Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Proposed changes to captive Maryland native reptile and amphibian regulations have been posted on the Maryland register for a 30 day public comment period. They can be seen here:

http://www.dsd.state.md.us/mdregister/3419/main_register.htm

Everything in brackets [] is removed from existing regulations, everything in italics is being added to the existing regulations.

I'll try to make a list of exact changes later, but this is from the regulations:

(1) Move certain species to and from lists A, B, and C;

(2) Add five species of aquatic turtles, including diamond-backed terrapin, painted turtle, eastern mud turtle, red-bellied cooter, and stinkpot, and two species of frogs (green frog and bullfrog) to list A;

(3) Add northern pine snake to List B;

(4) Update the scientific names of certain reptile and amphibian species;

(5) Prohibit the possession of copperheads;

(6) Establish a possession limit for bullfrogs taken from the wild for food;

(7) Allow for the captive breeding of turtles, including aquatic turtles, and commercial trade under certain conditions;

(8) Add shipping and transportation requirements for captive reptiles and amphibians;

(9) Provide a grandfathering clause for reptiles and amphibians held in excess of the new possession limits if owned prior to the effective date of these regulations; and

(10) Generally clarify certain existing language or delete certain unneeded language.

FYI,

List A means you can have up to four without a permit - you must have a permit if you breed, trade, barter, or sell, or if you have more than four. ONLY FOUR may have been removed from the wild in MD. (No paperwork to prove otherwise means they were taken from the wild in MD.)

List B means you can have ONE without a permit - you must have a permit if you breed, trade, barter, or sell, or if you have more than one. For North American wood and spotted turtles, NONE may have come from the wild in Maryland. For eastern box turtles, only one may have come from the wild in Maryland. (No paperwork to prove otherwise means they were taken from the wild in MD.)

List C means that the average person cannot have them. They can only be held with a scientific permit.

Katrina

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>>List B means you can have ONE without a permit - you must have a permit if you breed, trade, barter, or sell, or if you have more than one. For North American wood and spotted turtles, NONE may have come from the wild in Maryland. For eastern box turtles, only one may have come from the wild in Maryland. (No paperwork to prove otherwise means they were taken from the wild in MD.)
>>

I just got the notice about the changes in the laws today. Wish I would've known about this last week BEFORE the reptile show and having purchased an animal affected by the new regulations but didn't get a sales rec'pt because under the old regulations I would not have needed one.

On list B, one (1) "without" a permit would not matter if the animal is wild caught or captive bred/purchased... one is one afterall. But what about WITH a permit. I can safely assume with a permit that it allows for an unlimited number of captive bred/purchased because it says so. But there does not seem to be anything specific to what number of wild caught? Would it fall back to like the List A animals.. i.e. up to 4 from the wild and the rest captive bred/purchased or would it be limited to 1 from the wild and the rest captive bred/purchased?
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PHWyvern

Grandfathering of currently unregulated animals, or those moving from List A to List B, will be allowed through December 31st, 2007.

So, say you currently have five painted turtles (being added to List A and regulated for the first time) and two eastern hognose snakes (removed from List A and added to List B) without paperwork, you can grandfather all of them. If you wish to breed those, you can with a permit. If you wish to purchase more from a legal source to add to your grandfathered animals, you will be able to with a permit.

I'll try to go through the regs tonight and make a list of all the changes.

Quite personally, if a vendor, pet store, breeder, or adoption agency can't provide you with a receipt or contract listing common and Latin name and their contact information, don't do business there. FYI, by MD regulations, anyone selling a native, regulated reptile or amphibian in MD is required to supply that, any way.

Katrina