You’ve probably heard some of the amazing things trained detector dogs can do. They can sniff out drugs, bombs, diseases, blood sugar levels, and so much more. Now, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) found a new use for a dog’s high-powered nose: detecting invasive snakes.
Truman, a black Labrador, and Eleanor, a Point Setter, have been working with the FWC to restore the region’s ecosystem. They sniff out pythons and alert their handlers so the snakes can be captured and removed from the area. These talented dogs go out with a handler and a biologist five days a week, searching for pythons on public lands across south Florida.
Pythons Pose A Problem For Native Wildlife
Truman and Eleanor are not just sniffing out snakes. They’re helping the local wildlife with their work.
On its website, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) explains:
“Pythons compete with native wildlife for food, which includes mammals, birds, and other reptiles. Severe mammal declines in Everglades National Park have been linked to Burmese pythons.”
As a result of the snakes’ presence in Florida, native species are suffering. Their populations have dropped in the past few decades.
“Marsh rabbits, cottontail rabbits, and foxes effectively disappeared. The mammals that have declined most significantly have been regularly found in the stomachs of Burmese Pythons removed from Everglades National Park and elsewhere in Florida.”
With Truman and Eleanor’s help, biologists and conservationists can restore these populations.
What The Dogs Do
The dogs spent over a month learning the ropes of this trade. In training, handlers use a snake with a tracking device to help the dogs learn the scent and focus on it alone. The FWC said in a statement:
“Python-scented towels and live pythons with surgically implanted trackers were used to train the dogs on python scent. The dogs were also trained to ignore distractions, such as other live animals, when working in an outdoor environment and worked on building up their stamina so they do not tire easily in the field.”
Since the work is a bit risky, the dogs learn not to get right up close to a python. They alert from a few feet away when they find one.
“When Truman or Eleanor catches the scent of a python, they follow that scent until they are within approximately 3 feet of the python. When they find a snake, the dogs alert the handler and are rewarded with a recognition response. The dog and handler then back away from the area, clearing the way for the FWC biologist to pinpoint the exact location so they can safely catch and remove the python from the wild.”
So far, Truman and Eleanor have done a great job. On December 8th, 2020, the Detector Dog Team successfully captured and removed an 8-foot male python from the Rocky Glades Public Small Game Hunting Area in Miami-Dade County.
What else will we discover a dog’s nose can do?
H/T: ABC News
Featured Image: @MyFWC/Facebook
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via Whisker Therapy