Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I just now caught a large, beautiful black rat snake in my back yard that my dog was terrorizing and my question is, are there laws against keeping wild caught reptiles? I know people do it all the time, but I'm a very law abiding person. I know laws differ from state to state and city to city, so if it's any help I live in Oklahoma. I probably won't keep him permanently, but I have a reptile program to give at the library in July and I don't own any native animals so I thought he would make a good addition. Well, any thoughts? Thanks!
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Well, any thoughts? Thanks!

http://www.wildlifedepartment.com/regs/huntregs6.htm

That's the OK regs for reptiles and amphibians. My interpretation is that you can keep it, since it's not a "closed-season" species (ratsnakes are EVERYWHERE!), and you could consider it the removal of a nuisance reptile by a landowner (you). In other places on the web site, it says landowners don't need a license to hunt GAME animals on their own land--it doesn't mention nongame animals at all, though.

Most state hunting/fishing regs were written long before people started keeping herps on a large scale, so many states address herps only as an afterthought.
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Chris McMartin
www.mcmartinville.com
I'm Not a Herpetologist, but I Play One on the Internet