Florida Administrative Code › 68 - FISH AND WILDLIFE CONSERVATION COMMISSION › 68A - Freshwater Fish and Wildlife › Chapter 68A-6 - CAPTIVE WILDLIFE › Section 68A-6.0171 - Caging, Facility, and Transportation Requirements for Venomous Reptiles and Reptiles of Concern

Current through Reg. 50, No. 138; July 16, 2024
(1) Facility
				requirements: All persons licensed to keep, possess, or exhibit venomous
				reptiles or reptiles of concern shall provide safe, secure and proper
				enclosures for said reptiles. Primary enclosures shall be housed within
				appropriate secondary containment which meets the requirements of this rule. It
				shall be unlawful for any person whether licensed or not to keep, possess, or
				exhibit any venomous reptile or reptile of concern in any manner not approved
				as safe, secure and proper by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation
				Commission. Venomous reptiles or reptiles of concern shall be kept in primary
				enclosures of the following specifications:
(a) Primary enclosures shall be structurally
				sound and constructed using the following authorized materials: plate glass of
				at least one-eighth (1/8) inch thickness, break-resistant or injection molded
				plastic of similar strength, concrete reinforced with wire, sheet metal,
				one-quarter (1/4) inch or smaller woven or welded wire mesh (hardware cloth),
				molded fiberglass, plywood or solid wood (excluding materials constructed of
				lumber by-products such as oriented strand board (OSB), medium density
				fibreboard (MDF) and melamine) that has been treated to be impervious to
				moisture and is not less than one-half (1/2) inch in thickness, or other
				materials which provide equivalent stability and security against escape and
				unauthorized intrusion. Primary enclosures equipped with tracks holding sliding
				panels shall have the tracks secured with screws or rivets and enclosure design
				shall be escape-proof for the species contained therein. Primary enclosures and
				doors to primary enclosures shall be secured.
(b) Secondary containment: primary enclosures
				for venomous reptiles and reptiles of concern shall be kept in an escape-proof
				room or outbuilding which serves as secondary containment. Such room or
				outbuilding shall be structurally sound.
1.
				Any components constructed of lumber byproducts such as oriented strand board
				(OSB), medium density fibreboard (MDF) and melamine shall be no less than
				one-half (1/2) inch in thickness, shall not be directly exposed to weather and
				shall be constructed, covered, coated or treated to be impervious to
				moisture.
2. Manufactured
				outbuildings purchased after December 31, 2016, shall bear the insignia of
				approval of the Florida Building Commission and the manufacturer's data plate
				shall be clearly visible, legible and unobstructed.
3. Any room or outbuilding so used shall be
				securely anchored to the ground. Any outbuilding so used shall be equipped with
				a safety entrance. For the purposes of this rule, a safety entrance is defined
				as a protected, escape-proof area that can be entered by a keeper and prevents
				escape of venomous reptile(s) from secondary containment. Safety entrances
				shall be constructed of materials that are of equivalent strength as that
				prescribed for secondary containment and subject to Commission
				approval.
4. Rooms or outbuildings
				shall not be equipped with roll-up or retractable type entrances.
5. All rooms or outbuildings housing venomous
				reptiles shall be locked to prevent unauthorized intrusion, inspected and
				approved as conforming to these rules by Commission personnel prior to
				use.
6. Such room or out building
				shall be clearly posted at every point of entry with a sign stating "Danger -
				Venomous Reptiles" or in the instance of nonvenomous reptiles of concern a sign
				stating "Danger - Dangerous Reptiles."
7. If a viewing panel is used as a portion of
				an exterior wall of a room or out building serving as secondary containment,
				that viewing panel shall not also serve as one of the venomous reptile primary
				enclosure walls.
8. Viewing panels
				used a portion of an exterior wall of a room or out building serving as
				secondary containment shall be constructed of a minimum of one-quarter (1/4)
				inch thick, tempered, safety glass.
a.
				Interior viewing panels may be constructed of two ply laminated glass or coated
				with a safety/security window film no less than eight millimeters (8 Mil)
				thick.
b. Any safety/security film
				used shall be installed pursuant to the manufacturers detailed specifications.
				Documentation of film specifications shall be available for inspection by
				Commission personnel.
9.
				All primary enclosure access points shall be within the escape-proof room or
				out building.
(c)
				Venomous reptiles and reptiles of concern may be housed outside of secondary
				containment in outdoor primary enclosures meeting the following conditions:
1. Outdoor open-topped enclosures may only be
				used to house venomous reptiles native to the State of Florida and shall be
				inspected and approved by the Commission prior to use.
2. For venomous reptile species and reptiles
				of concern not native to Florida, all outdoor enclosures shall be topped with
				close-meshed wire or an equivalent barrier to provide additional security,
				equipped with a safety entrance and shall be inspected and approved by the
				Commission prior to use.
3. The
				floors of outdoor enclosures shall be of concrete or masonry block construction
				at least two (2) inches in thickness. Sides shall be constructed of concrete
				block, or strength equivalent material, with a minimum height of four (4) feet
				above the floor of the enclosure. Outdoor enclosures need not have concrete or
				masonry flooring if the enclosure meets the following additional
				specifications:
a. The enclosure shall have
				concrete or masonry walls, at least eight inches in thickness, or strength
				equivalent.
b. The enclosure shall
				have footers made of concrete, or strength equivalent, extending not less than
				three feet below the grade level, outside the perimeter.
c. The corners of enclosure shall be designed
				or guarded to prevent the escape of reptiles by climbing.
d. All landscaping of the enclosure shall be
				arranged to insure that vegetation or other structures do not allow for the
				escape of reptiles.
4.
				Entrance doors shall be kept securely locked on all outdoor enclosures to
				prevent escape and unauthorized intrusion and the enclosure shall be equipped
				with barriers to prevent visitors from falling into enclosures that are
				constructed below ground level.
5.
				Outdoor enclosures shall meet the minimum standard caging size requirements as
				specified in this chapter.
6. If a
				viewing panel is used as a portion of an exterior wall of an outdoor
				open-topped enclosure, such panel shall be constructed of a minimum of
				one-quarter (1/4) inch thick, tempered, safety glass. Viewing panel shall not
				serve as an access point to the enclosure.
(d) The amendments to the facility
				requirements in subsection (1), of this rule, shall be effective December 31,
				2016, but shall not apply to those facilities licensed to possess venomous
				reptiles prior to that date. Facilities licensed to possess venomous reptiles
				prior to December 31, 2016, shall have until January 1, 2018, to come into
				compliance with the amendments to subsection (1) of this rule, but their
				enclosures must be structurally sound and escape-proof. After December 31,
				2016, those licensees that desire to expand their inventory to include a family
				of venomous reptile species not previously authorized at their facility
				location shall comply with the amended requirements of subsection (1) of this
				rule.