Invasive Burmese pythons are devastating south Florida ecosystems, most notably the Everglades. Little has succeeded in slowing their slither across the state. In response, the Conservancy of Southwest Florida launched a ground-breaking research and removal program using radio-tagged male sentinel snakes. The males lead researchers to females, who are humanely euthanized, stopping reproduction at the source.
It’s painstaking work; some nights no pythons are found. But radio tagging these snakes to find other pythons is one line of attack that shows promise. The Foundation supported this work for the first time in 2019, expanding the Conservancy’s patrol area by 40 square miles into Picayune Strand State Forest, a critical Wildlife Management Area. The grant also added 10 new “scout snakes” to a roster of 30. Three biologists removed 192 adult pythons weighing approximately 7,800 pounds over two breeding seasons, including 105 female pythons containing over 4,000 developing eggs.
We continued our commitment to this project with an additional $120,000 grant in 2024. Pythons may never be eliminated from the Florida landscape, but with our continued efforts we can reduce their numbers.
