The most important thing to consider is that caring for these animals is rewarding to their keepers, inspiring for scientists, important for research, and may foster conservation efforts by improving public perceptions of animals.
Exotic pets are essentially animals that are non-native to a region and/or nondomesticated. The exotic pet trade has been frequently criticized for the issues that invasive creatures do to the environment and public health or safety.
Inarguably, today there is a greater understanding of both free-roaming and captive wild animals. Thanks to facilities such as Crazy Critters Inc, pet care education has never been easier to obtain.
Added, there are local, national, and global legislative frameworks and approaches designed to avoid activities that are inhumane, ecologically unsustainable, and that threaten public health and safety, such as, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora,
Why Pick On The Iguana and Tegu?
A recent analysis found that over 11 billion specimens equating to 977 million kilograms of “wildlife” were imported into the United States (during the years 2000–2013), one-third of which was facilitated by the pet trade.
Clear numbers of individuals in the trade have not been established however, globally billions of wild animals are traded annually as pets.
Some data are available to indicate the breakdown of pet keeping animals include 30-40 million fish, 8.5 million dogs, 8 million cats, 0.7 million indoor birds, 0.9 million rabbits, 0.8 million guinea pigs/hamsters, and 0.7 million reptiles.
0.7 is such a small amount in comparison to other animals that are NOT facing any ban!?!? Do you know how many goldfish are swimming in our lakes? There is a trend on Youtube where people go around Florida catching them. Then they RELEASE the fish back into the waters.
However, there is no ban on goldfish suggested. At the same time, we view lots of people removing iguanas, snakes, tegu, and other invasives on other Youtube channels and those people remove the animals not rerelease them.
There Are Many people Fighting The Invasive Animal Issue!!!That is why we built Crazy Critters Inc!!
According to the FWC the iguana is INVASIVE and can cause considerable damage to infrastructure, including seawalls and sidewalks. However, the tegu is not marked the same invasive. The website for FWC says…
Potential impacts of tegus include competition with and preying upon Florida’s native wildlife, including some imperiled and protected species. Tegus prey upon the nests of other animals, and researchers have documented tegus eating American alligator eggs and disturbing American crocodile nests in Florida. Recent gut content analysis of tegus by the FWC revealed that they consume threatened juvenile gopher tortoises and agriculturally valuable foods, thus highlighting the impact this species may have on sensitive wildlife and agricultural lands.
FWC clearly states the potential. However, there are clear benefits for human health and animal conservation when it comes to keeping reptiles and amphibians.
The keeping of companion animals provides clear benefits for human wellbeing. Indeed, keeping pets promotes psychological, physiological and social health and development.
Beneficial effects are not limited to pets with high interactive value (eg, dogs); even the keeping of non-interactive or poorly interactive animals, such as fish, has been shown to improve the keeper’s overall health. Nevertheless, other studies have failed to corroborate these positive effects, and in some cases even demonstrate a negative effect.
A further positive aspect of keeping reptiles and amphibians lies in connecting people with these animals and the potential for public education, nurturing interest and dispelling prejudice.
Many prominent herpetologists in academia or museums declare that the keeping of herpetofauna during childhood fuelled their lifelong interest in herpetology in many cases.
Although IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) ex-situ management guidelines indicate that it is unlikely that animals from the private sector can be used for reintroduction, the expertise and capacity available from hobbyists is a potentially valuable resource to support ex situ captive breeding projects (identified as one of the few measures currently available to counteract the current global amphibian declines crisis).
Also, amphibians captive-bred by hobbyists and made available for research purposes have greatly facilitated the authors’ understanding of the epidemiology of emerging diseases.
Research led by hobbyists has on occasion led to pivotal contributions to the knowledge of reptiles and amphibians and even the publication of standard reference literature.16 Consequently, the potential benefits of keeping reptiles and amphibians reach into broad areas relating to human health, science, and education.
1. The development and maintenance of species-specific minimal husbandry requirements, based on evidence, throughout the commercial chain.
2. Pet keeper education by informed pet keepers and herpetological societies, This is an important key to improved animal welfare, public health, and environmental sustainability. Keeping both exotic and non-exotic pets should require a demonstrable minimum level of knowledge and expertise.
3. The implementation of sanitary measures such as quarantine and entry controls to prevent the risk of pathogen pollution in a broader framework of improving public health and animal welfare and reducing ecological risks of pet keeping.
4. Increasing the sustainability of the pet trade by promoting trade in captive-bred animals and those from which sustainable harvesting has been demonstrated
As well as closing legal loopholes that allow wild animals to be passed off as captive-bred or that do not take the species’ legal status in the country of origin into account.
5. Promoting high standards of veterinary care for any pet. For herpetofauna, access to veterinary care may be improved by further diversifying herpetological medicine in veterinary curricula and promoting specialist training.
Just Click On Your District To See Who You Should Contact And How… TODAY!
| County Senator Name | District | Party |
| Alachua Perry, Keith | 8 | Republican |
| BakerBradley, Rob | 5 | Republican |
| BayGainer, George B. | 2 | Republican |
| Bradford Bradley, Rob | 5 | Republican |
| Brevard Mayfield, Debbie Wright, Tom A. | 17 14 | Republican |
| BrowardBook, Lauren Braynon II, Oscar Farmer, Gary M. , Jr. Rader, Kevin J. Thurston, Perry E. , Jr. | 32 35 34 29 33 | Democrat |
| Calhoun Montford, Bill | 3 | Democrat |
| Charlotte Albritton, Ben Gruters, Joe | 26 22 | Republican |
| CitrusSimpson, Wilton | 10 | Republican |
| Clay Bradley, Rob | 5 | Republican |
| Collier Passidomo, Kathleen Majority (Republican) Leader | 28 | Republican |
| Columbia Bradley, Rob | 5 | Republican |
| DeSoto Albritton, Ben | 26 | Republican |
| Dixie Bradley, Rob | 5 | Republican |
| Duval Bean, Aaron Gibson, Audrey Minority (Democratic) Leader | 4 6 | Republican Democrat |
| Escambia Broxson, Doug | 1 | Republican |
| Flagler Hutson, Travis | 7 | Republican |
| Franklin Montford, Bill | 3 | Democrat |
| Gadsden Montford, Bill | 3 | Democrat |
| Gilchrist Montford, Bill | 3 | Democrat |
| Glades Albritton, Ben | 26 | Republican |
| Gulf Montford, Bill | 3 | Republican |
| HamiltonMontford, Bill | 3 | Republican |
| Hardee Albritton, Ben | 26 | Republican |
| Hendry Passidomo, Kathleen Majority (Republican) Leader | 28 | Republican |
| Hernando Simpson, Wilton | 10 | Republican |
| Highlands Albritton, Ben | 26 | Republican |
| Hillsborough Cruz, Janet Galvano, Bill President Lee, Tom Rouson, Darryl Ervin | 18 21 20 19 | Democrat Republican Democrat Republican |
| Holmes Gainer, George B. | 2 | Republican |
| Indian River Mayfield, Debbie | 17 | Republican |
| Jackson Gainer, George B. | 2 | Republican |
| Jefferson Montford, Bill | 3 | Democrat |
| Lafayette | 5 | Republican |
| LakeBaxley, Dennis Stargel, Kelli | 22 | Republican Republican |
| Lee Albritton, Ben Benacquisto, Lizbeth Passidomo, Kathleen Majority (Republican) Leader | 26 27 28 | Republican Republican Republican |
| Leon Montford, Bill | 3 | Democrat |
| Levi Bradley, Rob | 5 | Republican |
| Liberty Montford, Bill | 3 | Republican |
| Madison Montford, Bill | 2 | Republican |
| Manatee Galvano, Bill President | 21 | Republican |
| Marion Baxley, Dennis Bradley, Rob Perry, Keith | 12 5 8 | Republican Republican Republican |
| Miami-Dade Braynon II, Oscar Diaz, Manny , Jr. Flores, Anitere Pizzo, Jason W. B. Rodriguez, Jose Javier Taddeo, Annette | 35 36 29 39 38 37 | Democrat Republican Republican Democrat Democrat Democrat |
| Monroe Flores, Anitere | 29 | Republican |
| Nassau Bean, Aaron | 4 | Republican |
| Okaloosa Broxson, Doug Gainer, George B. | 1 2 | Republican Republican |
| Okeechobee Albritton, Ben | 26 | Republican |
| Orange Bracy, Randolph Stewart, Linda Torres, Victor M. , Jr. | 11 13 15 | Democrat Democrat Democrat |
| Osceola Torres, Victor M. , Jr. | 15 | Democrat |
| Palm Beach Berman, Lori Harrell, Gayle Powell, Bobby Rader, Kevin J. | 31 25 30 29 | Democrat Republican Democrat Democrat |
| Pasco Hooper, Ed Lee, Tom Simpson, Wilton | 16 20 10 | Republican Republican Republican |
| Pinellas Brandes, Jeff Hooper, Ed Rouson, Darryl Ervin | 24 16 19 | Republican Republican Democrat |
| {Polk Albritton, Ben Lee, Tom Stargel, Kelli | 26 20 22 | Republican Republican Republican |
| Putnam Perry, Keith | 8 | Republican |
| Santa Rosa Broxson, Doug | 1 | Republican |
| Sarasota Gruters, Joe | 23 | Republican |
| Seminole Simmons, David President Pro Tempore | 9 | Republican |
| St. JohnsHutson, Travis | 7 | Republican |
| St. LucieHarrell, Gayle | 25 | Republican |
| Sumpter Baxley, Dennis | 12 | Republican |
| Suwannee Bradley, Rob | 5 | Republican |
| Taylor Montford, Bill | 3 | Democrat |
| Union Bradley, Rob | 5 | Republican |
| Volusia Hutson, Travis Simmons, David President Pro Tempore Wright, Tom A. | 7 9 14 | Republican Republican Republican |
| Wakula Montford, Bill | 3 | Democrat |
| Walton Gainer, George B. | 2 | Republican |
| Washington Gainer, George B. | 2 | Republican |
Wonder What To Do Now?
A Note From USARK FL… At this point we need inside support to gain more inside support. The only way to do that is to put pressure on the FL Senate to vote NO and the way to do that is through each Senator’s own constituents.
When you call ask for a meeting by phone with your Senator or if that is not possible a meeting with the staff member handling SB1414. When you email there is a little trick so that your email does not get lost in the public email- on the Senators page there will be an option to select “view complete Senator and district information”, the page that will bring you to show their Legislative Assistants name.
You need to email the legislative assistant, to do this email them as- last name. first name@flsenate.gov. Type “Meeting Request” in the subject line. In the body explain that you would like to schedule a time to speak to the Senator or staff concerning SB1414, that you are a resident of your county and that you oppose the bill. Keep it short and simple. Remember to include your phone number.
Call during office hours to confirm that they have recieved your request. If we do not fight this together, we will all lose. We need everyone in Florida to be involved and make their voice count.
We need everyone to share this post, spread awareness that these failed policies will lead to invasive population growth, waste of resources and unnecessary euthanasia of pets. There are alternative approaches that would be self-funding and more effective. Thank you!
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