379.372 Capturing, keeping, possessing, transporting, or exhibiting venomous reptiles, reptiles of concern, conditional reptiles, or prohibited reptiles; license required.—
(1)(a) No person, party, firm, association, or corporation shall capture, keep, possess, or exhibit any poisonous or venomous reptile or reptile of concern without first having obtained a special permit or license therefor from the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission as provided in this section.
(b) The commission shall establish a list of reptiles of concern, including venomous, nonvenomous, native, nonnative, or other reptiles, which require additional regulation for capture, possession, transportation, or exhibition due to their nature, habits, status, or potential to negatively impact humans, the environment, or ecology.
(c) It shall be unlawful for any person, party, firm, association, or corporation, whether licensed hereunder or not, to capture, keep, possess, or exhibit any venomous reptile or reptile of concern in any manner not approved as safe, secure, and proper by the commission. Venomous reptiles or reptiles of concern held in captivity are subject to inspection by the commission. The commission shall determine whether the reptiles are securely, safely, and properly penned. In the event that the reptiles are not safely penned, the commission shall report the situation in writing to the person, party, firm, association, or corporation owning the reptiles. Failure of the person, party, firm, association, or corporation to correct the situation within 30 days after such written notice shall be grounds for revocation of the license or permit of the person, party, firm, association, or corporation.
(d) Venomous reptiles or reptiles of concern shall be transported in a safe, secure, and proper manner. The commission shall establish by rule the requirements for the transportation of venomous reptiles or reptiles of concern.
(2)(a) A person, party, firm, association, or corporation may not keep, possess, import into the state, sell, barter, trade, or breed the following species except for educational, research, or eradication or control purposes:
1. Burmese or Indian python (Python molurus).
2. Reticulated python (Python reticulatus).
3. Northern African python (Python sebae).
4. Southern African python (Python natalensis).
5. Amethystine or scrub python (Morelia amethystinus).
6. Green Anaconda (Eunectes murinus).
7. Nile monitor (Varanus niloticus).
8. Green iguana (Iguana iguana).
9. Tegu lizard (any species of the genera Salvator or Tupinambis).
10. Any other reptile designated as a conditional or prohibited species by the commission.
(b) If a person, firm, or corporation holds a valid captive wildlife class III exhibition or sale license on January 1, 2020, and documented an inventory of green iguanas or tegu lizards on his or her or its 2019 application, the commission may grandfather that person, firm, or corporation so as to allow them to continue to exhibit, sell, or breed green iguanas or tegu lizards commercially for as long as the license remains active. Such status is void upon any license transfer or lapse. The person, firm, or corporation may only sell such inventory of green iguanas or tegu lizards outside of this state and may not import the species into this state. The commission shall adopt rules that address all of the following:
1. Reporting requirements.
2. Biosecurity measures to prevent escape of these species.
3. Any necessary grandfathering provisions for those persons presently in possession of either a green iguana or a tegu lizard who do not meet the grandfathering provisions of this paragraph.
(c) If a person, party, firm, association, or corporation holds a permit issued before July 1, 2010, under subsection (1) to legally possess a species listed in paragraph (a), that person, party, firm, association, or corporation may possess such reptile for the remainder of the life of the reptile.
(d) If a person, party, firm, association, or corporation holds a permit issued before July 1, 2010, under subsection (1) to legally possess a reptile listed in paragraph (a), and the reptile remains alive following the death or dissolution of the licensee, the reptile may be legally transferred to another entity holding a permit authorizing possession of the reptile for the remainder of the life of the reptile.
(e) If the commission designates a species of reptile as a conditional or prohibited species after July 1, 2010, the commission may authorize the personal possession of that newly designated species by those licensed to possess that species of reptile before the effective date of the species’ designation by the commission as a conditional or prohibited species. The personal possession of such reptile is not a violation of paragraph (a) if the personal possession was authorized by the commission.
(f) This subsection does not apply to traveling wildlife exhibitors that are licensed or registered under the United States Animal Welfare Act or to zoological facilities that are licensed or exempted by the commission from the licensure requirement.
History.—s. 1, ch. 28263, 1953; s. 165, ch. 99-245; s. 1, ch. 2007-239; s. 159, ch. 2008-247; s. 2, ch. 2010-185; s. 83, ch. 2020-2; s. 3, ch. 2020-123.
