Burmese python, Florida
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Florida scientists are using opossums to secretly track invasive Burmese pythons in the Everglades—and it’s working.
Are Florida's invasive Burmese pythons are more active in warmer months? Signs show signs of cold tolerance, potentially spreading north.
KEY LARGO — Biologists A.J. Sanjar and Michael Cove part a curtain of vegetation and stride into the shadows of a dense forest in Crocodile Lake National Wildlife Refuge to check on a line of possum traps.
Scientists found a shocking way to track Florida’s invasive pythons: let the snakes swallow GPS-collared opossums.
Some of Florida’s opossums may soon start dying for a noble cause. A few select marsupials fitted with tracking collars may begin to lead scientists to invasive Burmese pythons (Python bivittatus) slithering through the Everglades.
A bizarre discovery in Florida: GPS-collared opossums are now helping researchers hunt invasive Burmese pythons.