Florida Python Hunters May Have a New Tool Thanks to Optics Research at UCF
Special small, mobile cameras help detect more snakes and could lead to an automated python tracker.
| 6/10/2021
ORLANDO, June 10, 2021 – Just as the governor announced the start of python hunting season in Florida this month, researchers at the University of Central Florida have published a first- of-its-kind study that shows that near-infrared (NIR) spectrum cameras can help hunters more effectively track down these invasive snakes, especially at night.
The snakes, which can reach 26 feet in length and 200 pounds, have invaded the Everglades in Florida — threatening native species and disrupting the ecosystem. The number of common native species observed in the Everglades since the snakes were first discovered in the 1990s dropped in some species by 90% through 2010, according to an earlier study. Since then, the state has been implementing mitigation strategies and encouraging residents to hunt down the massive snakes. On average snakes removed from the Everglades are about eight feet long, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.