Reptile keepers balk at new invasive species rules
Commission proposing tighter regulations
GAINESVILLE— Kayla Young loves reptiles, but she might love the look they put on children’s faces even more.
First fear, then curiosity. Surprise when they discover snakes aren’t slimy, like they thought. Best of all, Young said, is when a child touches a reptile’s smooth, scaly armor for the first time. A beast akin to a dinosaur becomes amarvel.
“Their eyes light up,” Young said. “Educating children is what’s going to drive the future in changing people’s perspective on reptiles.”
She and her husband own NKS Reptiles inJacksonville, whichhas 28 species of reptiles and amphibians fromtree frogs to tegu lizards and Burmese pythons. Like other reptile keepers in Florida, Young said educating the public about reptiles and why some people shouldn’townthemaspets is akey part of theirwork.
Now, the Florida FishandWildlife Conservation Commission is proposing tighter regulations on invasive reptiles. Reptile breeders, exhibitors and shop owners said they threaten the nature of their business, including public education about species. A vote is expected in December.
The proposals would place on the prohibited species list all species of tegus, a type of large lizard, and green iguanas. That means no one in Floridawould be allowedto own, sell or breedthem except for limited licensees, such as zoos.
They also would prohibit invasive reptiles currently listed as conditional species, from rules passed in 2008. Some of these are rampant in Florida — including the notorious Burmese python, a proliferating predator in EvergladesNational Park.
The commission said the rules would limit the release and potential establishment of invasive reptiles. In a report evaluating estimated costs of the rules, the agency cited the ecological impacts of iguanas, tegus and Nile monitors: disturbing nesting sites, destroying seawalls, preying on native species and consuming or disturbing gopher tortoises,
a state-designated threatened species.
The move would eliminate listed snakes and lizards from the conditional species list, which the reptile industry said has been successful. Over a decade, there have been 35 documented citations for conditional species violations and 142warnings, according to commission data.
The industry said a blanket ban on such species isn’t fair to those who have followed the state’s requirements for the past decade.
“We don’t fail inspections. We don’t let our animals loose. There’s neverbeen any kind of issues,” said Chantz Chick, owner of Gator City Reptiles and Hogtown Reptile Shop in Gainesville.
People who trade in reptiles disagree with lumping nine species into the same prohibited
category.
“The approach to dealing with the wild population of iguanas and tegus, especially here in Florida, andBurmesepythons, should be a completely separate item fromthe regulation or banning ofcommercial industries,” said Michael Cole, secretary for the U.S. Association of Reptile Keepers Florida, a nonprofit group that advocates for private ownership and sales of reptiles and amphibians.
Theysaid it couldworsen Florida’sproblemwith invasive reptiles by limiting public education and encouraging some owners to release animals to avoid penalties.
“There kind of has to be amass, concentrated release of a species in order for it to become established,” said Phil Goss, president of the national U.S. Association of Reptile Keepers. “Unfortunately,
there are random escapes or releases of pets, but those aren’t going to establish colonies or invasive breeding populations.”
Sellers acknowledged the industry’s less-than-perfect track record. Although many reptile owners contributed to Florida’s current problems with irresponsible practices, Chick said, today’s generation helps keep thosepopulations in check.
“In the ‘70s or ‘80s, we didn’t think about the ecological consequences of our actions,” Cole said. “That’s why education is so very important.”
Anyone who owns, breeds or sells a conditional species in Florida requires a Class III permit issued by the commission.
They are subject to regular inspections to make sure they followrules about cages and other requirements.
The new rules would also require reptile keepers to sell or exhibit species in a public facility, forcing people who conduct business out of their homes to rent a shop. For people like Cyliss Harrington, the self-proclaimed Ybor Snakeman, that would be devastating.
“If I’m not allowed to do that (transport the reptiles for exhibition), that completely kills my business,” Harrington said during a virtual public workshop earlier this month.“This isn’t just ahobby forme. This ismy life. This iswhat Ido.”