Banning exotic species

The Times-Picayune, New Orleans: The Burmese python has become a serious problem in Florida, where the constrictors have taken up residence in the Everglades, gobbling up birds and animals, including threatened and endangered species.

Nutria are an invasive species that have wreaked havoc in Louisiana.

That’s why the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is banning the importation and interstate transport of the Burmese python and three other species deemed to be a threat to sensitive ecosystems. That’s a smart step.

The species covered by the ban — the Burmese python, the yellow anaconda, the northern African python and the southern African python — are all non-native species that have a high risk of establishing populations in the wild and moving into other areas.

Snake owners wouldn’t have to give up their pets.