Serpents in the spotlight

PANAMA CITY BEACH — Federal officials are hoping to squeeze several types of snakes out of Florida’s swamps, backyards and occasionally well-planned cul-de-sac neighborhoods with a new importation ban.

U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson D-FL, has tried for three years to get a ban passed by federal lawmakers but was unsuccessful until Tuesday, when Interior Secretary Ken Salazar announced a rule against the importation and interstate trade of four large exotic snakes. From now on, Burmese pythons, Northern and Southern African rock pythons and the yellow anaconda are classified as “injurious” and cannot be brought into the state, officials said in a news release.

The decision eliminated the need for congressional approval of a ban, they added.

The Panhandle was not exactly a hotbed of python activity, but Stan Kirkland, a spokesman for Florida’s Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, recalled two recent cases where large pythons slithered their way into trouble.

In one instance in Wewahitchka, a Burmese python got away from his owner and into a neighbor’s chicken coup, Kirkland said. The neighbor shot it several times to no avail.

“All he did was scare the snake,” Kirkland said.

That snake was 11 feet long and weighed more than 100 pounds, according to media reports at the time. The owner was charged with possession of a reptile of concern without a permit.

In another instance, a man suspected of drug trafficking in Crestview let a large albino roam free in the same rooms he kept several small children.

“There was no pen for the snake,” Kirkland said. The snake and the owner were both removed from the home, he added.

In 2009, an 8-foot Burmese python strangled a 2-year-old Oxford girl after it escaped from its terrarium.

Along with being a danger to humans, these large foreign animals are a danger to humans and a threat Florida’s natural predators and prey, officials said.

“There’s no question these snakes have an impact on native species and they can out-compete native species,” Kirkland said.

Legal snakes

Eric Miller, the owner of Suncoast Pets on Panama City Beach, said Florida lawmakers already seemed to have the issue well in hand.

“The restrictions had gotten stricter over the years to the point of them being illegal,” Miller said.

He added that he doesn’t deal in those types of snakes anyway. However, Miller did not want lawmakers to go on a snake banning spree.

There are good, friendly breeds of snakes that don’t grow too large and can make great pets, he said.

“There is a big difference between a snake in the wild and a snake sold in a pet store,” Miller said. “A snake definitely knows its owner.”

He added that some snake owners listen to music and watch television with their slithery pals and know their pets are having a good time. Miller stressed that people should not handle a wild snake, but if they were interested in snake ownership there are certain breeds that live well with humans.

“For instance, we don’t sell venomous snakes here, nor would we,” Miller said.

He also compared the current controversy over Burmese pythons with the ongoing issues with pit bulls and other breeds that are considered aggressive.