Invasive pythons captured by using GPS collars on prey

21 February, 2023, Florida: A surge in the numbers of Burmese pythons in southern Florida has led to an innovative method of capture by researchers. Attaching location-tracking devices to raccoons and opossums that these snakes feed on leads the researchers straight to them.

Many snake owners release their pet into the wild when they get too big to care for. Burmese pythons can grow up to 20 feet or more, and when released into the wild small mammals in the Florida Everglades provide their diet.

This method of snake capture was not deliberately planned. Researchers at the Southern Illinois University, the Crocodile Lake and the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences were putting GPS collars on small and medium-sized mammals to study movement and behaviour.

Opossums and racoons that are eaten by snakes still send a signal, even after defecation, leading to the snakes’ eventual capture. The team has recently caught a 77-pound female python and other snakes and there are plans to enhance and expand this method of capture.

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