Methods of Containment
Many institutions stress that education on these animals and pet ownership is a important part of containing this species. Many of the pythons that live in the wild now were once owned by people, and were released once they were too much to handle. Education of proper ownership of these pets will help to reduce and contain this invasive species. Institutions that deal with the eradication of these snakes stress that we must understand their extent, behavior, potential ecological impacts, and how to remove them to reduce the amount of snakes in a given area.
In 2005, invasive-snake management experts created the Python Science Support Team. Their goal is to determine the status and extent of the python population, monitor their habitats and movement, find methods for estimating potential impacts, and to also capture and remove pythons. They have developed traps to capture some of the snakes and try to reduce the population.
But, the main methods of containment the experts are focusing on are Radiotelemetry, thermal research, and dietary analysis to capture these animals.
Radiotelemetry
Radiotelemetry is when radio technology is used to perform remote measurements in an effort to report and analyze information. Scientists are able to gather data, such as movement patterns, and use this to make conclusions about a subject. The scientists that are on the Python Science Support Team implant small, very high frequency radio transmitters into some Burmese Python. The snakes with the implants are called "Judas" snakes, and these lead the researchers to other snakes, which are then captured and euthanized.
Thermal Research
Scientists that are looking to contain the population of the Burmese Pythons will often implant temperature-sensitive data loggers into the skins of pythons. The temperature of the snake would be recorded every 30 minutes, and this data would be transmitted to the scientists that implanted the loggers. This information indicates the habitats that these snakes are living in and if the snakes are around water, in the open (higher temperature would mean that they are in the sun, so they would be in more open areas), or in forest areas (temperature would be colder). Based on the average temperature, they can find the location of these snakes, and then go to those areas to capture and euthanize some of the snakes.
Dietary Analysis
Using the temperatures that are measured from the Thermal Research, the scientists can determine when the snakes eat, because the snakes' metabolic rate is dependent on temperature. With this information, the scientists can figure out the best times to go out and look for these snakes so they can capture them. They will know when the snakes are out and looking for food, and that is when they would go out to capture them.
Also, when the scientists capture snakes, they look at the food that they have recently eaten and analyze their diet. For example, the scientists will figure out that a snake eats a lot of rabbit. With this information, they can go and look for snakes that are in areas with high rabbit populations.
In 2005, invasive-snake management experts created the Python Science Support Team. Their goal is to determine the status and extent of the python population, monitor their habitats and movement, find methods for estimating potential impacts, and to also capture and remove pythons. They have developed traps to capture some of the snakes and try to reduce the population.
But, the main methods of containment the experts are focusing on are Radiotelemetry, thermal research, and dietary analysis to capture these animals.
Radiotelemetry
Radiotelemetry is when radio technology is used to perform remote measurements in an effort to report and analyze information. Scientists are able to gather data, such as movement patterns, and use this to make conclusions about a subject. The scientists that are on the Python Science Support Team implant small, very high frequency radio transmitters into some Burmese Python. The snakes with the implants are called "Judas" snakes, and these lead the researchers to other snakes, which are then captured and euthanized.
Thermal Research
Scientists that are looking to contain the population of the Burmese Pythons will often implant temperature-sensitive data loggers into the skins of pythons. The temperature of the snake would be recorded every 30 minutes, and this data would be transmitted to the scientists that implanted the loggers. This information indicates the habitats that these snakes are living in and if the snakes are around water, in the open (higher temperature would mean that they are in the sun, so they would be in more open areas), or in forest areas (temperature would be colder). Based on the average temperature, they can find the location of these snakes, and then go to those areas to capture and euthanize some of the snakes.
Dietary Analysis
Using the temperatures that are measured from the Thermal Research, the scientists can determine when the snakes eat, because the snakes' metabolic rate is dependent on temperature. With this information, the scientists can figure out the best times to go out and look for these snakes so they can capture them. They will know when the snakes are out and looking for food, and that is when they would go out to capture them.
Also, when the scientists capture snakes, they look at the food that they have recently eaten and analyze their diet. For example, the scientists will figure out that a snake eats a lot of rabbit. With this information, they can go and look for snakes that are in areas with high rabbit populations.