Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I know things have been crazy with the laws down there. My wife and I have talked about moving down there in a couple years. I am use to living in pa where there are basically no laws regulating them. So whats legal not legal? what needs permits? How hard are different permits to get? Any info at all would be appreciated thanx....
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Tom
0.0.1 California King Snake (booboo)
0.2.1 Sulcata Tortoise (tank, sahara and skittles)
0.0.2 Russian Tortoise (tito and lulu)
0.0.4 Red Ear Sliders (moe, uncle sam, bernie and ernie)
0.0.1 Western Soft shell (Squirt)
1.1.0 Bearded Dragon (marshmellow and Sparkles )
0.0.1 Sumatran Water Monitor (Tiny)
1.0.0 Peachfront Conure (kermit)
0.1.0 Love Bird ( KIKI )
1.2.0 Dog (layla, Roxy and Rosco)
2.2.0 Crazy Cats (babe, sabastian, tinkerbell and sadie)
0.1.0 Lion Head Rabbit (daisy)
0.0.1 Spectacled caiman (wilbert)
0.0.1 Aligator Snapping turtle
0.0.1 Mexican Red Knee Tarantula
1.0.0 Veiled Chameleon
0.0.1 Argentina Black and White Tegu
2.1.0 Columbian Red Tail Boas
1.2.0 Kenya Sand Boas
0.1.0 Green Iguana
1.0.0 Ball Python
1.0.0 Western Hognose Snake
1.0.0 Chocolate Skunk

On the list that you have most of what you have is fine without permits. The caiman requires a class II wildlife permit which if memory serves me well runs about $250 a year. It requires that you have at least 1 year or a 1000 hrs of documentable experience with the species you are applying for which is no problem if you have been keeping the caiman all along. If you are planning to move in a couple of years you should check with fwc and see what they require for documentation of your experience. There are also caging requirements which are not a problem if you are a serious caiman keeper and you need to maintain it on a piece of property that is 2 1/2 acres or larger. As for this latter requirement you will want to live in a rural area anyway and definitely avoid buying within any type of subdivision (of course a 2 1/2 acres this would mean horse communities.) as many of them have draconian deed restrictions which normal people find hard to live with and would most likely have something about larger type exotics like caimans.
There is some sort of a ban on buying normal colored red-eared sliders here in the state due to them being a non-native invasive species, and people who already possessed them prior to the law were grand fathered in to be able to keep the ones they already had. I am unsure about whether or not you can move in with the ones you already have had for years. You would have to check with fwc on moving into the state with yours. I understand the logic of banning the sale of the baby sliders here in the state due to the problem of people buying them and turning them loose later on but over all I think this law is stupid. You can drive around any where here in fl. and catch your own res's and I think this is a hard rule to enforce with adults as they have no proof how long you have had them.
I will address more in my next post.

I believe they have changed the rules on Alligator snapping turtles as well. It used to be you were allowed to keep one per person per household. I believe they have now banned people from acquiring new ones and have grandfathered in those who already have them.
I think they may have a new restriction on skunks as well but I am not sure. You check on fwc's website.
we were thrown under the bus on what are known as reptiles of concern (ROC"S) They had a permit system where if you wanted any species on the list you needed to obtain a permit($100 a year I believe) and have the animals microchipped and a few other requirements involving caging and an evacuation plan.
You are now no longer able to acquire new ROC's The list of ROC's includes burms, retics, african rocks, amethystine pythons, green anacondas and nile monitors.
There is talk of adding black and white tegus to this list and I am sure at some point water monitors will follow.
I would like to take this time to remind you that our state is controlled by the republican party. The party of "more freedom and less government" (their words not mine.). I have an Albanian friend who escaped from Yugoslavia when he was a teen. He loves the America he came to but says America is looking much more like the Soviet Union he escaped from and has said there is more freedom now in Russia. Go figure.