Well, if you live in Florida like I do, you could get a double wammy. I hate to say this, but even if the federal legislation doesn't pass, I think this one will. I hope not, but we will have to wait and see.
Here is the link, or click lick at the bottom.
http://www.news-press.com/article/20100323/BUSINESS/3230327/Southwest-Florida-reptile-sales-to-slither-away
Southwest Florida reptile
sales to slither away
House bill would ban ownership of exotics
By Tim Engstrom • tengstrom@news-press.com
• March 23, 2010
1:10 A.M. — A Southwest Florida legislator's bill to
ban ownership of several reptile species may be the
beginning of the end for the state's reptile industry,
critics say.
State Rep. Trudi Williams, R-Fort Myers, introduced
HB 709, which would ban the ownership of green
anacondas, Burmese and three other python
species, Nile monitor lizards and "any other reptile
designated as a reptile of concern by the (Fish and
Wildlife Conservation) Commission."
The last addition is what concerns Fort Myers reptile
breeder and wholesaler Chris McQuade the most.
"I think this is just the beginning," said McQuade,
owner of Gulf Coast Reptiles Inc. "I think they would
really like to ban all constrictors."
Concern over the large snakes, which can reach 20
feet long, has grown as escaped and released
animals have taken hold in the wild.
Adding fuel to the ban is the death last year of a
Sumter County 2-year-old who was killed by a
family pet, a Burmese python.
For the past two years, owners of the listed species
have had to obtain a permit from the state and pay
an annual $100 licensing fee. Williams, who did not
return calls for comment, has said existing permit
holders would be allowed to keep their animals.
The commission's list of "reptiles of concern" -
developed by state biologists - is identical to the
list of species in the bill.
McQuade said the ban wouldn't have a dramatic
impact on his sales because the listed snakes are a
very small part of his inventory. But he fears other
species like ball pythons could be added to the list.
He said he feels a kinship with the National Rifle
Association and its efforts to oppose gun control
legislation.
"I don't think there is any reason to ban responsible
ownership of anything," McQuade said. "That's why
the NRA fights everything that comes across its
desk, because if you give up on just one thing, it
escalates and you lose everything before you know
it."
Henry Cabbage, spokesman for the wildlife
commission, said biologists have only listed
species that have demonstrated a threat to native
species and the ecology. Cape Coral's Nile monitor
population, for example, preys on native birds,
frogs, lizards, turtles and their eggs.
"There are a lot of other non-native species out
there that aren't on that list because they don't pose
a particular danger to wildlife," Cabbage said.
But that doesn't reassure Zelph Ridgeway, owner of
Ridgeway Reptiles in Port Charlotte.
"If this bill passes, it is pretty much going to shut
down everyone who is a breeder," said Ridgeway,
who raises 50 different species, including all of
those listed in the bill.
He estimated the ban on the pythons alone will cost
him 50 percent of his annual sales.
"It's getting down to the point the only people who
are going to have any animals are the people
working in zoos," Ridgeway said.
As a breeder, Ridgeway said he goes against some
of his colleagues by supporting efforts by U.S. Sen.
Bill Nelson, D-Florida, to ban imports of large
constrictors.
"If we could get rid of these cheap imports, it could
solve a lot of problems," Ridgeway said.
A domestically raised python can cost as much as
$300 depending on its coloring. Imported snakes of
ordinary coloration go for about $50, he said.
Jeff Hornsby, whose family has owned the Pet
Kingdom store in Fort Myers for nearly 30 years,
said he worries that the number of listed species
will grow quickly and dramatically.
"If you give them seven species, they are going to
want 10 more," Hornsby said. "They are unfairly
targeting reptiles because there is a lot of ignorance
and lack of education out there."
Hornsby said his store hasn't sold pythons for more
than 10 years, but says they remain popular among
enthusiasts who can responsibly care for them.
"They really are a lifelong commitment," he said.
Sheila McQuade, with Gulf Coast Reptiles Inc., a reptile breeder and wholesaler, handles an adult granite Burmese python Thursday at their location in east Fort Myers.
A juvenile Biak Island green tree python, one the exotic species of reptiles at Gulf Coast Reptiles Inc., hangs on a tree branch Thursday.
A juvenile Aru Island green tree python rests its head on its coils Thursday. A legislator's bill would ban the sale and ownership of "any ... reptile designated as a reptile of concern by the FWC Commission."
Reptiles of concern
•Indian or Burmese python (Python molurus)
•Reticulated python (Python reticulatus)
•African rock python (Python sebae)
•Amethystine or Scrub python (Morelia amethistinus)
•Green anaconda (Eunectes murinus)
•Nile monitor (Varanus niloticus)
Link
