Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Does anyone know where the information on shipping venomous/dangerous animals is? Im trying to determine if the law affects the rear fanged mangrove and false water cobras. These are considered harmless but still carry venom and are restricted in Florida, but I cant seem to find out what the federal shipping laws have to say about this species or which species are affected.

>>Does anyone know where the information on shipping venomous/dangerous animals is? Im trying to determine if the law affects the rear fanged mangrove and false water cobras. These are considered harmless but still carry venom and are restricted in Florida, but I cant seem to find out what the federal shipping laws have to say about this species or which species are affected.

It will largely come down to the regulations of the country of destination I would imagine, with origin laws contributing. Boigas are not widely placed in the category of 'venomous' intended for vipers and cobras. In a matter of context they are something else entirely. Writing 'warm herps' probably would just confuse.

I don't think federal law is going to help you too much since this is an emerging grey area. It certainly would be ridiculous to write venomous for a garter snake or a water snake but following the same technicality, you would have to. However, no one would disagree with a boomslang or a tiger keelback having to be considered as properly 'venomous'. So, it is very much an arbitrary decision along a sliding scale. By the conventional context of the laws, I would not consider Boiga as 'venomous' from this legislative, practical perspective but I would a big Psammophis in contrast.

Cheers
Bryan
-----
Dr. Bryan Grieg Fry
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Australian Venom Research Unit,
University of Melbourne
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Population and Evolutionary Genetics Unit,
Museum Victoria
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
http://www.venomdoc.com

Instead of
....... regulations of the country of destination.....
it should have read
....... regulations of the state of destination......

I'd principally follow the laws of the state that the snakes are being shipped to since thats where you live. The shipper should follow the laws of his state. In the case of the Boigas, most states don't place them in the 'venomous' category for practical/legislative purposes. So, if the state its is being shipped from and the state it is being shipped to both consider it as non-venomous, then you would be in the clear.

Cheers
Bryan
-----
Dr. Bryan Grieg Fry
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Australian Venom Research Unit,
University of Melbourne
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Population and Evolutionary Genetics Unit,
Museum Victoria
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
http://www.venomdoc.com

Shipment would be within the united states, so it is mostly their laws that I want to find. Ive found CITES laws and such, but nothing in writing on shipping laws for venomous.