Florida deploys robot rabbits to combat invasive pythons
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In Florida, officials began using solar-powered robot rabbits to locate and help remove Burmese pythons from the Everglades.
The South Florida Water Management District and the University of Florida partnered to create the robotic decoys, which use artificial intelligence, heat signatures, and scents to attract the snakes. These robots add to existing python removal programs like the annual Florida Python Challenge, a competition where hunters remove pythons.
Burmese pythons first appeared in the Everglades in the 1970s and have become a major threat to native wildlife. Researchers estimate that between 100,000 and 300,000 pythons now live in Florida’s subtropical regions, and their hunting habits have dramatically reduced populations of mammals like raccoons and opossums, in some areas by as much as 99 percent. The robot rabbits work by mimicking prey animals, alerting officials when a python approaches.
Officials then dispatch trained python removal agents to capture the snake. In 2026, the Florida Python Challenge saw participation from 907 people across three countries, resulting in the removal of 280 pythons. Since 2017, combined efforts have removed over 19,000 snakes from the region.
