Everglades

USGS leads federal research to control the highly invasive Burmese python ( Python bivittatus), which has become firmly established across the Greater Everglades Ecosystem and poses a serious threat to native wildlife. Capable of reaching over 17 feet long, this massive constrictor is believed to be a key factor in the sharp decline of mammal populations in the region. For over a decade...

Scientists at USGS have shown that much of the US is suitable for invasion by tegu lizards, and suitability will likely increase in the future. While tegus can be removed via trapping, it is difficult to monitor every geographic area where tegus could invade. Thus, methods for quickly detecting and removing tegus in new areas are the best way to prevent spread and minimize damage from these...

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.

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...

Wetland and Aquatic Research Center and Fort Collins Science Center are coordinating a long-term, landscape-scale Burmese python research strategy for South Florida.

Environmental DNA (eDNA) is organismal DNA that can be found in the environment. Environmental DNA originates from cellular material shed by organisms (via skin, excrement, etc.) into aquatic or terrestrial environments that can be sampled and monitored using new molecular methods. Such methodology is important for the early detection of invasive species as well as the detection of rare and...

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...