Iguana Invasion

Exotic Pets Gone Wild in Florida

and what to do about them

Squirrel Monkey

Blog

February 22, 2012: The venomous snake next door*

One never knows what the guy next door has for pets. Until the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission comes by and takes them into custody.

Last month, FWC acted on a tip and made a visit to an apartment complex in Boca Raton. The resident in question admitted to housing a number of venomous snakes in his apartment. None were permitted. He also kept a small alligator in his home, which is illegal in the state of Florida. All of the animals were seized; the gator was released into the wild, the snakes taken to a local licensed facility for reptiles.

The list of dangerous reptiles in this South Florida apartment included a Puff Adder (Bitis arietans), a viper that causes the most fatalities from snake bite in Africa. When disturbed, this stout snake will hiss, striking suddenly and at great speed. The venom is extremely potent.

The Boca Raton man also had a Red Spitting Cobra, a gorgeous salmon-red snake from eastern Africa. Survivors from the toxic bite of this reptile can be disfigured from facial numbness. His Uracoan Rattlesnake, a large snake from Venezuela, also packs a poisonous punch. He also owned two False Cobras, hyperaggressive snakes that imitate a cobra when threatened.

Anyone bitten by these snakes would require antivenin from a rescue center with access to just the right cure. Exposure to exotic reptiles can result in a reaction that is difficult to treat if local hospitals do not carry the exact therapy required. This makes collecting rare, venomous snakes a very dangerous hobby. For the collector, his or her family, and the surrounding community. When such pets are registered and licensed, local authorities can keep track of foreign animals in our midst and, hopefully, keep us safe from them.

An apartment hiding a bunch of poisonous snakes and a juvenile American alligator, however, poses a serious threat to public safety. Who wants to live next door to that?

*David Fleshler, "Red-spitting cobra, other venomous snakes seized in Boca Raton," Sun Sentinel, January 25, 2012

January 18, 2012: U.S. bans four constrictor snakes*

Better late than never. On January 17, the federal government finally announced a ban on the import and interstate transportation of Burmese Pythons. This is good news for Floridians. In a state overrun by invasion issues with a variety of non-native animals, residents are tired of reading about locals having close encounters with giant constrictor snakes.

In addition to the Burmese Python, which is flourishing in the Everglades, the U.S. government has outlawed the import and interstate trade of three other species considered high risk for establishing populations in the U.S.: the Northern and Southern African Rock Python, and the Yellow Anaconda. These four species of very large constrictor snakes, their offspring and eggs, can no longer be brought into the U.S. for commercial trade purposes. Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar announced the python ban at a news conference held in the Everglades: "We must do all we can to battle its spread." The new legislation actually received bipartisan support in Congress, a marvel in itself.

Sixty days after the rule is published, the import of these snakes will no longer be legal and transport across state lines will not be allowed. Purchasing these snakes as pets, only to later dump them in Florida, will soon become a thing of the past.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is considering other species that may need to be banned. Boas and Reticulated Pythons are under consideration. Suggestions that would surely please Floridians include Green Anacondas, Nile Monitor Lizards, and iguanas. We have enough exotic species that have taken up residence in our state. It would be a relief to know that some non-native pets are no longer legal here.

*"U.S. to ban invasive snake species," UPI Science News, January 17, 2012; Richard Simon, "Threatened by giant snakes, U.S. will ban import of 4 species," Los Angeles Times, January 17, 2012

November 2, 2011: Python with deer in stomach killed in Everglades*

Last week, officials killed one of the largest pythons ever found in the Florida Everglades. The snake was discovered by python hunters near a known deer trail. The female Burmese python had recently consumed a 76-pound white-tailed deer, and was still digesting the huge meal.

The snake measured between 15 and 16 feet in length, and weighed a whopping 215.4 pounds. After the whole deer was removed from the python's stomach, the python weighed only 139.1 pounds.

This is the second time Florida wildlife officials have found evidence that exotic pythons are consuming native deer. Pythons and other invasive reptiles are a threat to the native wildlife of South Florida. So far, wildlife officials have removed around 1750 pythons from the Everglades. Frank Mazzotti, professor of wildlife ecology and conservation at the University of Florida, estimates that this number is not even ten percent of the total python population currently living--and breeding--in the Everglades.

*Timothy Stenovec, "16-foot python killed in Florida; deer found in stomach," Huffington Post, November 1, 2011; Deborah Netburn, "15-foot python devours 76-pound deer: Is that normal?" Los Angeles Times, November 1, 2011

Website by FCE Web Design

New book:

Iguana Invasion! Exotic Pets Gone Wild in Florida

by Virginia Aronson and Allyn Szejko

Available at your local bookseller, Amazon.com, Barnes&Noble.com, and Pineapple Press.

Book Cover Find out more here.

Click here to view a really cool trailer!