Reptile & Amphibian Forums

DAILY TIMES (Salisbury, Maryland) 10 June 10 OC is now a pet reptile-free zone - Issue to ban certain animals from streets first arose in May with 'Iguana Man' (Brian Shane)
Ocean City: Reptilian pets can't be brought out into public in Ocean City anymore, and frogs or lizards sold in resort shops can't be any bigger than four inches.
That's the result of a law amended by the Ocean City Council. The change specifically bars bringing such animals onto any Ocean City streets, sidewalks, alleys or along the beach or Boardwalk. An exception is allowed for bringing such a pet to the veterinarian.
An exemption was added so that licensed retail shops can sell turtles, lizards or similar non-poisonous animals, but they can't be any larger than four inches long.
The town has a 1972 law that makes it illegal for anyone to house snakes, alligators, crocodiles or any pet not considered domesticated, and mandates the council grant a special permit to anyone wishing to keep such a pet.
The issue of scaly, forked-tongued pets first arose in May, when Councilwoman Margaret Pillas asked her peers, unsolicited, what sort of "green" pet might be allowed on the Boardwalk. She was referring to a man later identified as Joseph Short, who often brings his pet to the Boardwalk, and does have a permit for it.
As they did not reference him by name, council members at the time dubbed him "Iguana Man."
However, Pillas ended up voting against the ordinance amendment after hearing comments from resort resident Beverly Butler.
Butler vehemently disagreed with the council's moves and urged them to reconsider.
"I have no idea who the gentleman is that has the iguana," she said. "But I'd really like you to reconsider that poor iguana. I had an iguana ... They're not going to hurt you. And to say that somebody would get scared ... I am more frightened of some of the outfits and things I see on the Boardwalk than this iguana."
Council member Jim Hall said the spirit of the law was about keeping wild animals away from downtown Ocean City.
"Forget about iguanas for a minute," he said. "I think the intention was, if we don't limit it to something, we're going to have other animals on the Boardwalk -- this is my talking horse, and this is my fox that walks backward and this is my snake that wraps around my neck. This was really aimed at big pets that could be scary, not necessarily an iguana."
OC is now a pet reptile-free zone

Wonder what that means to the pet shops in OC?

>>Wonder what that means to the pet shops in OC?

Well no longer than 4 inches? What is that FEDERAL turtle sale law for turtles as pets?
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Cindy Steinle
PHFaust
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It mentions frogs and lizards in the post and not turtles. Maryland itself has some pretty strict laws about turtles You are not even allowed to possess turtles under 4 inches much less sell them. Last I knew you weren't allowed to breed turtles there either although that aspect of the law may have changed by now for all I know.
I do know that I went to the MARS show in Baltimore back in 1994 and all these people who had captive bred turtles and tortoises under 4 inches for sale very quickly put "not for sale" signs on all their tanks which I assumed had something to do with some busybodies from the state coming through and screaming about it.

The rule is for "educational purposes" only. I saw tons of them in Hamburg Saturday under 4", but that's in PA. Md is stricter about salmonella...so stay away from them church chicken dinners!

Isn't that the master plan, dumb it down until we can't think for ourselves, just do as we're told.
jsc
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"As hard as I've tried, just can't NOT do this"
John Crickmer

>>It mentions frogs and lizards in the post and not turtles. Maryland itself has some pretty strict laws about turtles You are not even allowed to possess turtles under 4 inches much less sell them. Last I knew you weren't allowed to breed turtles there either although that aspect of the law may have changed by now for all I know.
>> I do know that I went to the MARS show in Baltimore back in 1994 and all these people who had captive bred turtles and tortoises under 4 inches for sale very quickly put "not for sale" signs on all their tanks which I assumed had something to do with some busybodies from the state coming through and screaming about it.
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In MD, since 2008, it's legal to breed turtles HOWEVER if you get eggs or have a turtle under 4", you're supposed to have a MD Captive Reptile and Aphibian permit, no matter if it's native to the state or not. If you're keeping more than one of a singe species of native turtle, then you need a permit, too (such as 2 eastern painted turtles). It's still illegal to sell a turtle under 4" in the state, as per state regulation. MD is better than a lot of other states in regards to what is allowed in possesion while still protecting the wildlife from commercial harvests and poaching. The whole 4" issue in MD was because of a health code issue, not because of a wildlife issue, but MD Natural Resources Police do have the authority to uphold the health code regs as well as the wildlife regs.

Katrina