Invasive species are considered to be second only to habitat degradation in terms of negative impacts on the Earth’s ecosystems, and our scientists make up a significant proportion of the global expertise in the rapidly-growing problem of invasive reptiles.
FORT's invasive reptile research in Florida focuses on understanding impacts and developing adaptive control opportunities for Burmese pythons and other recent invaders such as black and white tegus. Branch scientists combine extensive herpetological expertise with cutting-edge quantitative skills to inform and estimate detection probability, population size, and eradication prospects for a range of invasive reptiles. Projects and collaborators span across the United States mainland to Pacific islands.
Below are other science projects associated with this project.
Python Vital Rates
State Partnerships in South Florida
Ecology and Control of Invasive Reptiles in Florida
Mentoring the next generation: USGS, NPS, and University of Florida Cooperative Research Unit Invasive Reptile Intern Program
Cruising to Improve the Detection of Burmese Pythons in Everglades National Park
Giant Constrictor Snakes in Florida: A Sizeable Research Challenge
- Overview
Invasive species are considered to be second only to habitat degradation in terms of negative impacts on the Earth’s ecosystems, and our scientists make up a significant proportion of the global expertise in the rapidly-growing problem of invasive reptiles.
A Burmese python slithering in the grass in the Everglades. Photo by Emma Hanslowe, USGS. FORT's invasive reptile research in Florida focuses on understanding impacts and developing adaptive control opportunities for Burmese pythons and other recent invaders such as black and white tegus. Branch scientists combine extensive herpetological expertise with cutting-edge quantitative skills to inform and estimate detection probability, population size, and eradication prospects for a range of invasive reptiles. Projects and collaborators span across the United States mainland to Pacific islands.
- Science
Below are other science projects associated with this project.
Python Vital Rates
Researchers from USGS-FORT and WARC and University of Florida are collaborating on a long-term Burmese python research program in southern Florida to address management needs of partners and stakeholders throughout the Greater Everglades.State Partnerships in South Florida
USGS-FORT in partnership with the University of Florida and two state agencies (South Florida Water Management District and Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission) have initiated a scout snake program to increase the ability to detect and remove Burmese pythons from the interior of the landscape.Ecology and Control of Invasive Reptiles in Florida
This project involves ongoing development of tools for the detection and control of invasive reptiles in Florida, with an emphasis on Burmese pythons (Python bivittatus) and black and white tegu lizards (Salvator merianae). The goals are to reduce the risk of reptile invasions into, and impacts on, high-value resources such as Everglades National Park, Big Cypress National Preserve, and the...Mentoring the next generation: USGS, NPS, and University of Florida Cooperative Research Unit Invasive Reptile Intern Program
Invasive reptiles like the Burmese python (Python bivittatus) and black and white tegu lizard (Tupinambis merianae) are exerting tremendous harm on Everglades ecosystems, but these problematic species present an excellent opportunity to engage the next generation in science. Since entering into an agreement with Everglades National Park in late 2013, the Invasive Species Science Branch of the U.S...Cruising to Improve the Detection of Burmese Pythons in Everglades National Park
It is not uncommon to see researchers cruising around Everglades National Park (ENP) on what has been a routine basis for the past ten months. Every evening, interns pack into a Chevy Volt for their shift assisting the U.S. Geological Survey in conducting Burmese Python (Python molurus bivittatus) nighttime surveillance through observational surveys. This effort to detect non-native snakes, namely...Giant Constrictor Snakes in Florida: A Sizeable Research Challenge
Since the mid-1990s, several species of non-native, giant constrictor snakes, such as Burmese pythons and boa constrictors, have surfaced in localities throughout southern Florida. Several are known or suspected to be breeding and appear to be spreading northward. Increasingly, media and other reports of sightings or encounters with these animals have emphasized the dangers they could impose on... - Publications
- News