Posted by: bdymdifier at Mon May 10 20:13:35 2004

I live in California, and although I have been keeping snakes for a long time, I haven't considered keeping any hot herps until now. I did some searching on the net about the laws regarding the keeping of venomous reptiles in california, and I found a site that says it is legal to own up to two of each species of venomous snakes in california with out a permit, but any exotic species require one. This raised a few questions:
1) How hard is it to obtain a permit for an exotic species? (I've been considering a gaboon viper)
2) Exactly which species of venomous reptiles are indigenous to california?
3) Of course I'd rather go with captive bred, and am not opposed to paying the price for such an animal, but is it legal to collect non-endangered snakes from the wild in CA if one were to come across one?


I'm puzzled!!! Until now you hadn't thought about keeping any hot herps. You state you are a CA resident yet don't know what species of venomous reptiles are indigenous to California. It is obvious that a little more research needs to be done before you could realistically consider the consequences of such whimsical thoughts. Additionally you state that you've been considering a gaboon viper....Please do your homework in private and learn the basics first. You state that you have no venomous experience. You don't know what venomous reptiles occur in your own state. And you don't know what agency of local/state government is the controlling authority....Try the California Dept of Natural Resources. Additionally you could try a zoological park for info or perhaps become a volunteer and gain valuable knowledge, experience, and the credentials necessary to obtain a permit if available. A little more real research could help you identify native venomous species...Good luck.

[ Show Entire Thread ]