On Twitter:

@tbo_factfinders

Follow @tbo_factfinders

Numbers tell the story, and we’ve got your numbers.
The News Center work group known as the Data Circle is your guide through the world of what counts. And what can be counted.
We’ll find the figures and show the patterns that explain life here in Tampa Bay-from amusement parks to zoo animals, with government salaries and big water users in between.
If it’s facts you want, we’ll find them for you. Shoot us an email.

Editors

Dennis Joyce

Joyce joined The Tampa Tribune as senior editor for metro in 2005 and later helped launch TBO.com’s continuous news desk. He has worked as an editor and reporter in Arizona, Kentucky, Virginia, Idaho and Stuart, Fla. Email

Jeff Scullin

Scullin has worked for The Tampa Tribune since 2005, directing news coverage in Pasco County and serving as the paper’s Sunday editor. He has worked as an editor and reporter in Lakeland, Sarasota, North Carolina and California. Email

Producer:
Janine Dorsey

Researcher:
Buddy Jaudon

Reporters:
Shannon Behnken
Mark Douglas
Rich Mullins
Courtney Cairns Pastor
Lindsay Peterson
Michele Sager
Michael Sasso
Kevin Wiatrowski

News Blog Search

Advanced Search

Most Recent Entries

• Memorial Day weekend deals to honor military, vets
• How come the poll results don’t match?
• Q Poll: Mack has long lead in primary, ties Nelson in general matchup
• Mack campaign retracts Fortuno endorsement quotes
• Coburn backs LeMieux, answering Mack’s Fortuno
• Q Poll: Romney has significant lead in Florida
• Storm The Swarm: SOCCENT deputy chief asks for technology to stop threat of Iranian small boats
• Nelson disses Obama on Castro daughter
• Hoyer to campaign with Ehrlich
• Mack dumbest speaker in Congress?  It’s complicated
• Guetzloe sentenced for not filing tax returns
• Mack asks feds to investigate LeMieux appointment
• Pentagon Reports Deaths of 7 Troops This Week in Support of Operation Enduring Freedom
• Mack demands investigation of LeMieux appointment
• Ross backs Mack

More

• Breaking News
• Command Post Tampa
• Fact Finders - Databay Blog
• Guestbook: Remembering The Fallen Soldiers
• Fresh Squeezed Politics
• RNC 2012: The Road to Tampa
• Political Safari

Monthly Archives

• May 2012
• April 2012
• March 2012
• February 2012
• January 2012
• December 2011

Fact Finder page | Follow us on Twitter Ask a question

Number of the day, 140: legal burmese python owners in Florida

Posted Nov 15, 2011 by Dennis Joyce

Updated Nov 15, 2011 at 01:25 PM

If you’re a fan of “Swamp Wars” on the Animal Planet network, or you’ve seen news accounts about their exploding population, you’d think invasive burmese pythons outnumber retirees in the Sunshine State.

There are indeed lots of them in the wild.

At up to 23 feet long and 200 pounds, each can wreak havoc on the Florida environment.

And all but a few are outlaws.

In fact, only 140 people or businesses hold licenses statewide from the Florida Fish & Wildlife Commission to keep these particular critters.

You need a license from the state to keep any “reptile of concern,” as they’re called, and “burmese/Indian python” is one of seven ROC classes. Others include reticulated pythons, green anacondas and Nile monitors.

More license holders live in Miami-Dade than any other Florida County, not surprisingly.

Hillsborough County has 11, including the Lowry Park Zoo and a guy who lives on Manhattan Avenue.

Click here to search the address of every ROC license holder in Florida on the database we keep in the TBO Fact Finder library.

And click here to read a scholarly paper about the invasion of the burmese pythons, produced by people who know - from the University of Florida.