Big, banned snakes illegally offered for sale
Reticulated pythons can grow to 20 feet
Two reticulated pythons — the longest snake species in the world — were seized after being offered for sale to an undercover officer in the parking lot of a Coral Springs restaurant.
Native to southern Asia, where they take prey as large as monkeys and pigs, reticulated pythons may only be owned in Florida with special permits intended to prevent them from escaping into the wild. The snakes can grow to 20 feet.
The investigation began with a tip that the snakes were listed for sale on Craigslist and faunaclassifieds.com, according to a report from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. An undercover officer met with the seller, Cody Griffin, of Coral Springs, in the parking lot of a TGI Friday’s restaurant.
Griffin showed the officer one of the snakes in a transparent plastic bin in his car. The officer identified himself and read Griffin his rights. Griffin cooperated and agreed to allow the officer to come to his home and see the other snake for sale.
Both snakes, juveniles about 5 feet long, were seized. They were turned over to a licensed facility, according to the wildlife commission.
Reticulated pythons are popular among exotic reptile collectors, with rare “morphs” commanding prices in the thousands of dollars. The state wildlife commission report did not list the prices sought for the two snakes seized. Websites
of python dealers show prices for reticulated pythons ranging from $100 to more than $10,000 for exotic morphs with soughtafter skin patterns.
One snake seized was an albino tiger motley goldenchild reticulated python, and the other was a motley goldenchild het purple reticulated python.
Griffin received six misdemeanor citations for lacking permits, failing to microchip the snakes, not keeping records and other violations. In a response to a text message, he said he didn’t know that what he was doing was illegal and that otherwise he wouldn’t have done it.
Florida banned private ownership of reticulated pythons and other large constricting snakes, except for zoos, licensed dealers and educational institutions, after Burmese pythons established a breeding population in the Everglades,
where they have taken a terrible toll on raccoons, marsh rabbits and other mammals.
Reticulated pythons are classified as “conditional species” and are “considered to be dangerous to the ecology and/or the health and welfare of the people of Florida,” according to the wildlife commission’s website. Although several reticulated pythons have been captured in Florida, the state wildlife service says there’s no evidence that they have established a breeding population. Captured primarily in residential neighborhoods, rather than the Everglades or other wilderness areas, these snakes are thought to be released or escaped pets.
The reticulated python is the longest snake species in the world, but it is not the biggest, since other snakes, such as the green anaconda and Burmese python, can weigh more.