Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
State claims progress in python fight, but criticism continues
Trade of other exotic animals still allowed
Hunters have killed a record number of Burmese pythons in the Everglades, but the state wildlife commission faced criticism Thursday for allowing exotic pet dealers to sell other non-native snakes, lizards and other animals that could escape into the wild.
About 1,500 pythons were caught last year, nearly triple the number in 2016, reflecting a decision by state agencies to start paying hunters. The state wildlife commission also increased the number of paid hunters from 25 to 42 and worked with the federal government to allow them to go into Everglades National Park and other federal lands.
The state allowed other hunters to kill them year-round on state land. There are research efforts on using dogs, snake hormones and other snakes to find them. And 114 pythons have been surrendered to the state by owners who didn’t want them anymore.
“Will we eliminate pythons from the state of Florida? I doubt anyone will ever tell you that,” Kipp Frohlich, director of habitat and species conservation, said at a meeting of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission in Stuart. “But can we reduce them? Yes we can. We can target areas and we can remove more pythons from the landscape. And I think over time, as we get better coordinated and have better techniques, we’ll have fewer pythons and therefore fewer impacts to our native wildlife.”
But two environmentalists criticized the commission for doing little to restrict the trade in other non-native species, putting Florida at risk of future infestations by exotic animals. Although the state banned Burmese py
thons and several other large constricting snakes, it’s legal to buy dozens of other non-native snakes, lizards and other animals at reptile shows, stores and over the internet for live delivery by express mail.
“These animals are coming in through the pet trade,” said Matthew Schwartz, executive director of the South Florida Wildlands Association. “All sorts of ornamental plants coming in through Miami International Airport. Hundreds of millions a year are coming in through there. Raise your voices. You’d have the support of everyone in this room to do something about pets and ornamental plants, and let’s get it under control.”
Drew Martin, conservation chair of the Sierra Club Loxahatchee Group, said, “It’s not just pythons. It’s all these lizards that are getting out. Iguanas are going crazy. Invasive species are a huge problem. But we’ve got to stop it at the source. We’ve got to stop people from bringing these in. Some things just don’t make great pets.”
Wildlife commission officials responded that they actually have banned species prior to detecting any breakouts into the wild and they continue to analyze the wildlife trade for species that could be threats.
“It wasn’t too long ago that we took aggressive steps to address regulation of the trade and specifying which invasive species we’re now not going to allow as a pet,” said Michael Sole, a member of the commission, a seven-member board appointed by the governor to oversee wildlife protection, hunting and fishing. “I raise that because I see lots of articles that we need to do more on the regulatory front, on the front end. Candidly I think people just miss some of the actions that we’ve already taken.”
The commission in February banned ownership of several nonnative birds, mammals and reptiles, including three species of anaconda.
“While the anaconda was not a problem, we hope it never will be because of what we did in February, and we’re going to identify more species,” Frohilich said.
Eric Sutton, executive director of the commission, said, “Traditionally we’ve tried to work with the industry that brings potential invasive species in. Our commissioners just took a really strong stance on the yellow anaconda. Shutting the barn door before any of these species get out is their goal.”
Asked what species beside the Burmese python were currently doing harm in the wild, he brought up the Agentine tegu, a lizard that can grow to more than four feet. Although he said it was established in Florida, he said the state’s eradication efforts began earlier than with the python, so there may be more hope of containing it.
“It’s not venomous but it does have a nasty bite,” he said. “What’s more concerning is that it eats and consumes anything that it comes across.”
Asked whether it was still legal to buy a tegu as a pet in Florida, he said, “It is, but we’re looking into that.”
Estimates of the number of Burmese pythons in Florida range from tens of thousands to more than 300,000, but no one really has a good grip on the numbers, Frohlich said.
They have established breeding population at least as far south as Key Largo and as far north at the Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge in western Palm Beach County. Mammals make up 70 percent of their diet, and they have taken a huge toll on South Florida’s rabbits, raccoons, opossums and other animals.
“There are almost no small mammals on park service lands in South Florida,” said Pedro Ramos, superintendent of Everglades National Park. “…We’re spending upwards of $20 billion to restore the Everglades. We’re not going to do this for a whole bunch of weeds and critters that don’t belong here in the first place.”