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.
Comments may be sent to Glenn D. Therres, Associate Director, DNR—Wildlife and Heritage Service, 580 Taylor Ave E-1, Annapolis, MD 21401, or call 410-260-8540, or email to gtherres@dnr.state.md.us, or fax to 410-260-8596.
Comments will be accepted through October 15, 2007.

The regs 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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1.2 Eastern Muds - Fred, Ethel, Edith
0.1 Iguana - Tiffel
Foster turtles: More than I'd like the husband to know about.

When was the last time an actual wild pine snake was found in MD? I have heard that the DNR was releasing Jersey pines in the Delmarva peninsula. Has this taken place yet?

Just wondering what their actual status was.

Thanks, Phil

As far as I know the release has not happened.

I think there have been 5 specimens found in MD in the last 75 years, but I think only one was confirmed by experts as a pine snake. I don't "do" snakes, but I'll try to find the literature on all this "historical" information. When the original MD regs came out in 1993, the pine snake wasn't listed.

Katrina

Looks like its a done deal according to this link I found on the web. I hope they adequately sampled the area before opening a Pandora's box of Jersey pines!

Phil
pine snake reintroduction

i attended that meeting last spring-it was pretty informative.the research was reviewed/summarized to the public in attendance-seemed pretty exhaustive,and done by people that would know as well as anyone whether it was worth a shot,where,how,etc....feedback/input was welcome,and over the course of the day there were strong arguments heard from both the supporters and detractors.the latter faction won out and to my knowledge it has been shelved indefinitely.......my two cents-where 'classic' coastal plain pituophis habitat almost certainly was home to n.pines in the past(likely within the last few hundred years?),the land is now butchered,used for agriculture and coastal real estate,with heavily trafficked roads throughout.....there are several records and credible reports of pines from md. over the last century,but many seem to be obvious escaped pets,etc.(especially the more recent ones)...i can understand herp folk wanting DNR to focus their limited time and monies elsewhere(e.g. helping populations that are still present,as opposed to reintroductions) but what shocked me was how many people refused to accept the very strong evidence that pines indeed once occured in maryland and the rest of the delmarva penninsula.

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"with head raised regally,and gazing at me with lidless eyes,he seemed to question with flicks of his long forked tongue my right to trespass on his territory" Carl Kauffeld

I attended school on the Delmarva from 72 - 78. My high school lab had a preserved pine snake in it. No local data but from memory most if not all specimens in the collection were animals that were killed locally.

Well, DNR would like to hear from you!

Katrina

Alraedy have. I was in on the original site survery.

>>As far as I know the release has not happened.
>>
>>I think there have been 5 specimens found in MD in the last 75 years, but I think only one was confirmed by experts as a pine snake. I don't "do" snakes, but I'll try to find the literature on all this "historical" information. When the original MD regs came out in 1993, the pine snake wasn't listed.
>>
>>Katrina

Nope they weren't listed. The northern pine far as I know has always been spoken of as a "historical" or "extirpated" species in MD.
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PHWyvern

"... The northern pine far as I know has always been spoken of as a "historical" or "extirpated" species in MD."

If it's true tat they are "extirpated", Then what's the point of putting them on a restricted list?

Smacks of Closing the Barn Door after the Horse is Lost.

John D
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I am so not lesdysxic!

0.1 Creamsicle Cornsake "Yolanda"
1.0 Bairds Ratsnake "Steely Dan"
0.1 Desert Kingsnake "FATTY"
0.1 Black Rat "Roberta" RELEASED!!!