Wes Wolfe
Florida House lawmakers passed a set of proposals that would hike penalties on illegal handling of nonnative venomous reptiles.
The aim is to curtail the number of pythons and similar creatures escaping into the wilderness.
HB 1161 sets the penalties for knowingly releasing, or letting escape through gross negligence, a nonnative reptile of concern to a Level Three violation. Knowingly releasing or letting escape through gross negligence a venomous reptile would be a Level Four violation.
The subject of snakes tends to put legislators in a humorous mood, and they asked bill sponsor and DeFuniak Springs Republican Rep. Shane Abbott about including the jaguarundi.
“We did mention it at once (to state wildlife officials), and I know there are several members here that are very intrigued by the jaguarundi, and I would love to utilize my newly found relationship with FWC to maybe pursue that during the summertime,” Abbott said as the bill received second reading.
Meanwhile, Merritt Island Republican Rep. Tyler Sirois jokingly professed his belief in a “lock ’em up” attitude toward all snakes. Abbott said that while growing up on a farm, he was a fan of how some snakes kept the barn free of vermin.
Florida’s six native venomous reptiles are all snakes — the pygmy rattlesnake, the eastern diamondback rattlesnake, the timber rattlesnake, cottonmouths, copperheads and the eastern coral snake.
Timber rattlesnakes and copperheads are found only in the Panhandle, while the other snakes are seen throughout the state, except for some places in the Keys.
Reptile keepers expressed concern that lack of a nonnative specification with the venomous reptile language would put needed work at risk. That led to subsequent amendments to both the Senate bill (SB 1266) and the House version to include that language.
The bills also come during tensions between the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) and the reptile keeper community, following the killing of nearly three dozen pythons and a pet boa constrictor on April 6, which is the subject of an ongoing investigation.
However, a reptile keepers’ organization is against the bills, especially regarding the term gross negligence. Dania Beach Democratic Rep. Hillary Cassel asked Abbott how he defined the term.
“Gross negligence would be mishandling or misappropriation of how you store those animals,” Abbott said, “in a way that would allow them to get free.”
The bill sets penalties for knowingly releasing, or letting escape through gross negligence, a nonnative reptile of concern to a Level Three violation. Knowingly releasing or letting escape through gross negligence a venomous reptile would be a Level Four violation.
Level Four violations are punishable by a fine of up to $5,000 and/or a term of imprisonment of no longer than five years. Level Three violations can result in a fine of up to $1,000 and a prison term of up to a year if it’s the first such violation within the last 10 years.
If it’s a Level Three violation within 10 years of a similar or worse violation, the penalties also include a $750 mandatory minimum fine and revocation of the offender’s license or permit.
“Newer invasive reptiles tend to be large-bodied lizards and snakes,” according to a House staff analysis. “They are relatively early maturing prolific breeders, are predators of vertebrate prey, and thrive in a wide range of habitats.
“These newer invasive reptiles were mostly introduced through the pet trade and included the Burmese python, black spiny-tailed iguana, Argentine black and white tegu, and Nile monitor.”
Should you have reason to seek out and acquire a venomous reptile, there is a permitting process in place through FWC. To qualify, applicants must be at least 18 years old and hold no violations of wildlife or animal crimes including no violations of animal importation laws within the past three years.
People also need at least one year of “substantial practical experience in caring for creatures in the same biological family as the species listed in the application.
Additional permits are required to import nonnative venomous reptiles and the selling of any venomous reptile.
One comment
Dont Say FLA
April 21, 2023 at 8:04 am
Pretty sure I commented equating the GOP with the venomous reptile trade, but alas that comment is not here. Hmm. Maybe I did not correctly identify enough crosswalks motorcycles stairs bridges or busses. I can’t hardly even see what the images are, and whenever it tells me to click the new images I do exactly that every single time and it tells me to try again. It tells me click next when there are no more. I do that, and then it adds more. The human validation thing in use here is hideously terrible, EPA jokes aside.
Comments are closed.