UF/IFAS Scientists Develop Groundbreaking Method for Detecting DNA of Invasive Snakes in Florida

Scientists at the University of Florida have developed a pioneering tool to bolster Florida’s defenses against invasive species: a DNA-based environmental monitoring test that can pinpoint where they’ve been, aiding eradication efforts.

Once a nonnative species gets into an environment, it is often too late to get rid of it, and the focus shifts to containment or long-term management. Both approaches come with heavy costs concerning native wildlife and funding, explained Melissa Miller, lead author on the study and an invasion ecologist at the UF/IFAS Fort Lauderdale Research and Education Center (UF/IFAS FLREC).

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