Keep Exotic Pets From Becoming Exotic Pests

Keep Exotic Pets From Becoming Exotic Pests, Texas

If you own a green anaconda, Texas officials want to know.

The Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission also is interested in the whereabouts of African rock pythons, Asiatic rock pythons, reticulated pythons, southern African pythons and venomous snakes not indigenous to the state.

New state regulations requiring permits for exotic snakes went into effect April 1. Texas legislators hope "controlled exotic snake permits" will keep the giant snakes in check to prevent what is happening in the Florida Everglades, where pythons and other non-native snakes are breeding.

Although the commission estimates about half of the estimated 22,180 snake-holding households in Texas own one of the controlled exotic snakes, snake owners haven't been lining up to get permits. About 60 permit applications were received in April, said Maj. David Sinclair, chief of fisheries and wildlife enforcement.

"The first part of the year will be an educational process," Sinclair said. "If we hear about snakes, we will contact the owners and get them to purchase the license. We generally try to educate people for a while before we start writing hard citations."

Annual permits cost $20 for hobbyists and $60 for commercial dealers. The cost is per person, not per snake. Noncompliance is a Class C misdemeanor punishable by a fine of $25 to $500.

The release of a controlled exotic snake is a Class A misdemeanor. It's punishable by a fine of $500 to $4,000 and imprisonment for up to one year.

Sinclair is not aware of any exotic snakes being spotted in the wild in Texas.

Neither is Danny Bristow of Channelview, who breeds striped boas, which are not on the must-permit list.

"I've never heard of any problems in Texas at all, and I've hunted all along the border down there," Bristow said. "Never seen anything but natives."

However, the new regulations don't surprise Bristow. He says other states are adopting snake guidelines and there is talk about federal regulations. "It's just another thing they can hold over people's heads and maybe raise a little revenue. But it's completely stupid," Bristow said.

Suzette Stidom, owner of S&S Exotic Animals in north Houston, doubts the new regulations will be effective although she's in favor of keeping track of the exotic snakes.

"If people selling them would do the right thing, you would know where they are," Stidom said. "But people don't always do the right thing."

Can't be a bad thing but just not sure how they would police it myself.

yes good idea...if it will work