Pythons can easily disappear. They blend into the vegetation, evade trail cameras, and often slip through even the most advanced detection technologies. Despite Florida’s aggressive measures—including a 10-day public python hunt called the Python Challenge —the snakes remain stubbornly difficult to find.

Burmese pythons, one of the world’s largest snakes, are also one of the most problematic invasive species in South Florida. First spotted in the Florida Everglades in the 1970s, the snakes were introduced, either accidentally or intentionally, through the exotic pet trade.

Researchers battling the invasive Burmese python crisis in the Florida Everglades have turned to an unconventional new ally — robotic marsh