Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hey everyone, I few years back a had a couple eastern box turtles and was thinking about getting a couple again!!! My concern is that I have recently seen a few post on the net that say they are illegal to posses in Pennsylvannia now!!!

I can't find anything on the net that definitely states that they are illegal to have but If they are I want't to sqaush the fever sooner than later to purchase a couple!!!!!

I checked out the Pa fish and game site but it is not a 100% clear on ownership!!!!!!! If I can't keep and raise easten's then I want to go with 3 toed or some kind of small Tort's!!!

Thanks for any help or clarificaion and yes I do live in PA!!!!!

Thanks, Jason
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Everyone Is In A Hurry To Get Nowhere Quick, Fast!!!!!!!!!!!

If I'm reading it right, it says you can possess two in the state of Pennsylvania. But you can't purchase them in the state, they have to be from out of state. If you are looking for wild caught, Google Martin's World Exotics. He doesn't sell easters himself, but he can hook you up with people in South Carolina, Alabama, ect, that have easterns for sale. Some of those people might even have captive bred easterns if thats what you're looking for.

Thanks for the reply!!!!!!! If from what you have read appears o be saying you can posses two then I wonder what happens if you have a male and female and they then reproduce. Does that mean it would be illegal to hatch the eggs???

I am not looking to breed eastern's but I enjoy them and would love to have a pair!!! I follow the Law and just want clarification on what the overall picture is with these!!!

I may look into the 3-toed or russian or greek possibly even the elongated torts if I can't figure out what the true story is with the eastern's.

On a side note, when I was a kid in my parent's neighborhood there was a eastern probably about atleast every 100 yards if you knew where to look if not less of a distance and now there is zero easterns anywhere. They are gone (I think) due to all the developement and housing which is a darn, darn, darn shame. We were even able to find an occasional wood turlte on the outskirts of PA but not no more!!!!!!!!!

Thanks again, Jason
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Everyone Is In A Hurry To Get Nowhere Quick, Fast!!!!!!!!!!!

You'd have to destroy the eggs, or just keep quiet about it if they were to breed.If you decide not to get an Eastern, Russians are the best. They're much easier to care for than boxies(no separating to feed live food!) If you don't mind me asking, what was the situation that you don't have your easterns anymore? And, what part of Pennsylvania are you from? I'm curious, because my father's family is from Hazleton, which is right out of Wilkes-Barre.

PA regs. according to my reference:

"May not collect or possess native T.c.c.

May not transport or import, or receive transported or imported native species.

Captive breeding not allowed.

May not release."

I think you're out of luck in PA.

Hey BONOMOC08, I should have said several years ago, it was almost 15 years ago that I had eastern box turles. They were purchased from a local pet store and eventually given to a fella who had large indoor and outdoor enclosures for a few easterns and I believe 3 toeds(seperate enclosures setups)but I don't even know if he is around anymore or if he still keeps turtle or anything!!!!!!!!!

I am in Bucks County, which is about 2 or so hours from Hazelton. I went to college up around that way so I am familiar with the area!!!!

On another note If I was gonna get russian tort's I would want to go the captive bred route. They (CB)were around in large numbers over the last few years and now a few here and there. There must have been a shortage of oxytocin this year.LOL I still want to look into the 3 toed Box turtles also.

Thanks, Jason
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Everyone Is In A Hurry To Get Nowhere Quick, Fast!!!!!!!!!!!

Wherein Bucks are you? I spent part of my childhood there.

NP
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Everyone Is In A Hurry To Get Nowhere Quick, Fast!!!!!!!!!!!

Hey! I grew up in Bucks County (Southampton), still go back to visit regularly. My first experience with boxies were there too. As a young kid friends had caught them for pets in Tammanend Park. I hope they made it back. My cousin went "to the mountains" and brought one back (I know, I know). It was a cool male, but eventually escaped. I wanted a boxie. I would probably even then not take one from the wild. A few years later I bought one at Martin's Aquarium in Jenkintown. Do you guys remember this mega-store? Well, they had a kids' swimming pool on the floor, full of boxies for $10.00 each. I bought one, I was 15 or 16 at the time, kept it in an outdoor cage with a water dish. Not the best set up, but it did get daily attention, clean water, lots of worms and tomatoes and other decent food. That winter, with the careful advise of another local petshop "expert", I hibernated him in a wooden box of hay in my shed....where he froze and /or dehydrated. Grrrrrr.... I was so sad, I really did try. Two years later I wanted to make up for it and bought a female, I think she was $25.00 at that time, fed her well and released her in the wild in the fall, to make up a little (in my mind) to naturefor killing the other. I know now, probably not good either, but good intentions, and long before the Internet (this is 25 years ago).

I remember Martin's very well. I used to live right up the road in Willow Grove. I was in the pet business myself at the time (late 1980s).

Does anyone know of Bradenton, FL? Thats where I live. There use to be a pet store there called Pet Kingdom. This store, back when the original owner had it, was the closest thing to a reptile expo you could ever find. The original owner, Max, bred sulcata tortoises and different venomous reptiles. I loved it there....It sucks that someone bought it from him and turned it into a reptile Hell. As soon as Max sold it, it went downhill. The new owner didn't know how to care for half of what he got in. He'd just throw whatever he got in on any bedding he thought looked good. Red-tail boas would be on desert sand, ornate box turtles would be in a desert like habitat with no water bowl, and everything was dying there. Even after he closed it down, and bought another store, I missed it.

That place was as good as a reptile show, they had everything!!! The only problem was everything was wild caught there wasn't very much captive bred animals on the wholesale list back then I'm guessing!!!!!!!!

I was told that there is alot of eastern's still around in a certain park on the outskirts of PA and took my family in the hopes to get a couple pics of them in their natural environment but had no luck spotting any.

I like the florida Box turtles too but they just keep getting more and more expensive and tougher to find. I am seriously looking into captive bred three toed's now.

Thanks, Jason
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Everyone Is In A Hurry To Get Nowhere Quick, Fast!!!!!!!!!!!

Unless you had eastern box turtles, woods, or spotteds, a limit of 2 each, before January 2007, you cannot possess them in PA. You can get 2 of each species grandfathered if you had them before 2007.

For all other non-endangered or threatened state species, the limit is now ONE! Again, two can be grandfathered if in possession before 2007.

No breeding.

You can have non-native box turtles, such as three-toeds, but of course they'd have to come inside in the winter. Some rescues have three-toeds or ornates.

Katrina
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My comments are in [brackets].
Taken from: http://www.fish.state.pa.us/fishpub/summary/repamp.html

The following regulations apply to reptiles and amphibians.
They DO NOT apply to endangered and threatened species.
[Because there are other regs for eangered and threatened species - the northern redbelly is considered state threatened or endangered and cannot be possessed.]

Native species not listed on this page:
[This is the eastern and midland painted, smooth and spiny softshell, stinkpot, and eastern mud.]
No closed season
Daily Limit: 1
Possession Limit: 1

The following reptile and amphibian species have NO OPEN SEASON.
The DAILY LIMIT is 0 (zero) and POSSESSION LIMIT is 0 (zero).

TURTLES
Blanding’s Turtle
Eastern Box Turtle
Spotted Turtle
Wood Turtle

A permit is required to hunt, take, catch, or kill common snapping turtles for the purpose of sale, barter, or trade.

ALL Reptiles and Amphibians:
A fishing license is required to catch or take reptiles and amphibians from the waters of the Commonwealth. A fishing license is not required for reptiles and amphibians on land.

Unless otherwise indicated, reptiles and amphibians may only be taken by hand, hook, snake tongs, turtle hooks, traps, and nets less than four feet square or four feet in diameter.

It is unlawful to take, catch, or kill a reptile or amphibian through the use of firearms, chemicals, explosives, winches, jacks, or other devices.

It is unlawful to damage or disrupt the nest or eggs of a reptile or to gather, take or possess the eggs of any reptile in the natural environment of this Commonwealth.

Except for snapping turtles taken by commercial permit, reptiles and amphibians, whether dead or alive, in whole or parts, including eggs or any life stage taken from within the Commonwealth may not be sold or offered for sale.

Taking, catching, and possessing amphibians and reptiles in Department of Conservation and Natural Resources natural areas designated by posters is prohibited.

Thanks, that spells it out for me so my quest for easterns box turtles is over. It is a shame you can't have them in PA but it is what it is!!! I think I am going to look into some of the smaller torts now!!!!!!!!

Thanks everyone, Jason
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Everyone Is In A Hurry To Get Nowhere Quick, Fast!!!!!!!!!!!

I think it's a shame when laws discourage or dissallow lawful captive breeding programs.
2 things do not change.
1)People still want them for pets
2)Habitat distruction and roads with cars to run them over. More people, more habitat bulldozed for houses, more roads, more cars.
Captive breeding may be the only hope for their survival long term.
Just my oppinion
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Jeff Benfer
You'll get your regius's to the wall, man!
1.0 pastel Python regius
0.1 mojave Python regius
0.1 normal Python regius
0.2 Terrapene carolina thriunguis
2.3 Terrapene carolina carolina
4.1 Kinosternon baurii
1.1 Malaclemys terrapin terrapin
2.1 Ambystoma tigrinum
2.2 het albino and anerythristicThamnophis sirtalis parietalis
1.0 anerythristic Thamnophis sirtalis parietalis
1.1 Iowa snow Thamnophis radix
1.1 heterozygous for amelanistic,carmel, and stripe Pantherophis guttatus
0.1 anerythristic motley Pantherophis guttatus