Deadly Snakes, Illegal Reptiles Being Accepted for Amnesty Day

This article was posted by Kaitlyn Piccoli. It was written and reported by Jennifer Sloat.

Venomous snakes, large lizards and even crocodiles will be accepted at Sweetbriar Nature Center as part of Suffolk County’s Amnesty Day for illegal reptiles and amphibians.

The event is the first of its kind and is being held in conjunction with the Suffolk County SPCA and the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation and U.S. Fish and Wildlife and USDA.  The program comes in the wake of recent releases of alligators, snakes and other reptiles into communities in Suffolk County.

“The purpose of this effort is to get these reptiles and amphibians into a controlled environment where they can be cared for properly,” said Chief Roy Gross of the Suffolk SPCA .

A Bay Shore man plead guilty September 5 to selling wild animals as pets after investigators caught him attempting to sell Burmese Pythons on Craigslist, according to the New York State Department of Environmental.

Trained handlers will be available to accept the reptiles and amphibians from the public. People are asked to bring the animals in containers, which will be returned to them. On a numbered bases.
“All too often, indviduals do not realize the difficulties and complications that arise from owning one of these animals” said DEC Region 1 Director, Peter A. Scully.
Species that do not require permits, and/or are not threatened or endangered will not be accepted.  No mammals will be accepted, nor is unlawful possession of mammals part of the amnesty programs. 

Animals that will be accepted during the program :

• All reptiles that are venomous 
• Large Constrictor Snakes
• Burmese Python  
• Reticulated Python 
• African Rock Python 
• Green Anaconda 
• Yellow Anaconda 
• Australian Amethystine Python
• Indian Python   
•  Burmese Python  
• Reticulated Python African Rock Python 
• Green Anaconda 
• Yellow Anaconda 
• Australian Amethystine Python 
• Indian Python Asiatic 
•   Nile Monitor  
• White Throat Monitor 
•   Black Throat Monitor 
•   Crocodile Monitor   
•  Komodo Dragon    
•  All species and sub-species of Crocodilia (alligators, crocodiles and caimans