Accelerometry to study fine-scale activity of invasive Burmese pythons (Python bivittatus) in the wild

The establishment of Burmese pythons (Python bivittatus) in Everglades National Park, Florida, USA, has been connected to a > 90% decline in the mesomammal population in the park and is a major threat to native reptile and bird populations. Efforts to control this population are underway, but are hampered by a lack of information about fine-scale activity cycles and ecology of these cryptic animals in the wild. We aimed to establish a technique for monitoring the activity of Burmese pythons in the wild using acceleration data loggers (ADLs), while attempting to identify any behavioral patterns that could be used to help manage this invasive species in the Greater Everglades and South Florida.