GPS-collared Opossums Help Florida Track Burmese Pythons
Researchers in Florida collar native opossums to use them as bait against Burmese pythons; if a python swallows a collar, the transmitter inside continues pinging, guiding researchers to the snake for removal. Cost cuts from about $1,500 to roughly $190 have enabled scaling, and by 2026 the team had 32 possums collared and removed 18 large pythons (some swallowing two collars), while also employing drones, dogs, and other tools. The approach raises ethical questions about using native wildlife as bait, but it is increasingly used as part of a broader effort to curb the invasive predator in the Everglades.