Burmese pythons, one of the world’s largest snakes, are also one of the most problematic invasive species in South Florida. First spotted in the Florida Everglades in the 1970s, the snakes were introduced, either accidentally or intentionally, through the exotic pet trade.
Since then, pythons have become top predators in the local food ecosystem. Despite the fact that they now exist throughout much of South Florida, they remain difficult to track down. That means researchers and conservationists need to find creative ways to lure them out into the open.
And by creative, we mean really creative—and University of Florida (UF) researchers clearly understood the assignment.
Researchers led by UF professor of wildlife ecology and conservation Robert McCleery have released 40 solar-powered, remote-controlled robot bunnies in South Florida this month. The researchers replaced the plush toy’s stuffing with motors and heaters to imitate the motions and body temperatures of one of pythons’ favorite snacks: marsh rabbits.
I’m no professor of anything, but it seems to me that these boffins are missing a trick, here. It’s all very well to “lure” these giant worms out into the open, but it’s pretty much useless when it comes to actually killing the loathsome creatures.
My suggestion: a small explosive charge — it doesn’t have to be greater than, say, that of a large bottle rocket — inserted into the robo-bunnies, triggered by pressure on the outer frame. This will do one of two things: blow the snake’s head off when/if it bites the bunny; or else blow the snake apart when it crushes the thing prior to ingestion. Either outcome is satisfactory.
Of course, this will never happen because reasons.
Gotta disagree with you here.
Firstly, we whites are an invasive spies in North America and we’ve done nothing but improve the place
Secondly, I hate fucking rabbits. Especially the feral escaped domesticated ones. The wild jackrabbits were tolerable – lazy, big, stupid unambitious rodents.
Lately the little escapee bastards eat my bean plants when they’re barely out of the ground, ravage my lettuce, destroy my tomatoes, chew up my herbs, et endless cetera, then shit on my deck. Please God, let pythons become able to survive a Canadian winter and send them up here.
Until the Python eats you…
Never going to happen, I’m the apex predator around here not some brainless ex-dinosaur. I wonder how python tastes?
Belloc’s
“Whatever happens, we have got,
The Maxim gun, and they have not.”
applies too.
Can Canadians still own guns? Justin Trudeau banned handguns. What kind of rifles are you allowed to have still? Massachusetts is where I am and the lezzie bull dyke Maura Healey who is a salt licker lesbian along with her democrat super majority are doing all she can to ban guns here. They want to force micro stamping next. Which is unreliable and not really done in mass production.
Micro-stamping IIRC is currently in court in CA –
you might want to check with CA Rifle & Pistol Assoc. (CRPA).
I own 6 rifles and 3 shotguns but will not discuss handguns which possibly I once owned, but now am not allowed to buy or sell, but oddly enough for which I can still buy ammo.
I have only Schrödinger handguns.
As for your Maura Healey, good luck, sounds like you’ll need it.
taking that further, ALL humans are an invasive species anywhere outside of the central African plains.
However, as the dominant species (for now) on the planet, even though our political elite are doing their utmost to change that the common African cockroach, and as such get to organise our surroundings to our liking. And rabbits are preferable to scaly worms that eat our farm animals, children, and pets. They’re tastier too.
Ranger Rick had a 10 – 4 dick so he stuck it near the girl next door. She thought it was a snake so she hit it with a rake and now it’s only 2 foot 4
This problem can be solved easily, tell rednecks that if they hunt pythons every year, and catch at least 500 each per year, they get to pay zero income tax that year.
Make this an annual deal, and the infestation will be gone in short order.
I believe Florida already pays a bounty for dead pythons and host annual hunting tournaments.
Then you’ll just get rednecks farming pythons.
Plus third worlders smuggling them in and claiming bounties.
Sure some people will game the system, but you are now arguing the liberal point of view of punish everyone for the actions of a few. We learned in kindergarten this wrong. At least you should have learned that
With your logic, let’s ban all guns since ya know some people might use them to commit crimes.
Ok Mr Democrat…
Are they going to ban money, too, since it is used to facilitate crimes of the Vice variety?
The scientists need to go the full Monty.
I’m an habitual outdoors person and lived in southwest Florida (Cape Coral & Fort Myers) for 40 years and never seen a python, even when looking for them.
The wild animals in SWFL are, like so many other things, completely over blown by the media.
…..pythons have become top predators …
Umm… anybody got a recipe?
.
Well, recipe is one thing, but the real deal here is Python Cowboy Boots!!!
They’re overthinking.
1) Trap some quanity of the above mentioned swamp rabbits.
2) Put said swamp rabbits in cages, chained to a tree or what have you.
3) Python crawls between bars of cage, eats rabbit and is now larger by size of rabbit, i.e. unable to crawl out of cage.
4) Collect cage
5) (optional) Make Gumbo!
Mark D
OH, I’m all for exploding snakes, Kim! Grand idea! I’m sure video of exploding snakes violates YouTube standards, but the videos will pop up somewhere. I can’t wait.