I made a couple of phone calls, did a little research, and pulled out some pertinent information about the keeping of reptiles in Massachusetts. There are PLENTY of details I omitted from the text below (for the sake of brevity).
MA Laws on keeping reptiles...
From - "Keeping Wildlife in Massachusetts" (http://www.mass.gov/dfwele/dfw/dfwpets.htm)
"REPTILES:
Snakes:
Regulations regarding the possession of snakes are quite detailed and should be consulted (321 CMR 9.01) for specifics. Some generalities are listed as follows.
Lawful(no MassWildlife permit required):
All species of boas and pythons, regardless of size, except rare species, and those listed as Unlawful
Shield-tailed Snakes and Sunbeam Snakes; Worm Snakes (except rare species), Thread Snakes, and related species;
Several so-called "harmless" snakes, including Brown and Redbellied Snakes, Garter and Ribbon Snakes, Glossy Snakes, Green Snakes, House Snakes, Kingsnakes and Milksnakes, Rat Snakes (except rare species), Water Snakes, the Western Hognosed Snake and certain others.
Unlawful: Emerald Tree Boa, Green Tree Python, African Rock Python, Reticulated Python, and all Anacondas; Black Rat Snake; other rare species, any other snake not specified as lawful. Possession of ALL venomous ( "poisonous" ) snakes is prohibited."
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From - Massachusetts General Laws - 321 CMR 9:00 EXEMPTION LIST
(10) List of Reptiles.
(b) Snakes: All venomous snakes require a permit. The following snakes may be kept without a permit:
1. All species of boas and pythons (family Boidae), except those species categorically non-exempt pursuant to 321 CMR 9.01(3), and except the Emerald Tree Boa (Corallus caninus), Green Tree Python (Chondropython spp.), African Rock Python (Python sebae), Reticulated Python (Python reticulatus) and all species of Anaconda (Eunectes spp.), which require a permit.
2. Shield-tailed Snakes, Sunbeam Snakes, and others in the families Uropeltidae and Xenopeltidae.
3. Worm Snakes, Thread Snakes, and others in the families Typhlopidae, Leptotyphlopidae, and Anomalepidae.
4. Snakes of the family Colubridae, as follows:
Asian Rat Snakes (Elaphe spp. and Ptyas spp. and Zaocys spp.)
Bogetophis spp.
Brown and Redbelly Snakes (Storeria spp.)
Diadem Snakes (Spalerosophis spp.)
Garter and Ribbon Snakes (Thamnophis spp.)
Glossy Snakes (Arizona spp.)
Gopher and Pine Snakes (Pituophis spp.)
Green Snakes (Opheodrys spp.)
Ground Snakes (Sonora spp.)
House Snakes (Boaedon [Lamprophis] spp.)
Kingsnakes and Milk Snakes (Lampropeltis spp.)
North American Rat Snakes (Elaphe spp.) except the Black Rat Snake (E.o. obsoleta other than albinistic and leucistic individuals) which requires a permit.
Pseudaspis spp.
Pseustes spp.
Texas Indigo Snake (Drymarchon corais erebennus)
Tropical Rat Snakes (Spilotes spp.)
Water Snakes (Nerodia [Natrix] spp.)
Western Hognose Snake (Heterodon nasicus)"
Enjoy,
- Mark
------------
.
-----
----------------------------------------------
My personal site: www.antegy.com
----------------------------------------------
My Kingsnake.com Picture Gallery
----------------------------------------------
