Abandoned Burms endangering Everglades

[Edwin]

Link:
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/southflorida/sfl-cbigsnake13may13,0,5372036.story

[sapphire_moon]

or maybe tests should be given out in the pet stores and from breeders and have to have a certain percentage to pass and get a giant python?

Jeeze, it's idiots like that, that make it hard for everyone.

[Vengeance]

I don't see anything wrong with implementing permits for larger breed pythons. They are a HUGE responsibility and it would deter people from just walking into the store, buy them, and then abandoned them when they were done with them. It shouldn't be as hard as getting a venomus permit, but if something was in place it would help with the problem.

[daver676]

I'm definatley in favour of restrictions/permits of large pythons. It's better to keep the smaller ones then none at all...

[Yness]

I definitely agree...another blow to herp community

[Syco]

I would just like to know where they are finding 6" Ball Pythons! :D
Honestly though, I have to agree that there should be some kind of licensing requirement on snakes as large as Burms, I don't really see a problem with Boas, but most people can't provide the space that a Burm requires.

[Cruciform]

One of the problems with advocating licensing is that is costs money. It's cheaper for the politicians to say "Let's just ban it outright, since we're only going to anger a very small minority."
Then there's very little administration cost, except for that spent collecting fines, and no liability to the city because they don't condone it in any way.

[marisa]

Yeah but even with the costs they would have to put out, they could recoup some of them by charging fines, and charging to just get the permit in the first place.

Frankly, I wouldn't mind seeing Burmese and Retics not sold at all to the general public. I do not see how someone "must have" a 20 foot long snake. Period.

Marisa

[Vengeance]

Well considering that there is already a licence program in place for Venomus reptiles, allot of the inital setup and Administration is already done. They can take the system setup for that project, clone it, and just changes to rules required to get a licence.

[Cruciform]

It doesn't work that way. The amount of snake owners would have to be large enough to have a politicial impact within the community.

Typically this is not the case, and the ignorance and fear of snakes wins out.

Everyone I've approached in this town about removing the snake ban either won't get involved, or, in the case of town council, won't return messages.

We have no lobby group, and no real organization. Without that, any attempt to steer the bureaucrats toward licensing is just drawing attention to the fact that we keep these "horrible creatures".

[condabroad]

in our town they are trying to pass a law that you have to have a permit for each exotic animal you have and each permit costs $5000. Who has that kind of money especially if you are the good guys and taking in animals that people abandon. However I do agree that not just anybody should be able to buy some of these animals.Especially when they don't know the commitment the animals need.

[Vengeance]

$5000 a animal seems a little outregous.

[Derrick]

yep I always wonder what happens to all the large boids that are sold. I'm guessing a lot of people begin to wonder what the hell they got themselves into when the snakes hit 10-14 feet. I think some sort of permit should be inorder.

[crimsonking]

The reason I do not keep large snakes is exactly that. I'm sure I'd end up trying to breed them and if successful, I'd need to move the little ones out. I could not/would not feel comfortable with just "anybody" getting one. I mean, a novice keeper or household with small children are risks I'd rather not be a part of. There is always the chance of an escape too. We've had several make the news here in Tampa. How would you insure yourself against a big snake killing/eating your neighbor's little pomeranian?? Sheesh! I cringe when I see some people that I know (in my opinion) haven't a clue buying a baby burmese or retic. Snake and owner are both going to lose. All that said, I just picked up an adult iguana that had been roaming free in St. Pete. Another "throwaway" animal. It's too bad. The big animals always get the bad press anyway, and when it comes time for gov't to act, we're all lumped together as "crazy reptile owners" or such.
I have heard of some Burmese in the 'glades and a few ball pythons as well farther north in central FL.
hmmmm.....
:Mark

[Lisa]

From what i've heard it's legal for you to go and catch any non native species. If i was in florida i'd be out grabbing all the non native species and trying to sell them to people in the northern states where they wouldn't be as big an issue if they escaped. can you imagine a burm trying to deal with snow?

[672]

Whoa, Lisa, I might be taking that post kinda weird here, but are you saying that you'd like to sell them up north so if they escape they might freeze to death, do you want them to die or something???:confused: