Opossums vs. Pythons: Inside Florida's Unusual Strategy for Fighting Invasive Snakes

Florida scientists are using opossums to secretly track invasive Burmese pythons in the Everglades-and it's working.

Florida Scientists Found an Unlikely Python-Tracking Trick After a Snake Ate an Opossum

Scientists found a shocking way to track Florida’s invasive pythons: let the snakes swallow GPS-collared opossums.

Possums vs. pythons: How Florida’s only marsupial became a weapon against invasive snakes

KEY LARGO — Biologists A.J. Sanjar and Michael Cove part a curtain of vegetation and stride into the shadows of a dense forest in Crocodile Lake National Wildlife Refuge to check on a line of possum traps.

Scientists sacrifice delicious opossums to fight Florida’s invasive pythons

Some of Florida’s opossums may soon start dying for a noble cause. A few select marsupials fitted with tracking collars may begin to lead scientists to invasive Burmese pythons (Python bivittatus) slithering through the Everglades.

Why Florida Scientists Are Putting GPS Collars on Opossums to Track Giant Burmese Pythons

A bizarre discovery in Florida: GPS-collared opossums are now helping researchers hunt invasive Burmese pythons.

Florida's python hunt coming soon. What to know about the reigning champ

Here's what we know about the 2026 Florida Python Challenge, how the yearly hunt works and a little bit about last year's winner.