Some of the responses.

"Yes it is important. As in, it's a pretty damn good idea as long as exceptions are made for properly licensed and permitted individuals who can provide decent care and secure housing. As a zoo employee, it makes me absolutely sick to see the number of abuse and neglect cases that get dumped on us. A lot of them end up dying despite immediate support care when they get to us. I don't think the average yahoo should be able to casually buy exotic pets off the shelf that have special needs to stay healthy and comfortable, eg, iguanas and pythons. I wouldn't want to see well qualified private keepers banned from working with these species, but there needs to be a little more care and thought given to acquiring these animals. A basic license/permit situation would be a big step in the right direction of stopping the abuse and neglect that I see of these animals. And we surely do not need to take any more of them out of the wild. Sustainable captive breeding works just fine."

"I think this is a pretty good idea. I'm sure everyone will try to hang me for it, however:

While it is unforunate for people looking to purchase carpet and blood pythons and smaller boas, there isnt' any reason people would need a retic, anaconda, rock or burmese python in their home. While they are amazing animals, anything that is dangerous to one's neighbors shouldn't be kept. This is why you can't keep tigers or cobras without permits. Yes, there are plenty of people that take good care of large snakes, and confine them properly, but there are more people that don't. They wind up torturing the animal, killing it, or simply disposing of it in the most convienent manner.

Large pythons and anacondas are a SERIOUS threat to natural wildlife. This includes birds, mammals, and the incredible American alligator, which only in the last couple of decades has recovered its numbers. Encroaching species in the florida everglades is the next natural disaster, which we can't avoid forever if irresponsible people are continued to be allowed to simply drop their unwanted pythons when they reach 12 ft+. If we don't want this legislation, than we have to allow people to euthanize their unwanted animals, like we do with shelter dogs and cats, and no one wants that.

This will not stop the trade either. People can continue to sell instate. I believe expos are extremely detrimental by selling large snakes to people who buy them on impulse, thinking at best, they have years before the animals becomes umanagable, which simply isn't true. At worst, having no idea what they are taking on.

It is unfortunate that such legislation is paintbrushing over relatively harmless species that are easy to care for, such as carpet, blood, and tree pythons and boas. I request that people direct their complaints towards THIS part of the legislation, hoping it is modified to allow for the continued trade in harmless, managable spcecies."