In my State The FWC or Florida Wildlife Commission has created WMAs or Wildlife Management Areas, these are typicaly the largest areas of Unurbanized Lands available (All Snakes last standing ground!) and also where the NON native Spanish Hog is allowed to feast on large and small Snakes and their Eggs at will, these Hogs sence of smell is known to be 500 times greater than that of a Dogs, which brings to mind the phrase I keep repeating ...that "The Snakes Don't Stand A Chance!" in Florida. Not to mention what is being done to combat the Fireant or Cogongrass, Major Roadways that penetrate these WMAs don't even have at least Siltscreen for Barriers. My 20 years in the field as a Class III Collector have throughly convinced me that "The Snakes numbers in Florida are declining at a rate of 0 to 60 MPH and started in the 1950's" If I had to guess where we were right now I'd say approaching 55 MPH, Time is short either Kill off the Ferral Pigs or Take HUGE advantage of the numerous Citizens qualified by Passion and Experience only (No Certificate Required!) Maybe just register with the FWC as Breeders, ...but these Citizens like myself would more than happy to feed and breed the Indigo and Pinesnake... and out of my own pocket all year long! and I further still would NOT have a problem with NOT being allowed to sell these animals, all hatched would or could be registered and donated to Zoos and Parks and other Enthusiast. Imagine seeing abundant Indigos for the first time in Florida Parks and another Park could have Pinesnakes and Diamondbacks and no indigos, ...but I also want to state that it is my profound belief that releasing native snakes into New Designated Lands IS actually VERY viable and that the Officals at the FWC have truly in-sufficiant Data showing Desease speading and could have asked Breeders whom have mated wild snakes to other localities for years without problems and ask people like me whom have seen the Eastern Coachwhip disappear on Beaches and been Replenished by a few clutches of a different locality (years before it was illegal) submit! and it might take a miracle! because time is short if we all stopped catching wild snakes right now in twenty years from now all we will have will be albinos or some morph with eight eyes and two heads because of all the crossing going on right now, or on the other hand we could have many Breeders pumping out native snakes for all the Parks and places where nature is way out of balance. Personally I'd kill off all wild boar and let the snake breeders go nuts! but the State want's Revenue/Funds from the Hog Hunters and from permit holders like me, but after issuing my permit I'm told I can't collect anywhere but on Private lands...so I have to treaspass? to make a liven...? sorry FWC and Mr.Rodney Barreto no disrespect but are we thinking like a Baby Boomer, I have good intentions and one other thing Mr. Barreto, the folks that do breed snakes out of passion for fear of loosing them are not the type of folks that need to be governed by a law implicated to insure survival of the species that they breed, and if you could ask the snake he'd say I'm with Joe... sincerley, Joe Bernardo Sarasota, Florida. "Perhaps we should be amazed not that the snakes are disappearing but that the snakes are still here at all!"
