many people in Florida have gone missing in the Everglades and never returned. Travis is simply excited to explore what Florida has to offer. Once they reach the campsite, Roman explains the three rules for finding the Skunk Ape:

Rule 1: Follow the smell.
Rule 2: Listen for strange knocking sounds.
Rule 3: Speak its language.

Before exploring the woods after sunset, Travis and Roman eat some dried mushrooms, which later cause Travis to hallucinate. Soon after, Roman starts chanting in a samurai-style voice to lure the creature out. Both of them begin shouting in an unknown language and making strange humming sounds.

Roman explains that another sign of the Skunk Ape is finding patches of hair along the path. As they move closer, weird noises start around them. Because Travis is tripping, he panics and runs through the woods. Researchers warn that running is dangerous because if you run, the creature can reach you in seconds, just like a predator chasing its prey.

Travis believes he came face-to-face with the Skunk Ape, but soon realizes he is only hallucinating. In his vision, the Skunk Ape connects with him through “mind-speak” and gives him strange advice, such as opening a savings account or getting his moles checked regularly.

Researchers say many campers have reported similar experiences, claiming the Skunk Ape entered their minds with messages and warnings. However, when Roman finally reaches Travis, it is revealed that he is not with the Skunk Ape at all. He is actually being attacked by a Burmese python.

Travis keeps the Python’s skin as a treasure in It’s Florida, Man. season 2 episode 4

The snake wraps itself around Travis’s neck. Burmese pythons do not choke their prey; instead, they crush bones. Travis manages to kill the python using his only weapon, a small gas station knife. He then lifts the dead snake over his head like a WWE championship belt.

By the end of the episode, they do not find the Skunk Ape. However, Travis and Roman form a strong bond, and for them, the adventure itself becomes the real journey. After the attack, the python’s body is taken to the ''baddest python hunter,'' a man named Dusty. He is known for trading pizza for pythons. It may sound strange, but in Florida, this kind of thing is just another normal Tuesday.

Dusty accepts pythons as a form of currency. He skins the snakes and turns the leather into products such as belts, wallets, purses, and more. Travis even learns how to skin a python himself and takes the skin home with him. The episode ends with Travis reflecting on the journey. He says:

“We went out to look for this mystical creature, but we found something real instead. I think that, to me, is the magic.”