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Opossum Collar Tracks Invasive Pythons
7 Sep
Summary
- Opossums wear tracking collars to locate invasive Burmese pythons.
- A swallowed collar's signal change indicates a python's movement.
- This method has helped remove 18 large, reproductive pythons.
Researchers in Florida's Key Largo are employing a unique strategy to track and remove invasive Burmese pythons, utilizing opossums fitted with tracking collars. This method, which began as a mammal-tracking project, was serendipitously discovered when a signal from a collared opossum indicated it had been eaten by a python.
The system relies on the fact that Burmese pythons digest prey slowly. When a python swallows a collared opossum, the collar's signal changes from stationary to moving, guiding researchers to the snake. Since its development, this approach has helped locate and remove 18 large, reproductively viable pythons, some measuring up to 13 feet.
Early versions of the tracking collars cost around $1,500, but later models became available for approximately $190, making the project more feasible. The research highlights the severe impact Burmese pythons have had on native mammal populations in the Everglades, with some species experiencing declines of over 98%.
