Reptile & Amphibian Forums

WPTV (North Palm Beach, Florida) 22 June 10 Certain pets might be banned - FWC may stop sales of certain species (Glenn Glazer)
Jupiter, Fla: This week, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is meeting in Orlando to discuss making certain reptiles "conditional species."
"A conditional species means that that species cannot be owned or possessed in the state of Florida," said Gabriella Ferraro, FWC Public Information Officer.
And at the heart of the issue, an animal we have all heard a lot about.
"Well, we know the Burmese python is the poster child for this issue," said Ferraro.
But also on the list, certain types of anacondas and monitor lizards.
"We realize now the impact that these animals have had on the environment. Perhaps hindsight is twenty-twenty they should have thought about regulating these animals twenty years ago," said David Hitzig, Executive Director of the Busch Wildlife Sanctuary , Loxahatchee River District.
But along with these new rules there comes a lot of questions; for example, what if you've already had one of these animals as a pet for a long time?
"Anyone that currently owns a Burmese python, and Anaconda, a Nile Monitor Lizard, they may keep that animal for the life of the animal, but after that that's it," said Ferraro.
But with reptile sales already down, how do pet store owners feel about these possible new rules?
"I think of those particular animals it would be a good idea, but only those," said Nancy Pilsen, owner of Splash Landing Pets and Supplies .
Nancy Pilsen is worried about the environmental impact of those animals, but she also doesn't want to see the commission go too far.
"If they don't get carried away with stupidity, I think it's a good idea. But when they want to put a blanket, I've heard that to, that they want to blanket all snakes, all pythons," said Pilsen.
The FWC says it gets the message.
"We don't want to jeopardize peoples livelihood, and certainly their input has been taken into consideration, and they've provided a lot of comments to these new rules," said Ferraro.
Wildlife experts think it's going to take a lot more than stopping sales to get this issue under control.
"But you have to start someplace and that's the reason why they're doing this. They really want to put a squelch on what's been going on out there," said Hitzig.
Certain pets might be banned

you can easily see that this is just the first step, and a lot of these folks want to ban everything. This battle will be on for years ahead. We're in a new age when vigilance and non-stop lobbying will be our only salvation.
-----
Brad Chambers
WWW.HCU-TX.ORG

Breeder of:
Green Tree Pythons
Jungle Carpet Pythons
Pastel, Pinstripe, FIRE, Piebald, Clown, Lavender Albino, Leucistic, and Spider Ball Pythons
Striped Colombian Boa Constrictors
Kenyan, Rufescens, and Conicus Sand Boas
Red Phase Western Hognose Snakes
Spider Western Hognose Snakes
Albino Western Hognose Snakes
Locality Trans-Pecos Mexican Hognose Snakes
Southern Hognose Snakes
Eastern Hognose Snakes
Tricolor Hognose Snakes
Hypo Checkered Garter Snakes
Eastern Blackneck Garter Snakes
Stillwater Hypo Bullsnakes
Patternless Bullsnakes
S. GA Eastern Kingsnakes
Locality Desert Kingsnakes
Albino Desert Kingsnakes
Hypo Desert Kingsnakes
Mexican Black Kingsnakes
Desert Phase, Striped Desert, Newport, and Coastal California Kingsnakes
Locality Mexican Milksnakes
Spotted Mexican Milksnakes
Tangerine Mexican Milksnakes
Locality Alterna
Abbott Okeetee Cornsnakes
Mexican Baird's Ratsnakes
Cape Housesnakes
Tangerine Albino African Fat -Tailed Geckos
Locality Spotted Turtles

you can easily see that this is just the first step, and a lot of these folks want to ban everything.

You mean like New Mexico? "We're not changing the law.." but they're adding a whole lot of species to the (de facto) prohibited list:

"Oh, they're OK as long as you comply with the law..." which is impossible (what vet will certify an animal as being 100% clean of pathogens? And if so, at what price?).
-----
Chris McMartin
www.mcmartinville.com
I'm Not a Herpetologist, but I Play One on the Internet