TALLAHASSEE (CBS4)
Hunting pythons is not the only step Floridians are taking to curb the state's snake problem. The Florida Association of Counties has sent a letter to the state Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission asking for changes in the way Florida regulates pet snakes.
A suggested plan would allow counties to keep a registry of homes that have pythons and other restricted animals inside.
Right now, people who own pythons and venomous snakes are required to get a permit from the state. Counties want the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to share that information with local governments.
The group says it's been working the past couple of years with the state on such a plan; the issue drew new interest after a python kept as a pet strangled a 2-year-old girl in Central Florida earlier this month.
Association spokeswoman Cragin Mosteller said the death of the toddler in Sumter County highlights the importance of having state and local governments working together on the regulation of dangerous species.
"What we'd like to see is before that permit is ever issued, making sure that it's issued in an area that's appropriate and that first responders are aware that it's there."
Mosteller says an incident in South Florida in 2007 is a prime example of why it's important for first responders to know where those animals are located.
"Firefighters rushed into a warehouse and the warehouse was on fire. They rushed in to make sure that everyone was OK, that no one was in the building, and they tumbled upon a warehouse full of venomous snakes. And so what we say is first responders need to know what they're walking into."
A spokeswoman for the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission says the state is willing to talk about sharing the information.
http://cbs4.com/local/python.snake.pet.2.1095177.html
