Hey, how you doing?

When it comes to our great state of PA. All reptiles and amphibians are controlled by the Fish and Wildlife Dept. A few years back they got laws passed making it illegal to collect for sale any kind of herp. Including eggs and even body parts of dead animals. The only exception being Snappers and Timber Rattlers which there is an open hunting season on (July and August). The only species you can't collect privately, are species on the Federal Endangered List. The only herp from PA on the FEL is the Bog Turtle.

In the course of a year, you are allowed to collect 2 of every species of herp in PA for private use.

I can only assume, and I am guessing here, is that by making it illegal to sell any wild caught herp or herp product, this would relieve some of the pressure on wild herp populations, and that their numbers would increase naturally without "additional programs". Like the ones you're talking about. This sounds like a logical approach, but it's habitat loss to the greedy developers that has to be addressed. Some of our more conscientious legislators are trying to deal with the problem, but the developers have the big money and the top gun lawyers. They're not concerned about the herps.

Bob, Philadelphia.

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