In its fight against the invasion of Burmese pythons, Florida has found an unconventional ally: opossums. Equipped with tracking collars, these creatures are helping biologists locate hidden snakes, especially in regions unexplorable by humans.
Opossums: the lethal weapon against Burmese pythons
The discovery was almost accidental. During a study on small mammals, it was observed that Burmese pythons consumed the opossums equipped with tracking collars. Despite the tragic nature of the event, the collars continued to emit signals, allowing teams to locate the snakes for capture.
The method, led by Michael Cove of the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, focuses on using affordable devices to track snakes in the Crocodile Lake National Wildlife Refuge. The captured opossums are equipped with VHF collars and released back into their habitat. They do not need to be constantly monitored; it is enough to be alerted if they stop moving for six hours.
The presence of Burmese pythons in Florida is due to the exotic pet trade, and their establishment in the Everglades poses a significant threat to the local wildlife. These snakes not only compete for food but have also contributed to the drastic decline of native species such as raccoons and bobcats.
The main objective of using opossums is to locate the larger pythons. According to data from South Florida Sun Sentinel and CBS12, the snakes found exceeded 2.4 meters, and many of them were females capable of laying dozens of eggs if they had not been captured.
Between 2022 and early 2023, this approach has allowed for the removal of 18 large pythons in Key Largo. The ongoing efforts underscore the need for innovative tools to address this persistent problem. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has reported that since 2000, more than 27,000 pythons have been removed from the wild.
This method has sparked an ethical debate about the use of live animals in biological control strategies. However, researchers assure that the opossums are not used as bait but are documenting an already existing risk in their natural environment.
The project, still in the experimental phase, aims to increase the number of marked opossums, especially in summer, when pythons feed more to prepare for reproduction. Detecting and capturing these snakes is crucial to protecting local biodiversity.
