Burmese Pythons Climb Trees in Winter Months

An eight-year USGS-led tracking study of 356 Burmese pythons in Big Cypress National Preserve documented tree use across seasons.

Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in Reptiles

Burmese Pythons Climb Trees in Winter Months

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Should governments spend more money trying to remove invasive pythons from Florida?

Scientists tracking 356 Burmese pythons in Big Cypress National Preserve from 2017 to 2024 found the snakes climbing trees more often during cooler winter months. The findings were drawn from radio telemetry data containing more than 4,000 observations.

Why it matters

Florida's invasive python population is difficult to detect, and documenting where and when the snakes use vegetation helps clarify their habitat behavior in the state. Understanding these patterns may inform how researchers monitor pythons across Florida.

Radio telemetry tracking of 356 pythons (188 adults, 168 juveniles) from 2017 to 2024 recorded more than 4,000 observations, with fewer than 3% involving snakes in trees or shrubs. One adult male was recorded at seven metres high, and researchers estimate detection probability for an individual python is below 5%.

The players

U.S. Geological Survey (USGS)

The USGS is the science agency of the U.S. Department of the Interior that led the scientific research tracking the pythons in this study.

Big Cypress National Preserve

Big Cypress National Preserve is a protected federal area in southern Florida that serves as the site where the pythons were tracked.

The details

Researchers used radio telemetry to record python locations and habitat choices across the tracking period. In January 2022 a male was seen basking on a coastal plain willow branch about 2.5 metres up, and in February 2022 an adult male was located on a Brazilian peppertree roughly five metres above ground.

- 2017 to 2024: Tracking period for the 356 pythons in Big Cypress National Preserve.
- December and January: Peak months for python tree use in the tracking records.
- January 2022: Male python observed basking on a willow branch about 2.5 metres high.
- February 2022: Adult male located on a peppertree about five metres above ground.

Roadmap

The USGS Florida Python Research Program has tracked Burmese pythons in the Everglades region to understand the species' spread through Florida. This eight-year dataset adds detail on how pythons use vegetation across seasons within that ongoing effort.

Residents across Florida who spot a Burmese python should report it to state wildlife authorities rather than attempting to handle it. The study's findings that pythons use branches and shrubs may help people recognize where snakes could be hiding.

The takeaway

Pythons use trees more often during cooler months, so checking branches and shrubs in winter may be part of spotting them. Detection is difficult, since the study estimates the chance of finding any individual python is below 5 percent.