"It's the latest effort by the South Florida Water Management District to eliminate as many pythons as possible from the Everglades, where they are decimating native species with their voracious appetites. In Everglades National Park, officials say the snakes have eliminated 95% of small mammals as well as thousands of birds. "Removing them is fairly simple. It's detection. We're having a really hard time finding them," said Mike Kirkland, lead invasive animal biologist for the water district. "They're so well camouflaged in the field.""
"The robots are simple toy rabbits, but retrofitted to emit heat, a smell and to make natural movements to appear like any other regular rabbit. "They look like a real rabbit," Kirkland said. They are solar powered and can be switched on and off remotely. They are placed in small pens monitored by a video camera that sends out a signal when a python is nearby."
Robotic rabbits mimic appearance, movement, heat and smell to attract Burmese pythons in the Everglades. South Florida Water Management District and University of Florida researchers deployed 120 units this summer. Retrofit toy rabbits emit heat, release scent, make natural movements, are solar powered, and can be switched on and off remotely. They sit in small video‑monitored pens that send a signal when a python is nearby so contractors can be dispatched to remove detected snakes. Pythons are invasive, laying 50–100 eggs per clutch, and have eliminated an estimated 95% of small mammals and thousands of birds in Everglades National Park.
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