Why did it take so long for Florida to ban invasive pythons? | Editorial
Also over the last week or so, one lucky mayor, two sports franchises stepping up and a bill that would bring some sanity to state contracts,
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This article represents the opinion of the Tampa Bay Times Editorial Board.
Published Mar. 5
Updated Mar. 5
Before the week ended, we wanted to address a few â and very different â developments.
Pushing back on pythons. The state is cracking down on the sale and ownership of certain invasive species. While the move feels at least 20 years too late for some of the damaging reptiles like the Burmese python, itâs better than nothing. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission voted unanimously to restrict the possession and private breeding of certain exotic animals, including Nile monitor lizard, Northern African python, reticulated python, tegu lizards, green iguanas, Southern African python, amethystine python or scrub pythons. Too many irresponsible pet owners release these non-native reptiles into Floridaâs wilds, where they breed rapidly. Burmese pythons, which can grow to more than 15 feet, have been blamed for killing most of the deer, raccoons and other native wildlife in parts of the Everglades.