WASHINGTON (CN) - The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service banned the importation of four nonnative constrictor snakes in the United States in an effort to protect the Florida Everglades and other ecosystems, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar announced Tuesday.
     The Burmese python, yellow anaconda, and the northern and southern African pythons can multiple and spread rapidly, according to a 2009 U.S. Geological Survey report. The restriction will take effect in 60 days.
     "The Burmese python has established breeding populations in South Florida, including the Everglades, that have caused significant damage to wildlife and that continue to pose a great risk to many native species, including threatened and endangered species. Burmese pythons on North Key Largo have killed and eaten highly endangered Key Largo wood rats, and other pythons preyed on endangered wood storks," according to the press release.
     "In the Everglades alone, state and federal agencies have spent millions of dollars addressing threats posed by pythons - an amount far less than is needed to combat their spread. If these species spread to other areas, state and federal agencies in these areas could be forced to spend more money for control and containment purposes," according to the announcement.
     The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service says it is also considering banning five other snakes: the reticulated python, boa constrictor, DeSchauensee's anaconda, green anaconda and Beni anaconda.
     Snake owners, for the most part, will not be affected; however, owners cannot transport the snakes out of their state.