Florida's New Law For Exotic Pet Owners

Florida's New Law For Exotic Pet Owners





In
January Florida's new exotic pet laws come into force. A $100 permit
fee and state wildlife agency inspections should be expected for owners
of the more exotic reptiles such as Nile monitors. State legislators
estimate there could be anywhere from 3,000 to 5,000 animals affected.

The
new laws regulate the possession of six reptile species labeled as
"reptiles of concern". Owners are required to have microchips implanted
into their pets for identification purposes. Because many exotic
reptile species can freely adapt to the local Florida environment, wild
breeding populations can freely arise - causing problems for native
wildlife. A breeding population of pythons has been found in Everglades
National Park and the Nile monitors have established territory in Cape
Coral on Florida's West coast.

The reptile species affected
are Burmese pythons, reticulated pythons, African rocky pythons,
amethystine or scrub pythons, green anacondas and Nile monitors. The
legislation also now requires permits for red-eared slider turtles,
makes it illegal to allow them to reproduce, and requires all eggs to
be destroyed. The turtles have been widely available in pet stores for
years but were interbreeding with native species. Anyone who owned such
turtles prior to July 1, 2007, doesn't need a permit for them.

From
now, anyone wishing to own one of the species in question must be at
least 18 years old, complete a questionnaire, apply for a state permit,
comply with new caging requirements and pay a $100 annual fee. The
animal also must be inserted with a microchip for identification
purposes by July 1. Failure to comply is a misdemeanor offense
punishable by a fine up to $500 and 60 days in jail.

This has got the reptile community in an absolute tizzy here. The rumors are flying and no one can get straight answers from F&W. Currently all reptile owners are supposed to have their Class III license, which is $50 a year. The if you have anything on the ROC list, its another $100 yearly registration IF you answer the 3-page questionaire correctly, AND $65 microchipping fee, AND another $95 to $150 chip activation fee, AND annual chip charge.
(But the brain-dead idiots next door can have 7 pitbulls that they let run loose and its just fine)

This is all for animals which, according to rumors will be made illegal to even own soon. Hence why alot of reptile owners are very nervous about registering anything.

On one side of the coin; If the animals are registered, even under a Class III license (which cover smaller snakes, like ball pythons, etc), when the ax drops and all constrictor breed snakes are made illegal, F&W knows right where to go to start confiscating them and fining the owners.
On the other side; If owners are not registering their animals and F&W finds out about them, they can come in and confiscate the animals and fine the owners.

Its a no-win situation.

Hubby wants to just move out of FL, which is starting to sound better and better.

well that would sound like a good reason to move its crazy but they tryed to pass a simular law here in wv and they failed becouse no one wants to get there home invaded so yeah i can see why you would want to move

I wont move!! They will have to get my shottgun away from me first lol,'Not so lol'. They will have more trouble trying to enforce such a stupid law anyway./ bell they don't know where illeagle aliens live how the heck they gonna find a snake or other 'endangered critter'Personally I think they just want another excuse to charge $$ for anything they can think of. Thats why the state is called """FLORIDUH"" I say all turtles ,snakes, Zards of all sizes unite and shove some chips up some politicians anal cavaty, freakin jerks!!Don't pee off a Bi-Polar reptile owner for sure,the dummies let me own guns and I really wouldn't mind showing them some GUN LUV lol.I ain't movin I love Florida.And as yall know I can get crazy on them lol. So long and short of it they got to find the critters first and I'm not tellin. they can bite me, Yours truely one crazy half breed

I love it when tom says the thinking part!!
It is an incredibly stupid law and I don't forsee it going anywhere. Legislation will have one helluva fight on their hands.
I have this philosophy that if they are going to take me to jail for anything regarding my animals, I may as well make it count. I wouldn't go quietly. Possession of illegal constrictors would be the least of my charges... *HOKA HEY!*

So, bi-polar, gun owner Tom; This pissed-off Lakota Sioux that doesn't know how to keep her mouth shut will be right by your side.

The reports are all out. Scientific data proving that 98% of all burmese pythons captured in the Everglades are genetically related and were established as a direct result from Hurricane Andrew destroying the Miami Zoo.
We lived through Hurricane Charlie a few years ago. There were a couple instances of people finding an exotic snake in their yards after the storm, which of course, was highly publicized. Anything written about the cats and dogs displaced? Not a word. They were out there, but not nearly as "noteworthy" you know?

I have 2 burms. Would they like me to take away from their food bill to register them? $200 a year to keep them legal. Thats almost 4 months of food for them!

Now I'm just in a rambling frenzy... Sorry folks... this stuff just makes me so flustered.

Well A Lakota Sioux and A crazy Sennaca And a bunch of crazy reptiles Unite for 'The Cause'.Seriously I can't even imagine them envorce ing such an assinine law. Just a bunch of beauricrates with nothin to do but sit on their butts and try to think of ways to piss of the good peeps in the state. It's the good reptile people that this would hurt, but did they ever think of all the exotic Pet stores or breeders that are living and paying 'their' taxes. I am convinced th critters have more sensc than OUR elected officials, bell they can't even count votes in this state, so I doubt those buttheads could run this program of theirs. WHAT a waste of time up in Tallassehee. There are much more pressing issues in this state. What a waste! oh yeah I got a lot of crasy old rednecks that would love to cause trouble lol. All us 'old hippies were not all Peacefull all the time REMBER the convention in Chicago in the sisties. The dems learned not to piss off the hippies, we can be a great force,we stopped Viet Nam didn't we.