Hard To Be A Herper In Maine.

Hi Everyone,
I thought I would share the laws here in Maine as it pertains to snakes and reptiles that are allowed to be kept without a permit. It is almost laughable. Maine has some of the strictest rules when it comes to what you can have and what you can't have, and as you will see there are far more of what you CAN'T have compared to what you can. The list provided is only the animals we are allowed to keep. All others require a "handlers" or a "propagation" permit and that is IF you can get one. We, and other members of our local herp society, have been trying to get this list updated with more species being allowed to be added to this "unrestricted" list. There is a motion in the State legislature to have this list revised to include all non-venomous, tropical species. Species that definitely would not survive Maine's seasonal changes. This motion was addressed almost a year ago and here we sit awaiting the final decision. Hopefully things will change soon. :shrugs:
Jay

Here is "Maine's Unrestricted List"...............

Maine Unrestricted List
(These herps do NOT require a permit to own.)​

EXCEPTION CODES

BIO - "BIOHAZARD" This is a species whose native environment/climate is not unlike Maine's. The chances of this species being able to establish itself and thrive in Maine are reasonably high.

E&T - "ENDANGERED AND THREATENED" This animal is endangered and threatened in its native habitat.

SN - "SPECIAL NEEDS" These animals require highly specialized care in captivity.

CB- Captive Bred Only

ssp- all subspecies unrestcited

SNAKES

Water Snakes (Nerodia) ssp
*Exceptions*- Northern Water Snake (N. sipedon) BIO
Atlantic Salt Marsh Snake (N. clarkiitaeniata) E&T
Concho Water Snake (N. paucimaculata) E&T
Rat Snakes, American New World (Elaphe/Pantherophis) ssp
*Exceptions*- Black Rat Snake (E. o. obseleta) BIO and E&T in Mass.
Old World Rat Snakes (Elaphe) ssp SN & BIO
King Snakes (Lampropeltis) ssp
*Exceptions*- Scarlet King Snake (L. triangulum elapsoides) SN
St. Helena Mt. King Snake (L. z. zonata) BIO
Milk Snakes (Lampropeltis) ssp
*Exceptions*- Eastern Milk Snake (L. t. triangulum) BIO
Red Milk Snake (L. t. syspila) BIO
Pale Milk Snake (L. t.multistrata) BIO
Indigo Snake, South American Cribo (Drymarchon) ssp (CB)
*Exceptions*- All U.S. Indigo Snakes SN and E&T
Gopher and Pine Snakes (Pituophis) ssp
Glossy Snakes (Arizonas) ssp
House Snakes (Boaedon) ssp
Sunbeam Snake (Xenopeltis unicolor)
Boa Constrictor (Boa c. constrictor)
Ball Python (Python regius) (CB, due to ticks)
Rainbow Boas (Epicrates cenchrin) ssp
Rosy Boa (Lichanura trivirgata)
Jungle Carpet Python (Morelia spilota) ssp
Children's Python (Liasis childreni)
Kenyan Sand Boa (Eryx colubrinus loveridgei) (CB)
Rough Scaled Sand Boa (Eryx conicus) (CB)

LIZARDS

Common Agama (Agama agama)
Giant Amevia (Amevia amevia)
Basilisks, common (Basilicus) ssp
Bearded Dragon ( Pogona vitticeps)
Anoles (Anolis) ssp
Chuckwallas, Chilean (Phymaturus) ssp
Gecko, Mediterranean (Hemidaclybus) ssp
Gecko, Banded (Coleonyx) ssp
Gecko, Day (Phelsuma) ssp
Gecko, Leopard (Eublepharis) ssp
Gecko, Tokay ( Gecko gecko)
Gecko, African Fat Tailed (Hemitheconyx caudicinctus) (CB)
Gecko, New Caledonian Crested (Rhacodactylus ciliatus)
Lizard, Alligator (Gerrhonotus) ssp
Lizard, Collard and Leopard (Crotaphylus) ssp
Lizard, Curly Tailed (Leicephalus) ssp
Lizard, False clubed tailed (Pseudocordylus) ssp
Lizard, Girdled tailed (Cordylus) ssp
Lizard, Glass (Ophisaurus) ssp
Lizard, Greater Earless (Holbrookia) ssp
Lizard, Mountain Horned (Calotes) ssp
Lizard, Plated (Gerrhosaurus) ssp
Lizard, Rockn (Platysaurus) ssp
Lizard, Side Blotched (Uta) ssp
Lizard, Spiny (Sceloporus) ssp
Lizard, Tree and Bush (Urosaurus) ssp
Lizard, Zebra Tailed (Calisaurus) ssp
Lizard, Black (Ctenosaurus) ssp
Lizard, Whiptail (Cnemidophorus) ssp
Lizard, Night (Xantusia) ssp
Skink, Blue Tongued (Tiliqua) ssp (CB)
Skink, SW Five Lined (Eumeces inexpectatus)
Tegu, Common (Tupinambis) ssp (CB)
Tegu, Dwarf (Callopistes)
Water Dragon (Physignathus) ssp
S. American Swift (Liolaemus) ssp
*Exception*- (L. altissimus) no reason given

TURTLES

Red-Eared Slider (Chrysemys scipta elegans) 4" minimum

AMPHIBIANS

Horned Frog (Ceratophys) ssp
White's Tree Frog (Litrioa caerula)
Green Tree Frog (Hyla cinerea)
Red Eyed Tree Frog (Agaaychnis)
Pixie Frog - African Bullfrog (Pyxicephalus) ssp

37 views and no replies. :shrugs:

I will ask this.........
Do any of you other members have to deal with restrictions such as these? Are your laws and regulations where you live more restrictive, the same or more lenient? I am wondering what other members have to endure and deal with in order to continue in this hobby we all love. Thanks in advance for any replies.
Jay

Hmm...I'm not entirely sure about what is restricted because i only have corns, and they are not a problem...that does seem pretty rediculus to have that many restrictions though...I think I'll go check out what ours are.

Well, as far as I can tell Pennsylvania does not have many restrictions. Native Pennsylvania species and the size of turtles seem to be the only restrictions. Im not completely sure though. I just did a really quick search.

Hi Jay,
I tried to check on the laws for Illinois before and it seems as though our state is pretty laid back about reptiles for now. There are some towns around here that have some restrictions about the size of snake you own. Such as one town says you can't own any thing over 5 ft. But we are all very small towns here so things are kind of run..well...how ever you want. No one will come check on you if you have some thing your not supposed to unless the town people raise nine kinds of @#$%. They worry more about that old car in your yard or your grass needs mowing than the reptiles you own. LOL

The town where I live just passed a ... I can't think of the word... it's not a law but... it's still a rule... arg.. anyway... We're not allowed to own any snakes over 4ft long and anything venomous w/o a permit. I know the guy who caused this to happen and I'm very mad. The guy has smuggled so many venomous snakes and lizards in and he let a bunch of them roam free around his yard while he cleaned their tanks. No one had been injured but his whole neighborhood got together w/ a petition to have them all banned. Now all of my snakes will be illegal when they are full grown (my 2 corns and my royal) and I can't have a scorpion or a Tarantula anymore.

firesprite said:

The town where I live just passed a ... I can't think of the word... it's not a law but... it's still a rule... arg.. anyway... We're not allowed to own any snakes over 4ft long and anything venomous w/o a permit. I know the guy who caused this to happen and I'm very mad. The guy has smuggled so many venomous snakes and lizards in and he let a bunch of them roam free around his yard while he cleaned their tanks. No one had been injured but his whole neighborhood got together w/ a petition to have them all banned. Now all of my snakes will be illegal when they are full grown (my 2 corns and my royal) and I can't have a scorpion or a Tarantula anymore.

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More than likely what they passed is called an "ordnance".You may possibly have a way around this, if you live in a small town. Most of the time when a town passes an ordnance if you already had the thing that is now banned you are considered "grandfathered in". Meaning you had it before the law took place so there for; if you can prove you did; they can not make you get rid of it. But this also means you can't get more. I would say not to worry about your snakes. Just don't advertise how big they are later when they are full grown. Trust me, they aren't going to bring a tape measure to prove you wrong. LOL

Okay, when I say town, maybe I should be more specific, there's 30K people here. It's not really a town. But considering I lived in Chicago, it is to me. Anyway, I checked. They're not grandfathering anyone in because they can't prove when you got the snakes. It is one of those things though that it only matters if you get caught, you know? On the other hand, I don't own my home, I rent an apartment, and should my landlord get fussy, that could be a problem. Doesn't matter, I'm moving to the next town in a week. (By next town, I mean.. literally they border each other. Growing town type thing).

Oh and thanks for giving me that word. I KNEW what it was called... just having one of those blonde moments.

i know how you feel, i live in saskatchewan and our province actually bans anything in the boidae family-no pythons or boas of any sort!
it is kind of annoying because we are the only province that has this stupid law-only made in 1985, every other province in the country of canada allows people to own pythons or boas! though it is "illegal" many still own said snakes, esp. since it is so easy to go over to alberta, grab one and come home with it-which can be a bad thing...the guy who runs this local pet store i go to always has to deal with people who grab a boa or something from alberta or somewhere and than later try to dump it off on him becuase they can't always sell the conventional way. the same guy has also tried to fight this law, explaining that there are differences between owning a say 8 foot red tail and a 2 foot sand boa, and he even proposed some sort of registration or permit of certain snakes.....but these people are really ignorant, know nothing about what they are banning and don' care to learn. but yet we allow such things as say pitbulls(no offense if you own one-i know that not every pit is dangerous-its the owner) while other canadian cities ban them, and i am pretty sure there are more dog maulings and deaths than snake.
sorry about the rant, i started out fine but the more i wrote the more cheesed off i got. but here is some of the reptiles allowed without a license here:
(i ) Reptilia (snakes) other than rattlesnakes, eastern yellow-bellied
racers, northern red-bellied snakes, eastern short-horned lizards or
turtles that have not been reared in captivity;
(ii) Amphibia (frogs, toads and salamanders);
(iii) lizards, crocodilians and snakes other than poisonous snakes or
snakes of the family Boidae (constrictors); and
(iv) frogs, toads, newts and salamanders; but is otherwise subject to
these regulations.
- not stated here but we also ban every type of tarantula except three, one being the chilean rose hair. it used to be every species but the same pet store guy fought them, using some law against them dealing with business restrictions or something and was able to allow 3 types.

The only laws I am sure of in TN is

NO turtles ever

and

No wild caught animal can be kept as a pet...

My town has by-laws banning all types of both Pythons (including balls) and boas (including BRBs). It's ridiculous, but unjust laws are made to be broken. Call it civil disobedience.

Monger said:

My town has by-laws banning all types of both Pythons (including balls) and boas (including BRBs). It's ridiculous, but unjust laws are made to be broken. Call it civil disobedience.

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I understand were you're coming from, but unfortunately, that often leads to more restricting legislation.

Chris

PJCReptiles said:

37 views and no replies. :shrugs:

I will ask this.........
Do any of you other members have to deal with restrictions such as these? Are your laws and regulations where you live more restrictive, the same or more lenient? I am wondering what other members have to endure and deal with in order to continue in this hobby we all love. Thanks in advance for any replies.
Jay

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Jay,
I know here in MN its also regulated by City. Minneapolis has a ban on all reptiles and ST. Paul allows snakes but with a permit, and this is all snakes.


Here is the verbiage for Minneapolis.

74.50. Wild animals. No person shall keep or allow to be kept any place in the city any wild, exotic, dangerous, or non-domestic animal or reptile. (Code 1960, As Amend., § 816.050; Ord. of 6-13-75, § 2; 2008-Or-004, § 1, 2-1-08)

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Here is the list for St. Paul.

Keeping of Animal Permit
you must obtain a permit to maintain the following animals:

o badgers
o bees
o bison
o cats - more than 3 at one address
o chickens
o chinchillas - any not kept as a pet
o deer
o dogs - more than 3 at one address
o ducks
o eagles
o ferrets
o geese
o hoofed animals
o lizards
o miniature pot-bellied pigs
o mink
o pheasants
o pigeons
o rabbits - more than one at one address
o raptors
o snakes
o turkeys
o weasels
o other similar small animals and birds

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LOL Sugar gliders are illegal to own but I can still get a Badger. lol

Also folks,
If you are interested check out your state and see if your area is listed.
http://www.kingsnake.com/laws/

I checked my local ordinances, and my town has a long list of banned "dangerous" animals, in which it lists just "snakes" along with the lions, tigers, bears, etc. So apparently all snakes are banned in my town.

I wanted to get a clarification but I didn't think it was a good idea to draw attention to myself.

Flagg said:

I checked my local ordinances, and my town has a long list of banned "dangerous" animals, in which it lists just "snakes" along with the lions, tigers, bears, etc. So apparently all snakes are banned in my town.

I wanted to get a clarification but I didn't think it was a good idea to draw attention to myself.

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I'll go ahead and say that you should just keep hush-hush about it.

How 'bout NJ.. if you think that is strict come live here.
No red eyed corns, no selling of turtles, no WC animals... and so on. And I believe that.. Ball pythons.. actually all boids you need a permit for. Most people are not aware of this and don't get one but if they catch you, you might get in trouble. I asked my pet store about this and they said yes. I'm going to try and ask F&W about it...

no red eyed corns? what is that about? that has to be one of the most rediculous regulations I've heard of.

SnakesRule1234 said:

How 'bout NJ.. if you think that is strict come live here.
No red eyed corns, no selling of turtles, no WC animals... and so on. And I believe that.. Ball pythons.. actually all boids you need a permit for. Most people are not aware of this and don't get one but if they catch you, you might get in trouble. I asked my pet store about this and they said yes. I'm going to try and ask F&W about it...

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You've got that backwards. Red eyes are the ones you're allowed to legally have/sell, specifically amels, butters, snows, pearls, lavs, blizzards, creamsicles, sun glows and candycanes.