Reptile & Amphibian Forums

There has recently been an influx of Corucia zebrata to the US herp market. Many of the dealers I've spoken with claim to have CITES papers for the animals, which are listed on Appendix II.

I've also heard rumors of illegal shipments making their way down to the US through Canada in recent months.

How can a buyer tell if CITES documents are authentic? Are we just meant to trust the dealer? What are the odds that the dealer is getting an illegal shipment and doesn't know about it?

And does the fact that several (5 I think) dealers all offered their animals for sale during the same week (animals that are not normally available at all) add more credence to the story of legally obtained, properly documented animals?

-Z

There have been a few recent Legal shipments containing the Monkey Tails as well as a few other Solomon Island animals. If you have a copy of the CITES all you have to do is contact USFW DMA to verify the paperwork is legal. If you have been given a copy it will have stamped on it cancelled by the USFW inspectors at the port the shipment was cleared. If you don't have a copy of the paperwork you can still contact USFW DMA or you can contact the USFW office in Miami (where the majority of the shipments have been cleared) and ask them if there have been any legal shipments coming through Miami of the species. If you have any other questions please feel free to contact me privately.
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Rob Trenor
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I'm glad you asked this question. I saw a juvenile for sale at a captive-bred only show today, and was wondering about it - the price indicated it was captive bred, but then again, I'm sure the prices would be high now whether or not it's CB.

Katrina