Pets

Green Iguanas Now Illegal In FL; What Pet Owners Should Know

A law banning the sale of invasive reptiles goes into effect Thursdays, and Florida residents must now register and microchip their iguanas.

A law banning the sale of invasive reptiles goes into effect Thursdays, and Florida residents must now register and microchip their iguanas.
A law banning the sale of invasive reptiles goes into effect Thursdays, and Florida residents must now register and microchip their iguanas. (Carol Lyn Parrish/FWC)

FLORIDA — Iggy the green iguana may be your child's beloved pet. However, as of Thursday, he's also illegal.

A new statewide law takes effect Thursday prohibiting the sale and purchase of 16 nonnative reptiles in Florida, including green iguanas and tegus, a type of lizard from Central and South America that can grow as large as a dog.

But parents need not worry. There won't be armed wildlife officers invading your home to confiscate your child's pet.

Find out what's happening in Tampawith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Residents who own green iguanas and tegus, however, will have to register them, obtain a permit and have their pet reptiles microchipped.

To make it easier for Florida residents to comply with the new invasive species law, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Service is hosting a series of Tag Your Reptile Day events in May and June.

Find out what's happening in Tampawith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The new state rules are designed to protect Florida from 16 species of high-risk, nonnative reptiles, which are all too often released into the wild when irresponsible pet owners get tired of them or the creatures escape their cages and wander away from their homes.

For years, these nonnative species have negatively impacted Florida's sensitive ecosystem. Nonnative species tend to breed quickly and can take over an area, competing with native wildlife for food and other resources, killing the native species' young, introducing new diseases into the habitat and disrupting the food chain.

In response to the growing problem, the state enacted a new law Feb. 21 intended to cut down on the release of green iguanas and tegus into the environment and help locate the owners if the creatures are lost.

As of Thursday, pet owners have 90 days (by July 28) to obtain permits, update indoor cages and have the animals tagged. Pet owners have 180 days (by Oct. 26) to improve outdoor cage enclosures.

Additionally, pet shops and live animal dealers will be prohibited from selling nonnative species in Florida after July 28, except green iguanas or tegus, which will require a limited-exception commercial use permit.

This means Floridians will no longer be able to buy or sell these reptiles:

To encourage green iguana and tegu owners to comply with the new rules, the FWC will offer free permits and Passive Integrated Transponder tags (microchips).

“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, leader of the FWC’s Wildlife Impacts Management Section. “We are holding Tag Your Reptile Days throughout the state to help pet owners offset costs for microchipping.”

To date, the FWC has scheduled the following events, all taking place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.:

FWC
Pet owners can keep their green iguanas and tegus must they must be registered and tagged.

More details including additional events will be added to the FWC website.

More than 500 nonnative species are now living in Florida. Approximately 80 percent of these species have been introduced to Florida through live animal trade. More than 130 of these nonnative species are now firmly established in Florida, meaning they are reproducing in the wild.

Among them are five species of pythons, which have had a devastating impact on the Everglades ecosystem in south Florida, prompting the FWC to sponsor annual python hunts.

Pythons and other nonnative reptiles also may be humanely killed without a permit or hunting license at any time throughout the year without traps or firearms.

"Since most nonnative fish and wildlife find their way into Florida's habitats through escape or release from the live animal trade, it is important to create regulations to prevent high-risk nonnative wildlife from becoming introduced or further established in Florida’s environment."

During a series of public meetings hosted by the FWC, iguana and tegu owners pleaded for the ban to exempt these reptiles because they easily adapt has house pets. Owners say they're trainable and can be taught to walk on leashes; they jump into their owners' laps to be petted and even tolerate being dressed in holiday costumes.

For detailed information on how these new rules will impact pet owners, commercial sellers, exhibitors, trappers and other groups, or to learn more about upcoming Tag Your Reptile Day events, click here.

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