This was in the October 2007 edition of Terrapin Tales, the newsletter of the Mid-Atlantic Turtle & Tortoise Society.



Katrina

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New York’s “Small Game Species”



A bill passed in 2005, SB5192-A, turned New York's native reptiles and amphibians into "small game species". The law established the regulatory authority of the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) for setting seasons, bag limits and methods of take for amphibians and reptiles. In 2006, the DEC passed regulations giving native reptiles other than snapping turtles and diamondback terrapins an open season of "none", thus making it illegal to possess any other native reptile in New York. There was no grandfathering of native reptiles in possession before the law and regulations became effective.



Only snapping turtles and terrapins may be harvested in New York. Terrapins may not be possessed in New York outside of their harvest season, August 1st to April 30th. Until this year, there were no regulations for the harvesting of snapping turtles. As of September 2007, the DEC was revising snapping turtle regulations, and had proposed an open season of July 15th to September 30th. A size limit of a minimum of 12 inches (straight carapace length), a daily bag limit of 5 and seasonal limit of 30 was proposed. The DEC hopes to have finalized the regulations by the end of September, 2007. For more information, visit http://www.dec.ny.gov/ or call 518-402-8919.



The common snapping turtle (Chelydra serpentina), common musk (a.k.a. stinkpot) (Sternotherus odoratus), eastern mud (Kinosternon subrubrum subrubrum), spotted (Clemmys guttata), bog (Glyptemys muhlenbergii), wood (Glyptemys insculpta), eastern box (Terrapene carolina carolina), common map (a.k.a. northern map) (Graptemys geographica), painted (Chrysemys picta), Blanding's turtle (Emydoidea blandingii), eastern spiny softshell (Apalone spinifera spinifera), and diamondback terrapin (Malaclemys terrapin) are all native to New York.

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