UF researchers use AI smart traps to catch invasive tegu reptiles

HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. - University of Florida researchers are using AI technology to trap an invasive reptile species to protect native wildlife.

The backstory:

There are more than 60 invasive reptile species in Florida, including the Argentine Black and White Tegu. This large lizard, native to South America, can grow up to five feet long.

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There's a wild population of them in Hillsborough County.

"They can outcompete and eat our native species," said Melissa Miller, a wildlife biologist with the University of Florida Fort Lauderdale Research and Education Center. "We're finding out more recently that they can carry parasites and pathogens that can spread to our native wildlife."

What we know:

Miller is using AI smart traps to capture the lizards, so she can study them.

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Developed by Wild Vision Systems, the traps can be operated remotely. Photos of tegus and other animals are input into the system, so the model can detect the lizards. Using a camera and a web application, the trapper receives a phone notification once a tegu is captured.

"We deployed them in St. Lucie County, where we compared them head-to-head with traditional or non-smart traps," said Miller. "The results of the study show that they reduce by-catch by 94% and reduce labor costs by 87%."

Big picture view:

Miller hopes to get the traps into the hands of not only natural resource managers, but homeowners as well, so they can help manage the invasive species on their properties.

What's next:

In addition, she hopes the traps can be adapted for other invasive species like iguanas and Nile monitors.

"We have the only Everglades in the world that exist in our backyard," she said. "Protecting our native wildlife is the ultimate goal of the research."