WARNING for Florida herpers!

[MootWorm]

From what I understand, as a BP is considered Class III Wildlife, you need a license not only to sell or trade, but to merely be in possession of one. That means regardless of whether you breed or simply have one pet snake, ALL Floridians must have a permit.

[cory9oh4]

That blows!! Hopefully it's a first charge for you and you are able to get it dismissed. Hope everything works out, buddy!

[RoseyReps]

From what I understand, as a BP is considered Class III Wildlife, you need a license not only to sell or trade, but to merely be in possession of one. That means regardless of whether you breed or simply have one pet snake, ALL Floridians must have a permit.

False. If this were the case, pet stores in florida could not sell them without proof of permit (like they have to do now with burms/retics/Nile monitors etc)

[wilomn]

That blows!! Hopefully it's a first charge for you and you are able to get it dismissed. Hope everything works out, buddy!

I believe it was a ticket not a charge. In theory he'll just have to pay a fine and probably purchase the permit.

[MootWorm]

False. If this were the case, pet stores in florida could not sell them without proof of permit (like they have to do now with burms/retics/Nile monitors etc)

But if you read the Class III wildlife section, it clearly says a permit is required for personal possession. Which is where I'm confused. If this were enforced (which it should be, agents can't pick and choose which part tk enforce), then there would have to be a license issued for every BP sale.

[RoseyReps]

FWC:

Class III Wildlife

A permit is required for personal possession, exhibition or sale of Class III wildlife. Class III wildlife are all species not listed as Class I or Class II; and not among those species that are specifically listed as not requiring a permit for personal possession in rule 68A-6.0022, FAC.

There is no formal list of Class III species. You must check the lists of Class I, Class II, and species not requiring a permit to determine if an animal in question is a Class III species. Florida residents 16 years of age and older may apply for permit to possess, exhibit or sell Class III wildlife.

Here is that list:

The following species do not require a permit for personal possession as long as no other Rule or Statute applies. Examples include, but are not limited to, rules for Threatened or Endangered Species:

• Button quail
• Canaries
• Chinchillas
• Cockatiels
• Doves: ringed, ruddy, and diamond
• Ferrets (domestic; European)
• Finches
• Gerbils, hedgehogs
• Guinea pigs
• Hamsters
• Honey possums, sugar gliders
• Lovebirds
• Moles; shrews
• Myna birds
• Parrots
• Prairie dogs
• Rabbits
• Rats and mice
• Reptiles or amphibians (nonvenomous, unprotected species that are NOT listed as endangered, threatened, species of special concern, conditional reptiles, or otherwise regulated)
• Shell parakeets
• Squirrels; chipmunks
• Toucans

[RoseyReps]

And just to be thorough, here is this list :

The following species are now listed as conditional snakes and lizards:

• Indian or Burmese python (Python molurus)
• Reticulated python (Python reticulatus)
• Northern African python (Python sebae)
• Southern African python (Python natalensis)
• Amethystine python (Morelia amethistinus)
• Scrub python (Morelia kinghorni)
• Green anaconda (Eunectes murinus)
• Nile monitor (Varanus niloticus)

[Mephibosheth1]

So yall can't actually own retics or burms unless you're a business??

[RoseyReps]

So yall can't actually own retics or burms unless you're a business??

We can't own them unless we have a conditional reptile permit, and then it's not for "personal pet" but only as "Reptile dealers, public exhibitors, researchers and nuisance trappers". So if you want to be a dealer, or exhibitor (this can be a nice loop hole for those not wanting to be a dealer), you have to apply for the permit/license.

[helmethead]

I have posted ads on craig's list and ebay classifieds, so not sure which they're lurking in, probably both. The guy "Curtis" I met called an a pastel, but
actually a "friend" of his called about an old ad asking about a snake I had already traded. When l said it was gone he asked if I had anything else available.
I said I have a pastel female, he said it was more than he wanted to spend and asked if he could give my number to a "friend" who might be interested, Curtis(alias I'm sure).
The rest, as they say, is history...
So be fore warned my fellow Florida based herpers, get that darn permit before you attempt to sell any ball pythons or some unsuspecting person is gonna get hooked on your contraband and sell to his friends, and so on, and so on, and so on....
Gotta make lite of it, it could have been far worse.


I'll know how bad it's really going to be once I get to court...