"The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) has proposed to list the southern hognose snake (Heterodon simus), as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). FWS has found that the southern hognose faces serious threats from habitat loss and degradation as a result of land conversion and fragmentation causing loss of connectivity between populations, road mortality, invasive species (red ants, feral hogs, and cogongrass), and climate change."

https://usark.org/25esa3/

A 60-day comment period begins on August 29, 2025.

Comment and get full details at https://www.federalregister.gov/public-inspection/2025-16688/endangered-and-threatened-species-status-with-section-4d-rule-for-southern-hognose-snake.

The document is posted at https://usark.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/25-western-hognose-esa.pdf.

For more information, contact Christy Johnson-Hughes, Field Supervisor, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, South Carolina Ecological Services Field Office; 843–727–4707; christy_johnsonhughes@fws.gov

While Southern hognose snakes are currently bred in small numbers by private breeders, zoos are not known to breed them. Conservation strategies should include responsible breeding programs, along with habitat preservation.

USARK Florida Condemns Animal Cruelty in Storage Unit Incident, Reaffirms Commitment to Responsible Reptile Care

Osceola County, Florida – The United States Association of Reptile Keepers (USARK) Florida condemns the inhumane treatment of 111 African fat-tailed geckos found abandoned in a storage unit in Osceola County in November 2023. Tragically, 41 of these geckos were found dead due to neglect, and the surviving animals were left without food or water for a significant period of time. These animals were discovered when employees of the storage facility unlocked the unit after it had been sealed due to nonpayment.

Storage unit in Osceola County, FL where geckos were abandoned. Photo by Daniel Parker, who grants permission for this photo to be reprinted

USARK Florida was first tipped off to this case by a concerned citizen, and we have been closely following the situation for nearly two years. Throughout this time, we offered our support to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) in placing the surviving animals into proper care, as we have done in past situations to help avoid unnecessary euthanasia. We are pleased that, thanks to the diligent work of FWC investigators, the surviving geckos have been placed in suitable care, ensuring a better future for them.

African Fat-tailed gecko. These lizards are known for their gentle disposition and ease of care. Photo by Dakota Nivens, who grants permission for this photo to be reprinted

About African Fat-Tailed Geckos
African fat-tailed geckos are among the most popular pet lizards due to their calm, docile disposition and ease of care. They rarely, if ever, bite, making them ideal companions for both new and experienced reptile keepers. With proper care, African fat-tailed geckos can live 10 to 15 years, though some have been known to live even longer. Ideally, they should be provided with a thermal gradient in their enclosure, a natural light cycle, and a varied diet of readily available feeder insects. Despite the fact that they inhabit arid or semi-arid environments in the wild, clean drinking water should always be available in their permanent housing. The “fat tail” holds fat reserves, which allow these geckos to survive periods of food scarcity in their harsh natural environment. These geckos are known for their gentle nature and can make wonderful pets when cared for responsibly.

We also applaud the diligent work of FWC investigators, which led to the identification and arrest of Kelvin E. Soto, who held an expired license from FWC to exhibit and sell animals. Soto was charged with felony animal cruelty and confinement of animals without food or water. He pleaded guilty in August 2024, and his sentence includes four years of supervised probation, 100 hours of community service, and a lifetime ban on possessing animals. Soto is also required to pay over $5,000 in restitution for the care of the surviving geckos. We support FWC’s actions in this case.

USARK Florida wants to make it clear that the actions of Soto in no way reflect the practices of responsible reptile keepers. The overwhelming majority of reptile owners treat these animals with the utmost care and respect, often viewing them as beloved members of their families. This tragic incident is not a reflection of the reptile community as a whole, but rather the actions of a single individual who failed to meet even the most basic standards of animal care.

Storage unit in Osceola County, FL where geckos were abandoned. Photo by Daniel Parker, who grants permission for this photo to be reprinted

"This case serves as a painful reminder of the importance of responsible animal ownership and the need for accountability when those responsibilities are ignored," said USARK Florida President Elizabeth Wisneski. "We stand with the vast majority of reptile keepers who prioritize the humane treatment of their animals. We strongly condemn anyone who would neglect or mistreat reptiles as was done in this case. It is important to distinguish between those who harm animals and those who care for them responsibly."

African Fat-tailed Gecko. The “fat tail” holds fat reserves which allow this gecko to survive periods of food scarcity in their harsh wild environment. Photo by Dakota Nivens, who grants permission for this photo to be reprinted

USARK Florida remains committed to promoting education and best practices for reptile care and encourages the public to report instances of neglect or abuse. We are dedicated to ensuring that all reptiles are treated with the respect they deserve.

About USARK Florida:

The United States Association of Reptile Keepers Florida (USARK FL) emphasizes the responsible keeping, conservation, and welfare of reptiles and amphibians through education, advocacy, and best practices, while fostering collaboration among stakeholders to address essential conservation and husbandry issues. For more information about USARK Florida and to stay updated on ongoing advocacy efforts, please visit usarkfl.net

For more information on this topic, or to schedule an interview, please contact Daniel Parker, USARK FL Director of Media, at 863-441-5067 or email media@usarkfl.net. Daniel Parker and Dakota Nivens grant permission for all photos in this release to be reprinted for media purposes. 

For more information, please contact:
Daniel Parker
Email: media@usarkfl.net
Phone: 863-441-5056
Website: usarkfl.net

The next FWC Commission meeting will be held Aug 13-14 in Havana, FL. 

Items of interest:

Consent Agenda
Proposed Final Rule – Federal Consistency for 3 species. Staff seek approval to update Florida Endangered and Threatened Species List to maintain consistency with federal listing determinations for 3 species. Two species, the Barbour’s map turtle (currently State-designated Threatened) and Escambia map turtle (currently not listed) will be updated to Federally-designated Threatened due to Similarity of Appearance. The Suwannee alligator snapping turtle (currently State-designated Threatened) will be updated to Federally-designated Threatened. 
NO PUBLIC COMMENT ON CONSENT AGENDA

Awards and Recognition
Florida Python Challenge

Items Requiring Action
Final Rules–Florida Black Bear Hunt. Staff will present the final amendments to hunting rules that establish bear hunt structure.

Listing Evaluation for Holbrook’s Southern Dusky Salamander and Alligator Gar. Staff will recommend listing the alligator gar and southern dusky salamander as State Threatened, and present proposed rule to add these species to the list of candidate species in 68A-27.0021 F.A.C. 

NOTE: Dusky salamanders are kept as pets and occur in trade. FWC has not sought input from keepers on this species. If approved as a candidate species, take will be immediately banned with no further public input. FWC has set a precedent for excercising extreme power on candidate species, which could easily be used in the future to ban more commonly-kept native species. No additional habitat protections are inherent to state listing. 

FWC has cancelled public comment on "Items Not on the Agenda," which is typically held at the end of the meeting. This continues a pattern of stifling public discourse, like their policy of deleting negative comments on social media.

See meeting agenda:
https://myfwc.com/about/commission/commission-meetings/august-2025/

USARK FL Applauds FWC Rule Changes, 

Urges Further Action on Nonnative Species

Green Iguana in the wild in Monroe County, Florida. Photo by Daniel Parker. Daniel Parker grants permission for this photo to be reprinted for media purposes

Florida – United States Association of Reptile Keepers-Florida (USARK FL) commends the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) for their recent vote on May 21 to approve rule changes to allow more nonnative Green iguanas to be removed from the wild in Florida. The Commission’s action will allow more citizens to be permitted to capture live iguanas for sale out of state. While this marks a significant step toward improved management of iguanas, critical gaps remain that require urgent attention.

Prior to the FWC’s implementation of Prohibited Species rules in 2021, reptile businesses in Florida removed hundreds of thousands of nonnative iguanas from the wild annually. However, once the FWC's prohibition took effect, iguana populations began to surge.

Green Iguanas in the wild in Broward County, Florida. Photo by Daniel Parker. Daniel Parker grants permission for this photo to be reprinted for media purposes

Under the guidance of new FWC Executive Director Roger Young, some proposed reforms of nonnative species rules have now come to fruition. "We have worked very hard with FWC to create rule changes which will allow more people to remove nonnative species," says USARK Florida President Elizabeth Wisneski. "This will benefit Florida’s environment and our small businesses."

However, she believes that the changes still don’t go far enough. “FWC must reform caging regulations to make it economically feasible for businesses to be able to house iguanas,” said Wisneski. “FWC has not taken action on allowing the collection of eggs. They have also not considered allowing the removal of tegus, which are nonnative lizards that we are concerned about impacting Florida’s environment in the future.”

While the approved rule changes represent progress, USARK Florida urges immediate attention to the pressing issues of caging, egg collection, and the collection of tegus to safeguard Florida’s environment.

About USARK Florida:

The United States Association of Reptile Keepers Florida (USARK FL) emphasizes the responsible keeping, conservation, and welfare of reptiles and amphibians through education, advocacy, and best practices, while fostering collaboration among stakeholders to address essential conservation and husbandry issues. For more information about USARK Florida and to stay updated on ongoing advocacy efforts, please visit usarkfl.net

FWC Rules Promote Expansion of Nonnative Iguana and Tegu Populations

Argentine Black and White Tegu- Photo by Travis de Lagerheim

(Travis de Lagerheim grants permission for this photo to be reprinted and distributed for publication)

Since the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) listed Green iguanas, tegus, and Burmese pythons as “Prohibited Species” in 2021, banning live collection of these species from the wild in Florida, populations of those species have continued to expand. FWC’s restrictive Conditional Species rules, which were already in place at the time, had virtually eliminated the keeping of listed species as pets, but still allowed removal from the wild. Because of the Prohibited Species rules, most wild collection and export of the affected nonnative species ceased.  

FWC never provided scientific justification that banning the collection, keeping, and sale of these species would reduce their wild populations in Florida. We can see now that it has had the opposite effect, while at the same time leading to the confiscation and killing of numerous pet reptiles. In the grizzly “Holy Thursday Massacre” event on April 6th, 2023, FWC officers were caught on camera killing over 30 pythons and a legally-owned pregnant Boa constrictor, which they apparently misidentified.

Before the ban, reptile businesses were exporting hundreds of thousands of Green iguanas from the state. Most of these were freshly-hatched babies. In 2021, most of that collection and export ceased. 

FWC staff recently proposed changes to rules regarding the management of Green iguanas and tegus. In a series of virtual meetings, FWC staff indicated that the objective of these changes is to activate more citizens to remove these nonnative species from the wild. However, the general feeling amongst the reptile keepers and business owners who commented was that, though some of the proposed changes were a step in the right direction, the regulations are still convoluted to the point of discouraging collection of wild iguanas and tegus.

FWC’s proposal will allow certain businesses who qualify to be permitted to sell and export Green iguanas out of state. Collectors may not sell or export the iguanas they catch on their own, but may be compensated by commercial permit holders in exchange for their animals. No new commercial permits will be issued for tegus and non permitted individuals may not collect tegus. Black and White tegus are currently an emerging nonnative species in Florida. Tegus are not nearly as common as Green iguanas in the wild at this time, but it is believed that they have the potential to expand their range in Florida. FWC is taking no new measures to allow expanded take of wild tegus in Florida. 

Permitted sellers of tegus will continue to be required to microchip all lizards taken in from the wild and exported, even if these animals are only kept for a short period of time within Florida. Reptile keepers believe that microchipping is hazardous to the health of the lizards, especially the babies. 

Baby Green Iguana from Broward County, FL- Photo by Daniel Parker

(Daniel Parker grants permission for this photo to be reprinted and distributed for publication)

Excessive caging requirements requiring concrete block enclosures will remain in effect, which will continue to ensure that few keepers or businesses can participate. 

These rules require that any eggs laid or found be destroyed, thus removing any profit motive for collectors targeting nests or gravid female lizards. FWC’s rules will actually incentivize collectors to leave gravid females and nests so that they can hatch in the wild and the babies can be collected after hatching.

The FWC Commissioners will meet May 21-22 in Ocala, FL. At this meeting, FWC staff is expected to present rule changes affecting Nonnative Species. 

Reptile keepers and conservationists are concerned that bureaucratic red tape will continue to discourage efforts to reduce wild populations of these nonnative species. Unless FWC is willing to consider more rule changes, especially concerning caging, microchipping, and further increasing the number of permit holders, collection of Green iguanas and tegus from the wild will not be economically feasible on a large scale, which will continue to allow wild populations of these nonnative species to continue to propagate and expand. 

For more info, please see this video on USARK FL’s YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/M8G4JdZp_C4?si=Vkpck35Je7hEtb3K

For more information on this topic, or to schedule an interview, please contact Daniel Parker, USARK FL Director of Media, at 863-441-5067 or email media@usarkfl.net. 

Please participate in upcoming virtual meetings Information on the changes can be found in the link below below.

https://myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/nonnatives/proposed-rule-change/?utm_content=&utm_medium=email&utm_name=&utm_source=govdelivery&utm_term=campaign

USARK Florida has been in talks with leadership from Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) on proposed changes to rules affecting Green Iguanas and Tegus in Florida. FWC is considering expanding the abilities of collectors to take wild Green iguanas and Tegus for sale and export.

Reptile keepers in Florida have requested a program that removes the onerous red tape currently found in FWC rules to create a system that allows for easy capture, transport, sale, and export of these nonnative lizards from the wild in Florida. The rules should be easy to understand and allow opportunities for anyone from the general public to participate. The current Prohibited Species rules have led to population expansions of affected species by preventing their capture out of the wild. It is important to include Tegus in this program, especially considering that wild Tegu populations in Florida are still at lower levels than iguanas and could be more susceptible to impact by collection at this time. Waiting for Tegu populations to further expand before taking measures to combat their spread makes no sense.

Please participate in the upcoming virtual meetings to give input.

From FWC:
FWC seeking feedback on proposed rule changes for nonnnative species

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is seeking feedback from all interested parties on proposed rule change concepts relating to nonnative species. A series of virtual public meetings will be held March 25-29, 2025, to provide the public with information on these concepts and to solicit feedback. Topics discussed will include qualifications for permits to sell green iguanas collected from the wild in Florida, transfer of Prohibited species sales permits, transfer allowances for captured green iguanas, and batch marking wild-caught green iguanas. Other proposed changes that will be discussed include Prohibited species pet permit renewals, caging requirements for juvenile green iguanas or tegus, options for FWC Law Enforcement placement of Prohibited species, and clarification on disallowing importation of Conditional or Prohibited species into Florida for personal use.

Virtual Public Meeting Series #1: The first series of virtual public meetings will cover permit qualifications for sales of wild-caught green iguanas, transfer of sales permits, transfer allowances for captured green iguanas, and batch marking of green iguanas. Content covered in all series 1 meetings is identical and it is not necessary to attend more than one virtual public meeting within the same series. This series will be held on the following dates and times:

Tuesday, March 25, 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. EST
Wednesday, March 26, 6-8 p.m. EST
Saturday, March 29, 1-3 p.m. EST

Virtual Public Meeting Series #2: The second series of virtual public meetings will cover renewals of Prohibited species pet permits, caging requirements for juvenile tegus and green iguanas, placement options for Prohibited species by FWC Law Enforcement, and clarification on importation of Conditional and Prohibited species for personal use. The content covered in all series 2 meetings is identical and it is not necessary to attend more than one virtual public meeting within the same series. This series will be held on the following dates and times:

Thursday, March 27, 1-3 p.m. EST
Thursday, March 27, 6-8 p.m. EST
Saturday, March 29, 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. EST

The virtual public meetings can be joined via Zoom link. No prior registration is necessary. To learn more about the proposed rule change concepts for nonnative species and the virtual public meetings, please go to Proposed Rule Changes for Nonnative Species | FWC . Comments regarding these topics can be submitted through the Nonnative Species Rule Making Comments form or via email at NonnativeSpeciesRules@MyFWC.com.

Author: Daniel Parker

Adult male Green Iguana in Broward County showing winter breeding season orange coloration-Photo by Daniel Parker (Daniel Parker grants permission for this photo to be reprinted and distributed for publication)

FWC’s “Prohibited Species Rules” of 2021 essentially banned the collection of live wild Green iguanas in Florida for the pet trade, which was to that point the primary means of controlling nonnative iguana populations. 

The Green iguana is native to tropical areas of the Americas from Mexico to South America. As a tag-along to global trade, it has managed to expand its range in tropical regions around the world. It is a frequent stowaway on cargo ships and even airplanes. It has been established in Florida for around 70 years. 

Green iguanas thrive in habitats disturbed by humans. In South Florida, they are much more likely to be seen along sidewalks, canals, and on manicured lawns than in natural habitats like marshes and forests, which may harbor predators. Green iguanas are almost exclusively vegetarian in diet.

Green iguanas often become quite tame under human care. Their impressive appearance and often friendly personality have made them some of the most popular pet lizards in the world. They may live over 20 years as pets or display animals. However, prospective keepers must be sure to educate themselves on the eventual large size and specific care requirements of these lizards. 

Florida’s reptile distributors have reported exporting numbers of iguanas in the hundreds of thousands per year prior to the ban. In the decades preceding FWC’s action in 2021, the total of wild Florida iguana exports likely numbered in the millions.

Reports by scientists, observations by citizens, and the increase in iguana-related content in the media suggests an exploding iguana population in Florida. If the goal of the Prohibited Species rules was to reduce the number of nonnative reptiles in the wild in Florida, it has been a dismal failure.

Since being appointed Executive Director of FWC in 2023, Roger Young has expressed an interest in expanding the ability of collectors to remove iguanas from wild in Florida for sale and export out of state. The United States Association of Reptile Keepers Florida (USARK FL) recognizes this as an opportunity to work with FWC on a solution which could have both economic and conservation benefits to Florida. 

 

Joe Hiduke of USARK FL represents Terrestrial Pet Keepers on FWC’s Nonnative Species TAG-Photo by Daniel Parker (Daniel Parker grants permission for this photo to be reprinted and distributed for publication)

 

Representatives of Florida’s animal industries, including zoo keepers, farmers, and pet advocates, met with FWC staff at a Technical Assistance Group (TAG) meeting at University of Florida’s Tropical Aquaculture Lab in Ruskin on December 5, 2024. FWC staff presented potential rule changes to make certain allowances for collection, sale, and export of Green iguanas. 

Unfortunately, the provisions presented by FWC staff were onerous to the point that few people would be incentivized to participate. Provisions requiring the marking of individual animals, reporting of exact locations of animals collected, time frames restricting how long animals may be kept, and costly cage security requirements will ensure that very few people would undertake the burden.

Representatives on the committee suggested that FWC staff create a more serious proposal, with some even saying that this process would be a waste of time if the new program is wrapped in so much red tape that nobody wants to collect iguanas.

FWC’s Prohibited Species Rules led to a rash of confiscation and euthanasia of pet reptiles by FWC law enforcement. The most well-known example of this was the “Holy Thursday Massacre” in April of 2023, when FWC law enforcement officers confiscated and killed a pet Reticulated python from 16-year-old Onya Golightly and then killed over 30 pythons and legally kept Boa constrictor at the facility of Chris Coffee and Bill McAdam. The Boa was pregnant with over 30 babies, which also perished. This event was extensively covered by worldwide media.

Even with new leadership at FWC, reptile keepers still do not fully trust FWC staff and officers that enforce their rules. Reptile collectors and businesses are unlikely to participate in any program that is overly complicated and could place them in legal jeopardy, especially with an agency that has seemed to display a “gotcha” attitude with our community in the past.

If FWC would like to enlist our help in reducing Florida’s wild Green iguana populations, we would be happy to have the conversation. For our community to participate, the program needs to be simple and free of the unreasonable red tape which seems to encircle every package presented by FWC’s bureaucrats. Otherwise, the millions of iguanas that we used to remove will continue to thrive and breed in the wild in Florida.

For more info, please see this video on USARK FL’s YouTube channel:

https://youtu.be/M8G4JdZp_C4?si=Vkpck35Je7hEtb3K

For more information on this topic, or to schedule an interview, please contact Daniel Parker, USARK FL Director of Media, at 863-441-5067 or email media@usarkfl.net.      

Also contact:

Michael Cole
Owner,Ball Room Pythons South
863-325-5208
ballroom@tampabay.rr.org

Curt Harbsmeier
Attorney, Harbsmeier Law Group LLC
863-640-7484
charbsmeier@hdalaw.com

FWC Commissioners have voted to make the Reef Gecko (Sphaerodactylus notatus notatus) a Candidate Species for state listing. This was a final rule vote that was not preceeded by a draft rule vote and period for public input. As of the May 1 vote, legal wild collection was immediately ended with no due process or assessment of economic impact by FWC. FWC did not reach out to USARK FL to assess the impact that listing or making this a candidate species for listing would have on industry. 

In 2019, Stephanie Clements and Christopher Searcy of University of Miami requested a biological status review by FWC to consider the Reef gecko for state listing. "New scientific evidence indicates that this species may in fact be declining across South Florida, and faces threats from habitat loss and climate change," said Clement and Searcy.

Unfortunately, no protection of habitat is inherent to protections for state listed species, as evidenced by the rampant destruction of State Threatened Florida pine snake habitat. As with most state listed species, there is no prescribed survey requirement or relocation procedure.

Based on previous precedent, state listing would likely result in banning keeping and breeding of this species. As with other listed herp species, state listing of the Reef Gecko is unlikely to lead to significant habitat protections. 

The account on the Reef Gecko in the book "Amphibians and Reptiles of Florida," co-authored by Dr. Kenney Krysko, retired FWC herp biologist Paul Moler, and current FWC herp biologist Kevin Enge, considers this species to be nonnative in Florida. State listing of a nonnative species as "Threatened" would be an unprecedented step for FWC.

USARK FL Unleashed, our new podcast, will be available on your favorite listening platforms! Stay tuned for spine-tingling stories, expert insights, and a whole lot of scaly fun! Get ready to engage with us in a whole new way.

https://usarkfl-unleashed.buzzsprout.com/2326908

Photo of Cuban Rock Iguana (Cyclura nubila) by Travis deLagerheim @travisaurusrex60 

HB1033 seeks to expand the ban on Green iguanas (Iguana iguana) to include all Iguana species (assumedly all genera of the family Iguanidae: Amblyrhynchus, Brachylophus, Cachryx, Conolophus, Ctenosaura, Cyclura, Dipsosaurus, Iguana, and Sauromalus.)

This would mean that rock iguanas, spiny-tailed iguanas, rhinoceros iguanas, chuckwallas, and all other Iguanids would become Prohibited Species. It does this by changing statute from reading “Green Iguana (Iguana iguana)” to just “Iguana.” 

Florida is the world center of conservation for imperiled iguana species. Some of the largest assurance colonies of endangered Iguanas are found at Florida facilities. The reptile industry has contributed to raising hundreds of thousands of dollars for Iguana conservation through IguanaFest and coordination with conservationists. In addition to its negative conservation impacts, this bill further degrades the freedoms of reptile keepers and small businesses within Florida.

HB1033 also bans the sales of dog and cats in pet shops. HB1033 was introduced by State Representative Sam Killebrew of Winter Haven (District 48)

Read the bill : https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2024/1033/BillText/Filed/PDF

The bill has been profiled and has not yet been assigned to a committee. The Florida legislative session begins on January 9, 2024. The bill would take effect on take effect July 1, 2024.

Call to Action:

Contact Representative Killebrew and tell him this bill is a threat to pet owners, small businesses, farmers, and conservation.

sam.killebrew@myfloridahouse.gov

Capitol Office

300 House Office Building

402 South Monroe Street

Tallahassee, FL 32399-1300

(850) 717-5048

District office

337 Avenue C Southwest

Winter Haven, FL 33880-3262

(863) 291-5254

Continue to follow @usarkflorida and @usark for more information.