Herp Report: Legislation Alert

From the Chron/National, a new species is starting to bring the attention of Florida Fish and Wildlife:

As if the latest reports of Burmese pythons, monitor lizards and Cuban tree frogs crawling around Florida are not enough to creep you out, there's a scary new invader in town. It's an exotic lizard called a tegu, a 4-foot-long reptile from Argentina with sharp claws and a voracious appetite for meat that could possibly tip the ecological applecart. One was spotted last week in Ocala National Forest, a place teeming with campers, swimmers and hikers. Forest officials said the black-and-white critter was likely dropped off in the forest by an overwhelmed pet owner. “We're taking this very seriously,” said Carrie Sekerak, a forest-wildlife biologist. “A tegu is known to go inside gopher-tortoise burrows and dig out mice and tortoise eggs. ... It can tip the balance suddenly.”

An op ed piece in the North Florida Herald points things in our favor to some extent:

And now that the hunt has been completed, the grand total of pythons bagged during the entire six-week season is…zero. The FWC is spinning this as good news, which I suppose it is if you happen to be a Burmese python living in the wild.

There is currently a public comment opening to a proposed change in the Lacey Act for Injurious Wildlife Evaluation; Amphibian Trade and Chytrid Fungus. Not just the big 9 anymore, I will share the abstract.

We are reviewing a petition to add all traded live amphibians or their eggs to our list of injurious wildlife under the Lacey Act unless certified as free of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (chytrid fungus). The importation and introduction of live amphibians infected with chytrid fungus into U.S. natural ecosystems may pose a threat to the interests of U.S. agriculture, fisheries, and commerce, as well as to the welfare and survival of wildlife and wildlife resources. For live amphibians or their eggs infected with chytrid fungus, an injurious wildlife listing would prohibit the importation into, or transportation between, States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or any U.S. territory or possession by any means, without a permit. Permits may be issued for scientific, medical, educational, or zoological purposes.

Lastly I would like to remind everyone we received an extension on the submission of comments in the Lacey Act Change Notice of Inquiry. To make your public comment visit . We as a reptile community MUST do this.