Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hey, I'm new to this site, and pretty new to the international snake scene. I'm located in Canada, and would like to get a snake from the US. Specifically, a hognose. What kind of hassle would I be looking at if I tried to do this? Would I need some kind of permit? The government website seems to imply that there's no need for any of that save for turtles and tortoises, however, perhaps someone who's done it before would be better suited to tell me how it works. Any help at all would be greatly appreciated, thanks.

You don't have to go through the trouble of getting a hognose snake from the States. Western Hognose snakes are pretty common in the pet trade. Just make sure you get a captive bred speciman, not wild caught. Try looking for a breeder in your area and do your research on hognose snakes and try to find a place you can trust to purchase your hognose from. Good luck.

Hognose snakes are easy to get in Canada. Depending on your area, try and find a local reptile show. There are shows in most provinces. If you are in the Toronto area, they have shows every 2-4 months year round with the next one to be held in November. Alberta has a show a couple times a year and BC as well, I do believe.

Though you can get snakes from the US fairly easily, providing it isn't a protected species in Canada (either federal or provincial) and isn't banned in municipal by-laws. For the most part, the breeder shipping you the snake will need to get a CITIS permit to export the snake to you. They may charge more for this requirement but other than that, you don't need anything yourself. Unless you are hoping to import for a business, then you may need to get an import license, but just for a pet for yourself, it won't be necessary.