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Conn. cracking down on exotic animals as pets

NECN: Brian Burnell, Hartford, Conn.) - Connecticut is trying to crack down on exotic animals without punishing the animals’ owners.

It will hold an amnesty day that will allow owners to surrender their pets with no questions asked.

It is hard to believe that the animals were actually kept as pets but they were.

Take a look and a listen.

That's a rattlesnake letting you know he is not happy. Believe it or not this was once someone's pet. Not that it’s legal.

Rattlesnakes are just one reptile banned as pets in Connecticut.

State wildlife officials want to get as many illegal, exotic pets out of homes and into conservation centers as they can. To that end, they are holding an amnesty day on March 31 at Beardsley Park Zoo in Bridgeport. Turn in your illegal, exotic pet that day with no questions asked.

“Other than the sex of the animal, the age of the animal, nutritional or behavioral information on that animal," said Sgt. Cynthia Schneide.

Nutritional information: that can be a problem because people who get these creatures seldom know how to care for them.

Meet Fred, an alligator taken from a home in Vermont. He was probably a baby when the owner got him. But he grew even though he was fed hot dogs for 20 years.

"He got none of the diet, the calcium or anything he needs to grow good bones. His front feet are just balls of bone, basically. They're all fused together. He has very short toes. And when we got him he had no teeth," said Michael Ralbovsky.

Let's face it: that's animal abuse. It’s one reason the state wants these animals out of private homes. The other is safety.

Remember Chandra Nash, the woman whose face was torn off by a chimpanzee that went wild in Stamford a few years ago? Since then, primates, like this gibbon, have been banned in Connecticut.

"He's adorable now. Certainly not dangerous at this moment," said Marcella Leone, Leo Conservation Center.

But that will change, which is why this primate and many large or dangerous reptiles are no longer allowed as pets here.

Not all reptiles are banned. If you are just tired of taking care of that boa constrictor or iguana, too bad. The state will not take legal animals at the amnesty day.
www.necn.com/03/21/12/Conn-cracking-down-on-exotic-animals-as-/landing_newengland.html?blockID=674400&feedID=4206

Looks to be a real mess. PDF can be found here - http://www.ct.gov/dep/lib/dep/regulations/26/26-55-6.pdf

This would cleanly copy paste for me, but herps now listed are - Any member within the order Crocodylia (including, but not limited to alligator, crocodile and caiman, any member within the family Elapidae (including, but not limited to,
cobra, coral snake, mamba, sea snake and sea krait, any member within the family Viperidae (including, but not limited to,
copperhead, rattlesnake, cottonmouth, adder, viper, pit viper and night adder, Northern African python (Python sebae), Southern African python (Python natalensis), reticulated python (Python reticulates) and
amethystine python (Morelia amethistina), Green or common anaconda (Eunectus murinus), yellow anaconda
(Eunectus notaeus) and Bolivian anaconda (Eunectus beniensis),
any member within the genera Boiga, Thelotornis, Enhydris,
Dispholidus, Clelia, Rhabdophis, Hydrodynastes, Philodryas or
Malpolon (including, but not limited to, mangrove snake, false cobra, cat-eyed snake, false water snake, African boomslang, vine snake, twig snake and bird snake),any member within the family Helodermatidae (including, but not limited to, Gila monster and beaded lizard), Nile monitor (Varanus niloticus), water monitor (Varanus salvator), black-throated monitor (Varanus a. ionidesi), white-throated monitor (Varanus a. albigularis) or crocodile monitor (Varanus salvadorii), or
Komodo dragon (Varanus komodoensis) Spotted turtle (Clemmys guttata), Eastern racer (Coluber constrictor), Diamond-backed terrapin (Malaclemys terrapin), Fowler’s toad (Bufo fowleri), Northern dusky salamander (Desmognathus fuscus), Gray treefrog (Hyla versicolor), Eastern newt (Notophthalmus viridescens), and
Wood frog (Rana sylvatica).

This rule was finalized in October of last year and has apparently just taken effect. In a nutshell, CT DEEP banned these animals and did not allow a permit system because of a future and perceived lack of enforcement and personnel resources. In other words, it's easier to just ban the animals than to regulate them. The NEHS position paper (which I authored) was oft quoted here and at times, statements were taken out of context to suit the desires of CT DEEP.

Hopefully the enclosed hyperlink works. It contains a discussion of the rule and a summary of public comments.

http://www.keepandshare.com/doc/3285645/2011nov16-hearingreport-import-possess-liberate-pdf-november-18-2011-9-17-pm-410k?da=y

Link unfortunately does not work.

After reading, I am sure glad I don't live in up in CT, and don't ever plan too.