Business & Tech

Winchester Business May Be Impacted by Federal Ban

Jabberwock Reptiles may feel the effects of a ban on the sale of four types of snakes.

There is a new federal ban that prohibits four kinds of pythons and anacondas that can no longer be sold across state lines, according to the Eagle Tribune.

According to Stephen Ayer, in Winchester, the ban comes from a problem in Florida, where Burmese pythons are taking over the Everglades. Ayer said that after Hurricane Andrew, snakes escaped from their owners and began breeding in the southern part of the state.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service then decided to ban the Burmese python, the yellow anaconda, and the northern and southern African pythons. According to Ayer, those snakes can no longer be imported or sold across state lines.

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“If you already have the snakes you can keep it,” Ayer said. “But you can’t sell it across state lines. It's considered a felony if you do. And there’s a concern that other animals will be added to the list.”

Ayer said that responsible owners should not be punished for what’s going on in one section of Florida.

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“People spend a lot of money and time to get them and breed them,” Ayer said. “Now people might not want them and you can only sell to people in the state.”

Ayer, who does not have the restricted snakes, but has plenty of ball pythons, which was originally on the list before being taken off, said that the ban could be bad for business.

“People go around the country selling snakes,” Ayer said. “This is their business, selling these things. This is just another way of people and businesses struggling to make money. Another obstacle in the way.”


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