The Department of Agriculture and Fisheries is warning of the dangers of keeping exotic reptiles after the recent seizure of four non-native snakes.
Biosecurity Queensland offices have seized three American corn snakes (an example of which is pictured) and a four-metre Burmese python in the past two months.
Minister for Agricultural Industry Development and Fisheries, Mark Furner said exotic reptiles posed a serious biosecurity risk to Queensland.
“Overseas evidence clearly shows that private possession of non-native reptiles poses a significant risk to native wildlife, the environment and, in some cases, human life and safety,” Mr Furner said.
“Virtually all species of non-native reptiles are capable of establishing wild populations when introduced into a new environment such as Australia and can also threaten our environment, agricultural industries and economy.”
Mr Furner said American corn snakes and Burmese pythons were exotic non-native reptiles and were declared as prohibited invasive biosecurity matter under the Biosecurity Act 2014.
“Under the Act it is an offence to deal with prohibited matter which includes keeping, possessing, feeding, distributing, importing, transporting, disposing, buying, supplying or using prohibited matter,” he said.
“Preventing the possession of high-risk species helps to avoid the development of large-scale, generally intractable pest problems.”
Mr Furner said Biosecurity Queensland officers had seized 81 exotic animals in the past six years.
“Alarmingly, one-third of all these seizures have been American corn snakes. This high rate of detection means that American corn snakes could become an established pest in Queensland,” the Minister said.
“The three recently seized American corn snakes and the Burmese python have been euthanised and investigations are ongoing,” he said.
