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Palm Beach County, FL - UF researchers are using solar-powered robot bunnies to track and attract invasive Burmese pythons in South Florida.
Researchers at the University of Florida (UF) have created an innovative solution to help track invasive Burmese pythons in South Florida using robot bunnies.
The pythons, which have been a significant environmental issue in Florida since the 1970s, were likely introduced through the exotic pet trade and have become apex predators in the region.
The snakes’ ability to stay hidden has made it difficult for wildlife managers to track and control their population.
UF wildlife ecology professor Dr. Robert McCleery and his team released 40 remote-controlled, solar-powered robot bunnies this month to mimic marsh rabbits, which are a preferred prey of pythons.
These robots, which have motors, heaters, and motion-sensor cameras, are designed to imitate the movements and body temperatures of real rabbits.
The robots are waterproof and do not require feeding or cleaning, which makes them easier to maintain than live animals.
The goal is to observe whether pythons will be attracted to the robots, as they would be to live rabbits.
The robots send a signal to researchers when a python approaches, allowing them to track the snakes’ behavior.
Mike Kirkland, the lead invasive animal biologist for the South Florida Water Management District, noted that even a small increase in pythons interacting with the robots would mark success for the study.
Researchers are also exploring the addition of rabbit scents to the robots to make them even more enticing to the pythons.