Opossums vs. Pythons: Inside Florida’s Unusual Strategy for Fighting Invasive Snakes
Researchers in Florida are using an unexpected tool to help fight invasive Burmese pythons in the Everglades: opossums. Because opossums are one of the snakes’ favorite prey, scientists discovered they could track pythons by fitting opossums with GPS collars and following the signal after the animal had been eaten. The method is now helping conservation teams locate and remove more of the invasive snakes as python populations continue damaging native wildlife across South Florida.
The core logic is straightforward. A python swallows a GPS-collared opossum whole. The collar keeps transmitting. Researchers follow the signal — and find the snake.
How an Accident Became a Strategy
Scientists accidentally discovered the tracking method in 2022 while studying the movement and behavior of small mammals. Researchers placed GPS collars on opossums and raccoons along Florida’s southern coast. When a python swallowed one of the tagged animals whole, the collar continued transmitting, allowing researchers to track the snake’s location, according to the South Florida Sun Sentinel.
That unplanned data point opened a new line of attack against a problem that has frustrated wildlife managers for decades.
Researcher Michael Cove told the South Florida Sun Sentinel in 2023, “We need everything that we can find to remove as many pythons as possible.”
Cove, along with researcher A.J. Sanjar and other conservation teams, expanded the effort to help locate and euthanize invasive pythons.
The Program Is Scaling Up
Researchers hope to have at least 40 GPS-collared opossums in the program by later this summer. Because opossums are common prey for Burmese pythons, scientists expect some of the animals will eventually be eaten, turning them into indirect tracking devices for the snakes.
The method works with existing predator-prey dynamics rather than against them. The collars don’t change what happens in the wild — they capture data from interactions already taking place.
Why the Python Problem Demands New Tools
The ecological destruction that makes this program urgent is well-documented. Burmese pythons have reduced raccoon populations by 99%, opossums by 98% and bobcats by 88%, contributing to major ecological disruption in the Everglades, according to researchers and wildlife officials. These snakes have become top predators in the ecosystem and are severely reducing native mammal populations.
The Florida Museum of Natural History notes that since arriving in Florida, Burmese pythons have also introduced harmful non-native parasites and reduced medium-sized mammal populations by more than 90%, significantly changing the Everglades ecosystem.
Burmese pythons are an invasive species that established a permanent breeding population in South Florida, according to the Conservancy of Southwest Florida. They were introduced through the exotic pet trade in the late 1900s, often through escaped or intentionally released pets. The first recorded wild Burmese python in South Florida was documented in 1979 in Everglades National Park, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
Burmese pythons continue expanding their range in Florida, with the U.S. Geological Survey reporting that their spread can be measured in miles per year in some regions.
Just How Big These Snakes Get
The record catches put the problem in perspective. The heaviest python ever caught in Florida weighed 215 pounds and measured 18 feet long. It was captured in 2022 in Naples by a biologist with the Conservancy of Southwest Florida.
The longest Burmese python ever captured in Florida was recorded in July 2023 and measured more than 19 feet, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
Addressing the Ethics Question
Some criticism has emerged over using live prey this way, but wildlife officials say the animals are not being placed in additional danger.
Jeremy Dixon told the South Florida Sun Sentinel on April 19, “We’re not putting these animals out there and in harm’s way. Harm’s way is there. We’re just documenting what’s happening.”
Opossums in the Everglades already face pythons as predators daily. The GPS collars don’t increase their risk — they make an existing interaction useful for conservation.
This article was created by content specialists using various tools, including AI.
