16-foot Burmese python tagged in Florida; scientists test drones to track snakes

Deep in the Florida Everglades, a vast and difficult landscape, scientists are trying a new way to find invasive Burmese pythons; they are looking from above. Researchers are testing small drones fitted with radio tracking equipment or cameras to locate snakes more efficiently, follow their movements across difficult terrain, and cut the cost of searching from the ground. One female python released after tagging measured 16 feet and weighed 147.9 pounds. In this article, you will learn how the technology works, why pythons are so hard to track, what the scientists hope to gain, and what important questions remain unanswered.How United States scientists use drones to monitor invasive Burmese pythons across the EvergladesThe United States Geological Survey, a federal science agency, is testing a different approach to a long-running wildlife problem. Scientists at its Fort Collins Science Centre are using uncrewed aircraft systems, commonly called drones, to track invasive Burmese pythons and to learn more about how the snakes move across a vast and difficult landscape. The work is described in the center's September 2026 series, which highlights how its projects support sound decisio...