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TAMPA - Turtles and birds and snakes. (Oh, my.)

What was the rarest of them all? An albino skunk.

Those were just some of the exotic animals turned in today during the nonnative pet amnesty day held at Busch Gardens.

Organized by the theme park, the city of Plant City and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the day gave owners the chance to relinquish their exotic pets with complete amnesty from Florida wildlife regulations.

About 100 animals were surrendered Saturday, the majority being reptiles, said Leigh Andrus, spokeswoman for Busch Entertainment Corporation. Of the reptiles, there were "a lot of Burmese pythons" turned in, she said.

"We were very pleased they were bringing them in," Andrus said of the pythons. "This was the first time we did this and we didn't know what to expect, but were very happy with the turnout."

The event was part of an effort to prevent the release of unwanted exotic animals, such as Burmese pythons that have been taking over large areas of the Everglades. Many of the 133 species of nonnative fish and wildlife established in the wild in Florida resulted from releases by pet owners, Busch Gardens officials say.

For more, visit: http://www2.tbo.com/content/2009/nov/08/na-exotic-destination/