Stories
USGS Deploys Giant Python in Drone Tracking Test across Everglades
- •A massive 16-foot, 147.9-pound Burmese python was radio-tagged and released in the Greater Everglades Ecosystem as part of a new USGS drone experiment.
- •Researchers are testing small uncrewed aircraft systems equipped with radio-tracking and cameras to see if drones can locate invasive snakes more efficiently than on-foot field teams.
- •The trial aims to overcome challenging wetland terrains and reduce operating costs while improving tracking data for invasive Burmese pythons.
- •The project builds upon the existing scout snake programme, which uses radio-tagged pythons to locate breeding aggregations and remove invasive individuals.
- •Burmese pythons are a severe threat to native Florida wildlife, preying on endangered species and complicating regional ecosystem restoration efforts.
Key Questions Answered
USGS biologists are testing a small uncrewed aircraft system equipped with radio-tracking equipment or cameras to see if aerial platforms can help locate radio-tagged pythons more efficiently across difficult wetland terrain.
Researchers fit selected male and female pythons with radio transmitters and monitor them throughout the year. Tracking these scout snakes during the breeding season leads scientists to aggregations of pythons, helping them remove more reptiles and study their behaviour.
Burmese pythons are an established invasive species that prey on native animals, including species facing conservation pressures like the federally endangered Key Largo woodrat, wood storks, limpkins, and round-tailed muskrats. Their size and camouflage make them difficult to detect, complicating wildlife management.
