The red-eared slider, a semi-aquatic turtle, is the nonnative creature that accounts for most of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s efforts to move exotic pets to adopters in other states. Photo provided
By Arden Moore
All kinds of critters roam, fly and swim in the 67 counties of Florida. Some are friendly and some are downright dangerous. Some make for terrific pets. Others, not so much.
Got a pet red-eared slider or a green iguana or a meerkat? Well, you may not realize this, but these exotic species are not native to Florida and you need permits to keep them. But you don’t need to report to state authorities if your personal pet happens to be a sugar glider, hedgehog or a chipmunk.
Keeping tabs on what exotics are legal and welcomed as pets in our state and which ones are not is a major task for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Its team has meticulously categorized exotic species that are acceptable as family pets and which ones are not.
The agency has also created a plan to deal with exotic pets, because letting them loose in the wild “may adversely impact our ecology, economy and human health and safety,” says Lisa Thompson, FWC spokesperson, as well as the safety of the pets.
In an effort to control the nonnative population, the FWC began its Exotic Pet Amnesty Program in 2006. You face no penalties or fees for disclosing that you have an unauthorized nonnative pet and want to surrender it. Or you could decide you want to get rid of a pet you own legally. The FWC will even find an adopter willing to house it in another state.
“This is a free and legal alternative to the release of nonnative pets,” says Thompson. “EPAP grants owners temporary amnesty from any rules for nonnative pet possession while staff attempts to re-home their pets.”
The program has re-homed outside the state borders more than 4,400 nonnative animals kept as pets. Reptiles, including nonnative snakes, lizards and turtles, account for more than 60% of requests to re-home from pet owners in Florida. Topping that list is the red-eared slider. It is a semi-aquatic turtle that can live up to 20 years and requires more work to keep healthy than many people realize.
“When a person acquires a baby red-eared slider, the turtle is very small,” says Thompson.
Owners may not be aware of the long life span, tank size and filtration needs, dietary requirements, and the associated cost of care for an adult red-eared slider, Thompson says.
Additionally, this species is listed as “conditional” in Florida and requires a special permit for pet possession.
The FWC regulations can be a bit confusing to wade through: Exotics are in Class I, Class II, Conditional and Prohibited groupings, and any species not making those lists are designated as Class III wildlife.
Class I and Class II wildlife can never be allowed as personal pets in Florida because they pose threats to human safety. Individuals must complete training and apply for state permits for commercial use of these species. A sampling of this no-personal-pet list includes:
• Cheetahs, tigers, bobcats, panthers
• Alligators, crocodiles
• Orangutans, howler monkeys
• Coyotes, jackals, wolves
• Badgers, wolverines.
On the other end of the spectrum, any Floridian does not need a state permit to keep as a personal pet the following:
• Nonvenomous reptiles or amphibians
• Hedgehogs
• Honey possums
• Sugar gliders
• Rats and mice
• Moles
• Shrews
• Rabbits, squirrels, chipmunks
• Domestic ferrets, Guinea pigs, hamsters, gerbils
• Prairie dogs
• Chinchillas
• Canaries, shell parakeets, lovebirds, cockatiels, parrots, finches, myna birds, toucans, ringed doves, ruddy doves, diamond doves, button quail.
The state also recognizes these species as legal pets: bats, deer, New Guinea song dogs, Asian leopard cats, marmosets, foxes, squirrels, skunks, raccoons and yes, even sloths.
But do not plan on seeking and bringing home any of these species during a walk in the woods or boonies.
“It is important to note that personal pet permits are only issued for animals which are captive bred and are obtained from a legal licensed source, and not obtained from the wild,” says Thompson.
If you have a nonnative species and want the FWC to re-home it, email PetAmnesty@MyFWC.com or call the exotic species hotline at 888-483-4681 to request the form.
The FWC holds periodic amnesty days for owners to surrender exotic pets. As of late July, no events were scheduled, but the FWC still takes requests from owners and potential adopters. Adopters “may apply at any time and are under no obligation to adopt an animal from EPAP,” Thompson says.
Because the red-eared sliders are the most re-homed reptile and the most difficult to place, they are not accepted at amnesty day events except via specific arrangement with the FWC.
Arden Moore is an author, speaker and master certified pet first-aid instructor. She hosts a radio show, Arden Moore’s Four Legged Life (www.fourleggedlife.com), and the weekly Oh Behave! podcast on PetLifeRadio.com. Visit www.ardenmoore.com.
To learn more
Information about the state’s Exotic Pet Amnesty Program is at myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/nonnatives/amnesty-program. To learn about pet amnesty day events, visit myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/nonnatives/amnesty-program/exotic-pet-amnesty-day-events.
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