Ban on sales of 5 snakes, Nile lizard starts Thursday
The specter of giant pythons swarming through the Everglades and the tragic death of a Sumter County toddler in the coils of her family’s pet python prompted a law going into effect Thursday that bans the sale of the pythons and other reptiles in Florida.
The new law also bars people from owning the snakes as pets, though residents who already own them can keep them, provided they already have state permits and continue to renew their licenses for $100.
The law applies to five species of snakes and the Nile monitor lizard.
Dealers and breeders can still sell the snakes, but only to customers outside Florida.
The law covers some of the more recent headline-grabbing reptiles: Indian, Burmese, reticulated, African rock and scrub pythons; plus green anacondas and Nile monitor lizards