Opossums vs. Pythons: Inside Florida's Unusual Strategy for Fighting Invasive Snakes

Florida scientists are using opossums to secretly track invasive Burmese pythons in the Everglades-and it's working.

Why Florida scientists are putting GPS collars on opossums to track giant Burmese pythons

A bizarre discovery in Florida: GPS-collared opossums are now helping researchers hunt invasive Burmese pythons.

Florida's python hunt coming soon. What to know about the reigning champ

Here's what we know about the 2026 Florida Python Challenge, how the yearly hunt works and a little bit about last year's winner.

Florida Scientists Found an Unlikely Python-Tracking Trick After a Snake Ate an Opossum

Scientists found a shocking way to track Florida’s invasive pythons: let the snakes swallow GPS-collared opossums.

Are pythons more active in Florida during spring, summer months?

Are Florida's invasive Burmese pythons are more active in warmer months? Signs show signs of cold tolerance, potentially spreading north.
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GPS-collared opossums help track Florida pythons after being eaten

Contractors with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Thomas Aycock, left, and Tom Rahill, founder of the Swamp Apes, a veterans therapy nonprofit, show off an invasive Burmese python caught earlier, as they wait for sunset to hunt pythons, Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024, in the Florida Everglades. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

Possums vs. pythons: How Florida’s only marsupial became a weapon against invasive snakes

Docile, furry and cute to some, possums have become an unexpected ally in the effort to slow the invasion of Burmese pythons, a snake that has decimated ecosystems in Florida.