Texas Law

[Yorick]

Does anyone by chance know what the law is in texas for herps. Particularlly snakes. Thx

[EyeOfTheStorm]

The vary from county to county Yorick. I myself have had a hard time finding specifics on the web about Texas herp, or exotic pet laws. If you find anything concrete, let me know as well.

[telefrag]

state laws are pretty ambiguous.

there are some regs regarding native species, but what you can and cant have snake wise (hots, large constrictors) is designated at city level in most areas.

what city are you in?

[Yorick]

I dont live there yet but i plan on moving to arlington in the next few years.

[Dbutton]

I live in San Antonio and so far there are no regulations on what you can own as far as constrictors go. I think that Dallas has or is about to have some regs on big constrictors such as burms, but Texas is still pretty much wide open and free.


David

[Yorick]

Cool thats good to hear cuz i dont wanna have to gve up my snakes when I move. Thx Dbutton.

[Livia]

Until recently Texas didn't regulate exotic wildlife at all. A couple of years ago the state passed down a ruling to the counties that said they had a choice: ban 'dangerous animals' or enact some sort of licensing system for them. Since most counties didn't have the money, knowhow or manpower to enact a licensing system that would be effective, they chose to ban. This list only included big cats, wolves, bears, primates, and other things of that nature. Many counties also added various reptiles, especially venomous snakes to the list. The only safe bet would be to contact the county clerk and get clarification on the county laws. Then contact the city clerk and ask about the city bylaws, because they are different as well. I don't think Arlington bans many things, mainly because there are reptile expos held there several times a year and they always have big contstrictors for sale, but you'd best verify with someone who would actually know in case they have a permit system or something.

For native species it is quite a bit different, and more strict. The numbers you can have changes every year, and there is a non-game hunting permit for keeping and collecting in the wild. Texas tortoise, Texas indigo snake, lyre snake, Texas horned lizard, mountain short horned lizard, are all protected species - as well as a few others that are more localized like the Concho water snake. Almost all species of salamander are protected as well, especially the entirely aquatic varieties. Alligators are strictly regulated. There has been some rumblings coming out of Texas Parks & Wildlife lately about clamping down on native wildlife ownership and collecting. Its something everyone who keeps herps in Texas should be aware of, because it is doubtful they would grandfather in anything you already have should they decide to change the law and/or require a more strict permit.

Livia