Latest news with #BurmesePythons
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Science
- Yahoo
Florida snake hunters deploy robotic rabbits to capture invasive Burmese pythons
A team dedicated to controlling populations of invasive Burmese pythons in South Florida has deployed another unique method to find the elusive predators: robotic rabbits. The robots are remote-controlled, solar-powered and designed to look like marsh rabbits, a preferred choice of prey for the pythons, according to the South Florida Water Management District, which is funding the project as part of its Python Elimination Program. Researchers designed the devices to produce a heat signature and emit a smell designed to attract the pythons, according to the utility company. They are also equipped with cameras to monitor for the pythons' movements and alert officials when one is detected -- who can then send out a snake wrangler to detect and euthanize the animals. MORE: Florida biologists prove invasive Burmese pythons are swallowing deer, alligators whole The robots were strategically placed throughout South Florida, according to the utility company. "We want to capture all of the processes that an actual rabbit would give off," said Robert McCleery, a wildlife ecologist at the University of Florida, told the Palm Beach Post. Scientists at the University of Florida conducted the research, which was partly funded by the FWC. The South Florida Water Management District is funding the experiment. "Our partners have allowed us to trial these things that may sound a little crazy," McCleery said. "Working in the Everglades for ten years, you get tired of documenting the problem. You want to address it." MORE: Python farming could offer one of the most sustainable sources of meat in the world, according to a new study The researchers replaced the stuffing in 40 toy rabbits with electrical components powered by solar energy and waterproofed them to withstand the rain and humidity, according to the Post. This isn't the first time snake hunters have used creative means to capture their prey. In 2020, the FWC deployed python-sniffing detector dogs to track pythons in South Florida. In 2022, University of Florida researchers put live rabbits in cages in the Everglades to lure the snakes. Over 90 days, nine rabbit pens lured 22 pythons, leading the snakes to stay in the area for more than an hour on average, according to a state report. Trackers have been placed on dozens of preferred python prey, such as rabbits, raccoons and opossums, which lead snake hunters to the pythons after they've swallowed the prey. Officials around the state pay bounty hunters to help control Burmese python populations and have attached tracking devices to male snakes, which leads them to egg-laying females. MORE: Invasive ocean species detected in Florida waters, scientists say The introduction of Burmese pythons has decimated the local ecosystem in South Florida as they breed rapidly and compete with native wildlife for food, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. An estimated 180,000 were brought into the country between 1975 and 2018, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. Many entered the ecosystem through accidental or intentional release. As of 2000, the species had established a self-sustaining breeding population in the South Florida ecosystem, according to the USGS. The species is now distributed across more than 1,000 square miles of South Florida, including all of the Everglades National Park and across the southern coast to Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, according to the USGS. But Burmese pythons are notoriously difficult to detect and capture, experts say. Detectability of Burmese pythons is an estimated 1% to 3%, meaning out of 100 snakes in a survey area, there could be a chance of spotting between one and three individuals, research has shown. At Everglades National Park, the frequency of Burmese python detection is about one python per eight hours of searching, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The U.S. banned the import of Burmese pythons in 2012. But chances of eradication are likely low at this point, according to the USGS. MORE: Python-sniffing dogs are Florida's newest weapon in fighting invasive snakes At least 76 prey species have been found in the guts of Burmese pythons over the past several decades, including mammals, birds, iguanas and alligators, according to USGS scientists. A 2012 study found that raccoon populations in the state had declined 99.3% since 1997, while opossums saw a decline of 98.9% and bobcats an 87.5% decline. Marsh rabbits, cottontail rabbits and foxes have effectively disappeared, a 2015 study found. In December 2022, a group of biologists stumbled upon a nearly 15-foot Burmese python in the midst of devouring an adult white-tailed deer. Black rats seem to be the only species of mammal resistant to the pythons. Also an invasive species, they arrived centuries ago aboard ships from Europe. They reproduce quickly and can scavenge carcasses as well as eat plants, insects and scraps from humans -- allowing them to thrive, according to the USGS. But native predators may be starting to fight back, according to researchers who have documented cases of alligators, cottonmouth snakes and bobcats killing Burmese pythons.
Gizmodo
28-07-2025
- Science
- Gizmodo
Robo-Bunnies Are the Latest Weapon Against Florida's Invasive Pythons
Invasive Burmese pythons are a scourge upon South Florida. These massive snakes are one of the region's most pernicious pests, posing a significant risk to local biodiversity as they chow down on native wildlife. Burmese pythons were introduced to Florida through the exotic pet trade in the 1970s and are now among the state's top predators. Researchers and conservationists have been working to wrangle the python problem through capture and kill programs but have faced significant challenges. These elusive snakes are masters of camouflage that thrive in semi-aquatic, densely vegetated environments like the Everglades, making it difficult to find them. Now, a team of wildlife ecologists at the University of Florida has developed a new method for luring them out of their hiding places: robo-bunnies. Yes, you read that right. According to a UF statement, assistant professor and ecologist Chris Dutton ripped the stuffing out of 40 plush bunny toys and filled them with motors, heaters, and solar panels to make them mimic real marsh rabbit prey. The robo-bunnies are designed to trick pythons into thinking they're the real deal—or should we say, the real meal. They look like rabbits, move like rabbits, and even exhibit a living rabbit's body temperature. 'We want to capture all of the processes that an actual rabbit would give off,' said Dutton's colleague Robert McCleery, a UF professor of wildlife ecology and conservation who is leading the project, according to The Palm Beach Post. Previous studies showed that live rabbits placed in pens attract about one python per week on average, but it requires too much work to care for multiple rabbit pens spread out across the Everglades, The Palm Beach Post reported. Robo-bunnies require far less maintenance, offering a much less labor-intensive way to lure pythons into the open. Dutton and McCleery began testing their solar-powered, remote-controlled rabbits this month, placing them in pens in various parts of South Florida. Each robo-bunny is equipped with a motion-sensor camera that alerts researchers when a python approaches. If proven effective, this method could make it much easier for wildlife experts to capture these snakes. In recent years, Florida has taken aggressive steps to reduce the python population in the Everglades, including incentivized removal efforts such as the 2024 Florida Python Challenge. During this competition, more than 850 participants eliminated nearly 200 destructive pythons from public lands in South Florida. The grand prize winner, Ronald Kiger, removed 20 pythons and won $10,000. 'Every python that is removed and eliminated is making a difference to protect the Everglades and South Florida's diverse and native wildlife,' the South Florida Water Management District states. These invasive predators pose a significant threat to the Everglades ecosystem, reducing prey that panthers, raptors, bobcats, and other native predators rely on as primary food sources, the district adds. Dutton and McCleery's clever new lure may eventually help reduce the Burmese python's ecological impact, but first, they need data to show that it works. McCleery told Gizmodo that he expects to have that data by November. If the robo-bunnies' lifelike motion and body heat can't fool the snakes, the researchers plan to add rabbit scent to make them even more convincing, according to The Palm Beach Post.
Yahoo
18-07-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Burmese pythons completely digest prey, including skeletons. Here's how
Just when you thought you knew everything about one of Florida's least-favorite invasive species, a surprise emerges. Scientists have discovered a new type of cell that helps Burmese pythons digest the skeletons of their prey, according to the Journal of Experimental Biology. You heard correctly, after a python swallows its meal — which can be as large as a whole deer — researchers have found why no bone fragments emerged, um, from either end. It all has to do with a newly discovered bone-digesting cell in the snakes' intestines. Where do Burmese pythons live? Originally from Southeast Asia, the Burmese python was introduced to southern Florida either through accidental escape or intentional release of captive animals. The Conservancy of Southwest Florida has removed more than 20 tons — 40,000 pounds — of Burmese pythons in Southwest Florida since 2013. The team uses 40 "scout snakes" to locate reproductive pythons during the breeding season, November through April, across a 200-square-mile area of public and private land from Naples through the Western Everglades. "Biologists target adult female pythons, attempting to suppress python reproduction. Since 2013, the team has stopped an additional 20,000 python eggs from hatching," the Conservancy of Southwest Florida said. What do Burmese pythons eat? Pythons can consume meals over 100% of their body mass, feeding on a diet that includes more than 85 species, including deer, bobcats, foxes, rabbits, birds, various reptiles and other native wildlife. Special cells allow Burmese pythons to absorb skeletons of their prey Scientists have discovered a 'previously unknown cell type' in the walls of pythons' intestines that completely dissolves skeletons, according to a study published in the Journal of Experimental Biology. Professor Jehan-Hervé Lignot of the University of Montpellier in France is credited with the discovery, using captive juvenile pythons as his test subjects and subjecting the snakes with three different types of diet: a normal diet with entire rodents; a low-calcium diet using rodents with no bones; and a calcium-rich diet using boneless rodents and calcium carbonate supplements. Looking at the specialized cells in the snakes' intestines revealed "Burmese pythons possess a specialised intestinal cell type involved in excreting excess dissolved calcium and phosphorus that originate from the prey and are precipitated as particles that must accumulate in the faeces." Snakes fed boneless prey suffer from calcium deficiencies, but too much calcium isn't good, either, and absorbing the calcium from an entire skeleton could put too much calcium into the snakes' bloodstream. 'We wanted to identify how they were able to process and limit this huge absorption of calcium through the intestinal wall,' Lignot told EurekaAlert, a nonprofit news-release distribution platform operated by the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Burmese pythons aren't alone when it comes to the specialized cells. They've also been identified in other pythons, boa constrictors and the venomous Gila monster." Largest pythons documented in Florida Burmese pythons, classified as one of the largest snakes in the world, are an invasive specifies in Florida and are found primarily in and around the Everglades, where the snake represents a threat to native wildlife, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. The Conservancy of Southwest Florida said its scientists were recognized for capturing the largest female python ever documented to date, measuring 18 feet long and weighing 215 pounds, as well as the largest male python on record at 16 feet and 140 pounds. Pythons may not be venomous but their bite hurts According to the Florida Museum website, small individual pythons are not generally dangerous to people or pets. Large Burmese pythons have large, sharp teeth, and their bites can cause severe lacerations. ➤ Florida python hunter describes python bite: 'Like a mouthful of hypodermic needles' "They are like a mouthful of hyperdermic needles," is how the python hunter Amy Siewe described a bite from a python. This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: Burmese pythons digest entire skeletons with bone-digesting cell Solve the daily Crossword
Daily Mail
12-07-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
DAN HODGES: If Starmer really wants to stop the boats he needs to get nasty and come up with his own Alligator Alcatraz – but Lord Hermer is blocking a tougher stance
Even by Donald Trump 's standards, it was an outrageous spectacle. The President of the United States walking around the detention facility he himself had christened 'Alligator Alcatraz', boasting about it being policed by an unseen army of man-eaters, Burmese pythons and mosquitoes. 'I looked outside and that's not a place I want to go hiking anytime soon,' Trump declared. 'We're surrounded by miles of treacherous swampland, and the only way out is really deportation.'
Yahoo
30-06-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Researchers issue urgent warning after nightmare creatures breed to form dangerous hybrid species: 'Effective camouflage and secretive behavior'
Two invasive species of python in Florida have interbred to create a terrifying new hybrid snake that is even better adapted to the Everglades environment, a U.S. Geological Survey study found. First introduced to Florida via the commercial pet trade, Burmese pythons, which are native to Southeast Asia, have been breeding in the Florida wild since the 1980s, the study said. Unfortunately, the giant constrictors have adapted remarkably well to the environment in South Florida, expanding rapidly in terms of population and geography since their introduction, per the USGS. The snakes' natural stealthiness, paired with the inaccessibility of the Everglades environment to humans, has made tracking and studying the snakes a challenge for researchers. "Our ability to detect Burmese pythons in the Greater Everglades has been limited by their effective camouflage and secretive behavior," said Kristen Hart, a study co-author, per the USGS. "By using genetic tools and techniques and continuing to monitor their movement patterns, we have been able to get a better understanding of their habitat preferences and resource use." These genetic tools revealed that the Burmese pythons were closely related, indicating they likely descended from relatively few ancestors that had either escaped or were released into the wild, the study found. The genetic testing also yielded another, unexpected result. "The snakes in South Florida are physically identifiable as Burmese pythons, but genetically, there seems to be a different, more complicated story," said Margaret Hunter, the study's lead author, per the USGS. Genetically, the giant constrictors were hybrids of Burmese pythons and Indian pythons. The new hybrid snakes appeared even better acclimated to existence in the Florida Everglades, something Hunter attributed to "hybrid vigor." Genetic mixing between closely related species "can lead to … the best traits of two species are passed into their offspring," the geneticist explained. "Hybrid vigor can potentially lead to a better ability to adapt to environmental stressors and changes. Should the government be paying people to hunt invasive species? Definitely Depends on the animal No way Just let people do it for free Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. "In an invasive species population like the Burmese pythons in South Florida, this could result in a broader and more rapid distribution." The introduction of invasive pythons into the South Florida ecosystem has devastated the populations of small mammals on which the snakes prey. From 1997 to 2012, the USGS measured population declines of 99.3% for raccoons, 98.9% for opossums, and 87.5% for bobcats. "The most severe decline in native species [have] occurred in the remote southernmost regions of the [Everglades National] Park where pythons have been established the longest," the USGS said. As the example of pythons in South Florida has illustrated, once an invasive species is introduced into a new environment, the consequences are highly unpredictable but often devastating. Around the world, invasive species are the No. 2 reason why native species go extinct, behind only habitat loss, according to New Scientist. Invasive species outcompete native plants and animals, spread deadly diseases, and disrupt delicate ecosystems. They also impact the food supply by decimating livestock and crops while also shutting down trade. Rising global temperatures have increased the spread of invasive species, opening up new regions where certain species could not previously survive, per the USGS. Consequently, in order to curb the spread of invasive species on a global scale, we need to reduce the amount of heat-trapping pollution that enters the atmosphere. You can reduce the pollution you and your family generate by driving an electric vehicle, installing solar panels, or taking public transit. Additionally, you can give direct assistance to native species in your area by planting a native garden, upgrading to a natural lawn, or rewilding your yard, all of which provide additional shelter and food for local wildlife. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
