How Do You Find a Snake You Might Never See?
posted in: Invasive Species
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Burmese pythons can become enormous yet remain remarkably difficult to detect. A 2024 study by Miller et al. developed an environmental-DNA assay capable of distinguishing four invasive constrictors now reproducing in South Florida. The technology could strengthen early detection and monitoring—but a positive DNA sample tells us a snake was present, not how many snakes are there or whether a reproducing population exists.