Ban exotic animals
Re the July 20 article, Could the next Burmese python be a lizard from South America?: The Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission might argue that they couldn’t have foreseen that green iguanas, Burmese pythons or Lionfish would establish themselves in the South Florida Ecosystem, but there is no excuse not to act to prevent future problems. The agency must change its hands-off approach to the exotic pet trade.
The tegus in the Everglades are descended from released or escaped pets. It is time to ban the breeding and sale of tegus and other exotic animals as pets in Florida.
Nick Atwood, campaigns coordinator, Animal Rights Foundation of Florida, Fort Lauderdale
This story was originally published July 27, 2015 at 6:17 PM with the headline "Ban exotic animals."