University of Florida tests tech for spotting pythons in the Everglades

The University of Florida is testing thermal imaging technology to hunt down Burmese pythons invading the state's Everglades, The Associated Press reports.

Drones would capture the imagery, which would fill a gap between satellite and manned aircraft technology and on-the-ground observations. University researchers have found the snakes regulate temperatures of nests and can be spotted with imaging technology.

Eco-drone technology is likely to see widespread uses after the Federal Aviation Administration cleared drone aircraft for integration in domestic airspace by 2015.

Drones are increasingly being used for the tracking of endangered wildlife, detecting poachers, and charting forest loss in countries such as Indonesia, Nepal and Malaysia. In the United States, eco-drones could be deployed in research missions ranging from counting pygmy rabbit burrows in Idaho to tracking salmon-eating seabirds off the Oregon coast, according to the report.