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Florida

Provides selected Florida resources from agencies and organizations with an interest in the prevention, control, or eradication of invasive species.

Spotlights

  • Got Invasives? Get Help!

    • Apr 2022
    • University of Florida. Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Extension.

    • Have an invasive species problem on your property? Use FloridaInvasives.org to find private land owner assistance programs and connect with your local Cooperative Invasive Species Management Area (CISMA). FloridaInvasives.org is convenient, builds community awareness, leverages limited resources through cooperation, and may reduce individual land management costs. This resource is regularly updated to provide you up-to-date information. Visit FloridaInvasives.org and click on the "Landowner Assistance" link to find available assistance with your invasive species problem.

  • Governor Ron DeSantis Announces 2022 Florida Python Challenge

    • Jun 16, 2022
    • Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

    • Governor Ron DeSantis had announced that registration for the 2022 Florida Python Challenge opened and the annual 10-day event was scheduled August 5-14, 2022. Members of the public were able to take the required online training and register to compete to win thousands of dollars in prizes while removing invasive Burmese pythons from the wild. The competition is open to both professional and novice participants.

      Visit FLPythonChallenge.org to register for the competition, take the online training, register for optional in-person trainings, learn more about Burmese pythons and the unique Everglades ecosystem, and find resources for planning your trip to South Florida to participate in the Florida Python Challenge.

  • Pest Alert: Lissachatina fulica (Bowditch), Giant African Land Snail [PDF, 672 KB]

    • June 2022
    • Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

    • The giant African land snail (Lissachatina fulica (Bowditch)) (GALS) is one of the most invasive pests on the planet, causing agricultural and environmental damage wherever it is found. This snail was twice established in southeastern Florida and was successfully eradicated both times. On June 21, 2022, FDACS-DPI recieved a report of a possible population of the snail in New Port Richey, Pasco County. On June 23, a survey of the property confirmed the presence of a white form of the giant African land snail, which is popular in the pet trade in other countries. This snail is a Federally prohibited organism that cannot be legally sold or possessed in the USA.

      If you see a suspect GALS, take a picture, and contact the DPI Helpline at 1-888-397-1517 or DPIHelpline@fdacs.gov for instructions how to submit pictures and needed information. See also: Pests & Diseases - Giant African Land Snail for more information.

  • Florida Eradicates Giant African Land Snail

    • Oct 8, 2021
    • Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

    • This week, Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried and the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) Division of Plant Industry (DPI), along with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), announced the eradication of the giant African land snail (GALS) from Broward and Miami-Dade counties. This eradication announcement marks only the second time this pest has been eradicated in the world, both in South Florida. For the past 11 years, the FDACS Division of Plant Industry has worked toward eradication through multiple rounds of visual surveys and inspections, K-9 detector dog surveys and inspections, manual collection and treatment programs. In total, 168,538 snails were collected from 32 core population areas comprised of thousands of properties.

      The giant African land snail is a highly invasive agricultural pest, known to feed on over 500 varieties of plants. They also pose a risk to humans and animals by carrying rat lung worm, a parasite that can cause meningitis in humans. Both the USDA and DPI will continue to remain vigilant in their commitments to safeguard American agriculture through surveys, early detection, and rapid response. The public should continue to watch for the snails and report suspects to the FDACS-DPI hotline at 1-888-397-1517.

  • Exotic Pet Amnesty Program

    • Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

    • In an effort to keep unwanted exotic pets out of Florida's native habitats, people can surrender exotic pets free of charge with no questions asked. Every attempt will be made to place all healthy animals with experienced exotic pet adopters.

  • Identify and Report Invasive Animals and Plants in Florida - IveGot1

    • University of Georgia. Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health.

    • IveGot1 is more than just an app, it is an integrated invasive species reporting and outreach campaign for Florida that includes the app, a website with direct access to invasive species reporting and a hotline 1-888-IVEGOT1 for instant reports of live animals. By reporting sightings of invasive animals and plants, Florida agencies can better assess the extent of the infestations and hopefully eradicate new infestations before they become huge problems. The goal of IveGot1 is to make identification and reporting easy and efficient as possible.

  • Python Patrol

    • Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

    • Python Patrol is a no-cost training program that aims to create a network of trained individuals throughout south Florida who know how to identify Burmese pythons, report sightings, and in some cases, capture and humanely kill the snakes. Python Patrol training is offered throughout south and southwest Florida.

State Specific Threats

Selected Resources

The section below contains highly relevant resources for this location, organized by source.

Council or Task Force
  • Florida Invasive Species Council

    • Florida Invasive Species Council.

    • Special Note: In an effort to retire outdated invasive species terminology, the Florida Exotic Pest Plant Council (FLEPPC) formally changed its name to the Florida Invasive Species Council (FISC).

Partnership
  • Everglades Cooperative Invasive Species Management Area

    • Miami-Dade County (Florida); DOD. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; DOI. National Park Service and Fish and Wildlife Service; Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission; South Florida Water Management District.

  • Florida Invasive Plant Species Mobile Field Guide

    • Florida Exotic Pest Plant Council; Orange County Government; University of South Florida.

    • FLIP (Florida Invasive Plants) is designed to be a mobile field guide that can be accessed by a computer, smart phone, tablet, or other device with internet browser capability. Developed in partnership with the University of South Florida (USF), FLIP currently contains 20 plants: 19 of the 2011 Category I invasive species and one of the 2011 Category II invasive species, as designated by the Florida Exotic Pest Plant Council (FLEPPC).

  • Florida Invasive Species Partnership

    • Florida Invasive Species Partnership.

Federal Government
State and Local Government
Academic