Invasive Burmese Pythons Serve as Living Sensors for Everglades Pollution
Researchers are analyzing tissues from captured Burmese pythons to map mercury and PFAS contamination across Florida’s Greater Everglades.
A 2026 study led by Lauren E Blackman and colleagues at the University of Florida screened liver tissue from 67 Burmese pythons for 30 PFAS compounds, detecting nine above quantification limits and linear PFOS in most samples. The median PFAS concentration in the snakes was higher than that recorded in American alligators from the same region, with male pythons carrying significantly more contaminants than females. Prior research, including a 2019 investigation by Darren G Rumbold and Ian A Bartoszek, showed that pythons also accumulate mercury, reaching up to 4.86 mg/kg in some individuals.
A USGS dataset spanning 2001-2022 further maps mercury levels in python tissues across wetland, forest and urban habitats. Using these invasive predators, which are already targeted for removal, offers a cost-effective way to monitor ecosystem-wide pollution without harming native species. The approach highlights how an ecological threat can become a valuable tool for assessing environmental health in the Everglades.
Why it matters
The study turns an invasive species into a cost-effective indicator of toxic chemicals spreading through a critical wetland ecosystem.
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