An exploration of modeling the spread of the Burmese python, Python mourus

Background/Question/Methods and Results/Conclusions

The development of an agent-based GIS model was attempted to fully understand the expansion of the python population. Relevant ethnological and physiological data on the pythons was evaluated and used to develop a model. As a small, undergraduate institution without large computing power or large sets of data, we relied on publicly available data and open source software. Overall, the project was a valuable learning experience on which New College students can continue to build an improved model as better data and programs become available.