New Rules for Invasive Species in Florida
Beginning on April 29th of 2021, the rules for owning several non-native species here in Florida will change drastically. Earlier this year, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission unanimously adopted numerous changes to the rules governing exotic species and non-native reptiles.
Among those changes- Green Iguanas and Tegus are now banned.
This doesn’t mean that if you have one of these scaly pets that you have to get rid of it. Instead, you have to get a free permit. You will be able to keep the pet for the rest of it’s life- but you will need to apply for the permit, and get them microchipped. There’s a possibility that you may need to upgrade their enclosures, too if they don’t meet the specifications under the new rules.
The permit is free and can be found here: https://myfwc.com/media/19443/csp-personal-use.pdf
If your iguana or tegu is not microchipped, the state is also offering free microchips throughout the state on special dates. Sadly, the state is not offering the free microchips to private veterinarians for us to implant them. If you’re interested in getting a microchip for your iguana or tegu, they will be offering them on June 19th at Zoo Tampa. You may bring up to 5 iguanas or tegus to be microchipped. No appointment is required.
To be in compliance with these new rules, your permit application and microchipping must be completed by the end of the grace period which ends on July 28, 2021. For all of the rules, including rules regarding caging/enclosures, visithttps://myfwc.com/media/25817/5a-reptile-68-5007.pdf