Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Is it true?? Although obviously intoduced, I heard that burms are now considered a native Florida snake and it is llegal to collect them from the glades. Any validity to this statement?
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2 tham radix
1 Chicago Tham s. semifasciatus
2 elaphe vulpina
1 gray tiger salamander
4 Aphonopelma hentzi
1 G rosea
1 Haplo minax
1 Brachy angustum
1 Brachy sabulosum
1 Brachy vagans
1 Cent. hentzi scorp

As far as I know...Burms are considered invasive and will never be considered a native species.

The only place in FL they are illegal to collect from the wild is in Everglades National Park and any other national or state park. Everything in these parks is protected: animal species plant species, pine cones, sea shells, rocks, dirt, leaves. Nothing can be taken out of there for personal reasons.

If you see one crawling across the road in Ft. Lauderdale on unprotected property...have at it!

Although you can't take them out of state parks, when found they are shot on site. (as far as I know) I don't think these animals are adopted out.
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John Light

Hit post to fast, the rangers do the shooting.
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John Light

and absolutely no one else...

thank you for the input.
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2 tham radix
1 Chicago Tham s. semifasciatus
2 elaphe vulpina
1 gray tiger salamander
4 Aphonopelma hentzi
1 G rosea
1 Haplo minax
1 Brachy angustum
1 Brachy sabulosum
1 Brachy vagans
1 Cent. hentzi scorp

I just wish they would stop repeating that it was irresponsible owners releasing unwanted pets that has caused this problem. They admit the pythons have not spread up into Broward County yet, so we are suppose to believe that every kid who got tired of their python drove way the frig down to south Dade County to release the thing instead of just releasing it right down the street? Did the people from Palm Beach County drive to the Everglades too? Did everybody in the whole state drive down to the Everglades? What rubbish. They got loose after Hurricane Andrew when a dealer got destroyed. No one has ever been seen, reported, charged or known to have released a Burmese Python in the Everglades. Where are all the boas? The Ball pythons? If the story were true of irresponsible pet owners, these things would show up in every patch of woods wherever these animals have been sold throughout the country.

Naw...only the pet owners close to the Everglades release their pythons. Everyone else is responsible and keeps them.

If they reported the truth, it would be so boring...where's the ratings and advertising money in that?!

Sorry...I must be in a mood this morning. I need another cup of coffee.

Actually the DNA of these snakes show that out of 157 tested all but two are likely from the same snakes. This clearly indicates that few people turn their snakes loose in the Glades. Also only after Huricane Andrew [6-8 years after] was it discovered that there is a self sustaining population of Burmese in the Glades. In a nutshell it is unknown if the population was started by a natural disater or intentional releases. If they were started by intentional releases it wasn't a LOT of pet owners that did it but likely only one person who had created all this hoopla and trouble for everyone else....thanks
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Tom Crutchfield
www.tomcrutchfield.com

do you know who did this study indicating the burms originated from only a handful.thx
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