1:10 A.M. — A Southwest Florida legislator's bill to ban ownership of several reptile species may be the beginning of the end for the state's reptile industry, critics say.

State Rep. Trudi Williams, R-Fort Myers, introduced HB 709, which would ban the ownership of green anacondas, Burmese and three other python species, Nile monitor lizards and "any other reptile designated as a reptile of concern by the (Fish and Wildlife Conservation) Commission."

The last addition is what concerns Fort Myers reptile breeder and wholesaler Chris McQuade the most.

"I think this is just the beginning," said McQuade, owner of Gulf Coast Reptiles Inc. "I think they would really like to ban all constrictors."

Concern over the large snakes, which can reach 20 feet long, has grown as escaped and released animals have taken hold in the wild.

Adding fuel to the ban is the death last year of a Sumter County 2-year-old who was killed by a family pet, a Burmese python.

For the past two years, owners of the listed species have had to obtain a permit from the state and pay an annual $100 licensing fee. Williams, who did not return calls for comment, has said existing permit holders would be allowed to keep their animals.

The commission's list of "reptiles of concern" - developed by state biologists - is identical to the list of species in the bill.

McQuade said the ban wouldn't have a dramatic impact on his sales because the listed snakes are a very small part of his inventory. But he fears other species like ball pythons could be added to the list.

He said he feels a kinship with the National Rifle Association and its efforts to oppose gun control legislation.

"I don't think there is any reason to ban responsible ownership of anything," McQuade said. "That's why the NRA fights everything that comes across its desk, because if you give up on just one thing, it escalates and you lose everything before you know it."

Henry Cabbage, spokesman for the wildlife commission, said biologists have only listed species that have demonstrated a threat to native species and the ecology. Cape Coral's Nile monitor population, for example, preys on native birds, frogs, lizards, turtles and their eggs.
"There are a lot of other non-native species out there that aren't on that list because they don't pose a particular danger to wildlife," Cabbage said.

But that doesn't reassure Zelph Ridgeway, owner of Ridgeway Reptiles in Port Charlotte.

"If this bill passes, it is pretty much going to shut down everyone who is a breeder," said Ridgeway, who raises 50 different species, including all of those listed in the bill.

He estimated the ban on the pythons alone will cost him 50 percent of his annual sales.

"It's getting down to the point the only people who are going to have any animals are the people working in zoos," Ridgeway said.

As a breeder, Ridgeway said he goes against some of his colleagues by supporting efforts by U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Florida, to ban imports of large constrictors.

"If we could get rid of these cheap imports, it could solve a lot of problems," Ridgeway said.

A domestically raised python can cost as much as $300 depending on its coloring. Imported snakes of ordinary coloration go for about $50, he said.

Jeff Hornsby, whose family has owned the Pet Kingdom store in Fort Myers for nearly 30 years, said he worries that the number of listed species will grow quickly and dramatically.

"If you give them seven species, they are going to want 10 more," Hornsby said. "They are unfairly targeting reptiles because there is a lot of ignorance and lack of education out there."

Hornsby said his store hasn't sold pythons for more than 10 years, but says they remain popular among enthusiasts who can responsibly care for them.

"They really are a lifelong commitment," he said.
www.news-press.com/article/20100323/BUSINESS/3230327/Southwest-Florida-reptile-sales-to-slither-away

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