Opossums Found Eating Burmese Pythons In Florida, Surprising Scientists

A surprising discovery in Florida's Everglades has wildlife biologists buzzing: opossums are preying on invasive Burmese pythons. Researchers documented multiple cases this month of the marsupials consuming young pythons, flipping the script on expected predator-prey relationships in the region.

The findings, published April 28 in the Journal of Wildlife Management, challenge assumptions about Florida's ecosystem dynamics. Burmese pythons, which can grow over 18 feet long, have devastated native species since becoming established in the 1980s. But the humble opossum appears to be fighting back.

"We've never seen native mammals successfully prey on pythons before," said lead researcher Dr. Sarah Funck of the University of Florida. "Opossums seem to be targeting juveniles under six feet long. It's a small but meaningful check on python populations."

The discovery comes as Florida ramps up its python eradication efforts. Over 20,000 snakes have been removed since 2000, but the invasive species continues to spread. State wildlife officials called the opossum findings "encouraging" but cautioned that marsupials alone won't solve the python problem.

Social media erupted with memes and jokes after the study went viral Wednesday. Many Americans are cheering for the underdog opossum, with #TeamPossum trending on Twitter. Wildlife experts warn against viewing this as a simple solution, noting that pythons still consume far more opossums than vice versa.

Researchers plan to expand their observations this summer to determine how widespread the behavior is. The discovery highlights how ecosystems can sometimes produce unexpected checks on invasive species without human intervention.