FWS Issues Final Rule to Ban Import, Etc. of 4 Nonnative Constrictor Snakes
The Fish and Wildlife Service has issued a final rule, effective March 23, 2012, that will ban the importation and interstate transportation of four nonnative constrictor snakes that threaten the Everglades and other sensitive ecosystems across the U.S. The FWS final rule lists the Burmese python, the yellow anaconda, and the northern and southern African pythons as injurious wildlife under the Lacey Act in order to restrict their spread in the wild in the U.S. Effective March 23, 2012, interstate transport and importation of live individuals, gametes, viable eggs, or hybrids of the Burmese python, northern and southern African pythons, and yellow anaconda into the U.S. will be prohibited.
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According to a FWS press release, it will continue to consider listing as injurious the five other species of nonnative snakes that the agency also proposed in 2010 -- the reticulated python, boa constrictor, DeSchauensee’s anaconda, green anaconda and Beni anaconda. FWS press release available here, FWS questions and answers document available here.
FWS reminder (03/09/12) that these four snake species may not be imported into the U.S. on or after March 23, 2012 or transported across state lines is available here.
(See ITT's Online Archives 12011832 for summary of OMB's approval of FWS final rule on constrictor snakes. See ITT's Online Archives 10031525 for summary of FWS proposed rule to list nine constrictor snakes as injurious wildlife.)