Wildlife biologists in Collier County, Florida, have achieved a record-breaking removal of Burmese pythons during the current breeding season. A total of 177 pythons, weighing over 8,000 pounds, were removed, marking the most significant haul since the program began 13 years ago.
Effective Tracking Method
According to Ian Bartozsek, a wildlife biologist with the Conservancy of Southwest Florida, the success can be attributed to the effective method of tracking male scout snakes to locate breeding females. This approach has proven to be reliable in finding and removing high-value targets from the landscape.
Bartozsek explained that tagging 40 male scout snakes helped locate breeding females before they could lay eggs. As a result, over 4,000 Burmese python eggs were also removed this season.
The Conservancy’s python research and removal program has removed 1,750 pythons weighing more than 53,000 pounds from Southwest Florida since 2013. The program has also contributed to 25 collaborative scientific publications focused on Burmese python biology and behavior.
Residents can play a crucial role in protecting native wildlife by reporting Burmese python sightings and remaining nearby until a wildlife responder arrives. In Collier County, residents can call 1-888-Ive-Got-1 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. or 911 after hours.
Original reporting: WESH Orlando — read the source article.
