A couple of additional comments. I used to work for USFWS and still know quite a few folks there. I can't recall meeting anyone at the operating field levels who felt keeping exotic snakes should be prohibited. Most of them got there because they are fascinated by wildlife and care about it. They keep pets including reptiles, they take trips to see exotics, they care about native species protection. Most of the are more concerned with established feral species...cats, dogs, pigs, goats, insects, weeds. Weeds and some of the others are dealt with on a species and location level as they should be. If USFWS is petitioned by ANYONE about issues under their authority such as importation of exotic species they MUST respond whether they agree personally or not. Don't blame the messenger. Get to the root of the problem and give them the tools to face it down. Maybe the 100 year climate change maps show that a feral snake species will spread, maybe not. It doesn't matter what you believe. Make the case that such a ban isn't warranted NOW to address a possibility a long way off. And, that regulation of species should be specific and adaptive...change it as needed.

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