Invasive Pythons are a genuine issue in Florida, and now, hunters might have a brand-new method to track them.
If you thought that this brand-new technique of tracking includes dead possums, that’s an odd guess, however a proper one.
Researchers in Key Largo have actually recognized that possums fitted with GPS collars might help to track pythons. The possums — along with raccoons — were initially offered collars as part of a research study to get insight into their habits.
This is good because — as I’ve been stating for several years — of all the important things researchers might hang around attempting to find out, the behavioral practices of medium-sized rodents is at the top of the list.
That prepared research study into what possums and raccoons do when they’re not toppling trash bin or getting struck by vehicles deviated. Researchers observed one possum’s collar sent a death signal due to absence of motion. This seems like the oldest technique in the possum playbook, however as it ends up this one actually was dead.
However, it began moving once again. One of the scientists informed the South Florida SunSentinel that this normally suggests the possum was on the menu for a starving python.
They did have a little bit of an issue. Seeing as Key Largo is basically a fossilized reef, there are lots of locations for a python to conceal underground.
“This thing was underground. It took a month of tracking the snake underground [to capture it],” scientist Michael Cove said.
Eventually, python hunters handled to carry the snake out of the ground. In this circumstances, the 12-foot, 66-pound female python featured egg roots. Hundreds of them.
This is the python-hunting equivalent of attempting to get one pack of Skittles out of vending maker and having a 2nd one come toppling out with it. Except in this case, there are over a hundred eggs.
That’s a huge offer offered how intrusive pythons have actually ended up being. So, euthanizing that a person snake and dealing with its eggs kept lots upon lots of snakes from increasing significantly.
This entire possum-fueled snake hunt revealed scientists that a brand-new method to track pythons might be to track their victim rather.
Hey whatever works. Invasive pythons are a substantial issue. If possums can show to be better than simply playing dead and being scary, then it’s a win-win in my book.
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