Robotic Rabbits vs Burmese Pythons

South Florida – primarily the Everglades – is dealing with an exploding population of Burmese pythons. The snake species, now classified as invasive, is causing a significant decrease in the state’s native wildlife population because they are highly successful predators. Scientists are creatively combating the reptiles by using robotic rabbits. Equipped with solar-powered heaters and motors, the synthetic rabbits attract the attention of the pythons, allowing hunters to capture them.

How the Invasion Began

The invasion of Burmese pythons in southern Florida’s Everglades started when people adopted them as pets. After learning of the difficulty in raising the reptiles, owners began to release them into the wild. This started a problem that was worsened when Hurricane Andrew blew through southern Florida in 1992 and destroyed a python-breeding facility. Thousands escaped into the wild, and they found a perfect home in the swampy Everglades.

Burmese pythons have a high reproductive rate, natural aquatic ability, and ease of survival that have led the area to be overrun. Scientists who work in the area agreed that something had to be done to reduce or eliminate their number.

In response, multiple agencies and organizations partnered to fix the problem. Everything from dog detection to environmental DNA (eDNA) was used to detect and remove as many pythons as possible. The latest? Robotic rabbits. That’s right, fake rabbits created by University of Florida professor Dr. Bob McCreery and his team. The robots are equipped with solar-powered and waterproof equipment that allows them to move and operate like real rabbits. They can even mimic the warmth of living rabbits. Now being tested throughout southern Florida, the decoys are designed to attract the snakes and allow them to be captured and removed from the wild.

Challenging Burmese Pythons

Another creative attempt took place at a 10-day competition called the Florida Python Challenge. It began in 2013 and takes place every July. Players from all over the country hunt and capture as many pythons as they can. In 2025, more 930 people signed up, and 294 pythons were removed. The winner, 29-year-old Taylor Stanberry from Naples, FL, caught 60 pythons! She has registered in the annual contest for the last nine years, and she offers homes to more than 100 abandoned and mistreated exotic and domestic animals.

The efforts to remove the invasive Burmese pythons from South Florida remain in full force, with hopes that the employment of robotic rabbits can do the job.

1. Burmese pythons are invasive in southern Florida and the Everglades.
2. Robotic robots mimic living rabbits to attract the pythons, leading to their capture.
3. Taylor Stanbury won the 2025 Florida Python Challenge by catching 60 pythons.