Florida Seeks Solution to Invasive Reptile Problem with Pet Tagging Initiative Green iguana and tegu owners must now get their reptiles microchipped like any conventional pet.
May 4, 2021
From Key West’s high-summer Hemingway Days, in which bearded hopefuls vie for the title of best Papa lookalike, to the annual hunt for the elusive (and imaginary) skunk ape, Florida is renowned for its calendar of curiosities.
Now another bizarre date has been added to the list: tag your reptile day.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission has established tag days, a series of dates in the coming weeks for people to get their reptiles, including green iguanas, tagged. Photo by Abdulla Faiz.
Now another bizarre date has been added to the list: tag your reptile day.
Owners of tegus, a non-native species of giant central and south American lizard, and green iguanas, another prolific invader, must get their reptiles microchipped like any conventional pet.
Seeking compliance with a regulation passed in February to protect against invasive species and which came into effect this weekend, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission (FWC) has established tag day, actually a series of dates in the coming weeks at venues around the state.
“Just as with cats and dogs, microchipping your green iguana or tegu is one of the simplest and most effective ways to keep them safe while also protecting Florida’s native wildlife,” said Kristen Sommers, FWC head of wildlife impacts management.
Florida chips pet reptiles to control invasive species
The Guardian, MIAMI
From Key West’s high-summer Hemingway Days, in which bearded hopefuls vie for the title of best Papa lookalike, to the annual hunt for the elusive and imaginary skunk ape, Florida is renowned for its calendar of curiosities.
Now another bizarre date has been added to the list: tag your reptile day.
Owners of tegus, a non-native species of giant Central and South American lizard, and green iguanas, another prolific invader, must get their reptiles microchipped as with any conventional pet.
A green iguana basks in the sun in Key Biscayne, Florida, on Oct. 14, 2013.
Iguanas with chips: Florida seeks solution to invasive reptile problem msn.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from msn.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.