South Florida has an invasive Burmese python problem, which sounds terrifying on top of the giant snakes being really bad for the environment. Luckily, though, scientists have found a new way to combat the problem: robo-bunnies, which are remote-controlled electronic rabbits that lure the pythons out of hiding so that they can be, as Smithsonian Magazine puts it, "euthanized" and "eradicated."
In a project funded by the South Florida Water Management District, and led by University of Florida wildlife ecologist Robert McCleery, a team of wildlife biologists and ecologists have been placing placing the robo-bunnies in various places across South Florida in order to study how the pythons react to the robotic rabbits. Smithsonian Magazine provides further details:
By luring the pythons to the rabbit look-alikes, biologists can save time that might otherwise be spent searching through the swamp for the snakes. The animatronic rabbits are outfitted with motors and internal heaters that are designed to replicate the behaviors and body temperatures of live marsh rabbits (Sylvilagus palustris), which Burmese pythons love to eat.
The scientists are hoping that the robo-bunnies will be as effective as the live rabbits that they've used in the past to combat invasive snakes, since the robot bunnies are easier to take care of and manage and, of course, because it's much more humane than using live rabbits as bait. McCleery and his team are currently testing 40 robo-bunnies to see how they fare with the snakes.
They are currently collecting data, so stay tuned to find out! And if this experiment reveals that the robo-bunnies are a bust, the researchers have another idea they'll try next — they plan to add "realistic rabbit scents" to the robot rabbits to see if that works better. I hope the robo-bunnies work, and can't wait to see what the scientists learn!
Previously:
• Python pops after swallowing alligator
• Gallery: 10 invasive species
• Create a customizable animal robot
• Eat invasive species and enjoy guilt-free meat
• Illinois officials change the name of invasive carp species in hopes that people will eat them
