Since I’ve been posting threads in regards to Reptile Expos/Shows in the DMV and PA areas I wanted to do my due diligence on posting some information that is gravely overlooked. While attending these events and expos there are chances that there will be a vendor that happens to be selling animals that are illegal or regulated for ownership in surrounding states. As helpful as it would be to have this information posted by the vendor, it’s not their job to find out where you live and to educate the buyer on the laws regarding species that cannot be owned in the state you live. In most cases, if you go to a show local to your state, these illegal or regulated species are not able to be sold as the sales within the state are prohibited. The local DNR can and does walk through the shows incognito to make sure those species do not show up for sale. With this in mind, most event coordinators work with the vendors to make sure that these prohibited species do not show up on tables for sale. When it comes to going to your neighboring state, most people might not think about this and the logic can/has/will be “if the species is for sale, I should be able to own it”. This is not always the case. Besides shows, this also impacts those who go out herping and bring back wild animals to house. I know there are a lot of people who will talk about conservation of wild species, but a lot of us at some point (as a kid or parent) brought in an animal that was found in the yard or while they were out at a stream or pond. You know what I mean, a great example is the ever so popular tadpole that was found and then watched to metamorphosize into a frog. This list will apply to you guys/gals as well!
Though this part of the forum is for all of the North East of the US, I’m just going to stick to the Maryland. If you’re from part of the North East and in another state that I’m not covering and want to add to this it would probably end up helping someone in the future
Maryland:
Maryland is a state that has many things that are regulated at both the state and county levels. As this is Dendroboard I’ll focus on animals in this case, specifically amphibians and reptiles. At the time I'm writing this (9/30/2020) this list is composed of information specific to the State regulations directly from Maryland's Department of Natural Resources.
Per the DNR site, here is the latest list of native species (see here for the updated list on the state site if you’re reading this post years from now):
List A
Red-spotted Newt (Notophthalmus viridescens)
Spotted Salamander (Ambystoma maculatum)
Marbled Salamander (Ambystoma opacum)
Northern Dusky Salamander (Desmognathus fuscus)
Seal Salamander (Desmognathus monticola)
Mountain Dusky Salamander (Desmognathus ochrophaeus)
Northern Two-lined Salamander (Eurycea bislineata)
Long-tailed Salamander (Eurycea longicauda)
Northern Spring Salamander (Gyrinophilus porphyriticus)
Four-toed Salamander (Hemidactylium scutatum)
Eastern Red-backed Salamander (Plethodon cinereus)
Northern Slimy Salamander (Plethodon glutinosus)
Valley and Ridge Salamander (Plethodon hoffmani)
Northern Red Salamander (Pseudotriton ruber)
Eastern Spadefoot (Scaphiopus holbrooki)
American Toad (Bufo americanus)
Fowler's toad (Bufo fowleri)
Northern Cricket Frog (Acris crepitans)
Cope’s Gray Treefrog (Hyla chrysoscelis)
Gray Treefrog (Hyla versicolor)
Green Treefrog (Hyla cinerea)
Northern Spring Peeper (Pseudacris crucifer)
Southeastern Chorus Frog (Pseudacris feriarum)
Pickerel Frog (Rana palustris)
Southern Leopard Frog (Rana spenocephala)
Wood Frog (Rana sylvatica)
Green Frog (Rana clamitans)
American Bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana)
Eastern Fence Lizard (Sceloporus undulates)
Common Five-lined Skink (Eumeces fasciatus)
Little Brown Skink (Scincella lateralis)
Eastern Wormsnake (Carphophis amoenus)
Northern Black Racer (Coluber constrictor)
Ring-necked Snake (Diadophis punctatus)
Cornsnake (Elaphe guttata guttata)
Black Ratsnake (Elaphe obsoleta obsoleta)
Mole Kingsnake (Lampropeltis calligaster rhombomaculata)
Eastern Milksnake (Lampropeltis triangulum triangulum)
Coastal Plain Milksnake (Lampropeltis triangulum elapsoides x triangulum)
Eastern Kingsnake (lampropeltis getula getula)
Red-bellied Watersnake (Nerodia erythrogaster)
Northern Watersnake (Nerodia sipedon)
Rough Greensnake (Opheodrys aestivus)
Smooth Greensnake (Opheodrys vernalis)
Dekay's Brownsnake (Storeria dekayi)
Red-bellied Snake (Storeria occipitomaculata)
Eastern Gartersnake (Thamnophis sirtalis sirtalis)
List B
Broad-headed Skink (Eumeces laticeps)
Eastern Six-lined Racerunner (Aspidoscelis sexlineatus)
Eastern Hog-nosed Snake (Heterodon platirhinos)
Queen Snake (Regina septemvittata)
Common Ribbonsnake (Thamnophis sauritus sauritus)
Wood Turtle (Glyptemys insculpta)
Spotted Turtle (Clemmys guttata)
Eastern Box Turtle (Terrapene carolina carolina)
Eastern Painted Turtle (Chrysemys picta picta)
Midland Painted Turtle (Chrysemys picta marginata)
Eastern Mud Turtle (Kinosternon subrubrum)
Northern Red-bellied Cooter (Pseudemys rubriventris)
Stinkpot (Sternothorus odoratus)
Diamond-backed Terrapin (Malaclemys terrapin)
List C
Eastern Tiger Salamander (Ambystoma tigrinum)
Green Salamander (Aneides aeneus)
Jefferson Salamander (Ambystoma jeffersonianum)
Wherle’s Salamander (Plethodon wehrlei)
Eastern Hellbender (Cryptobranchus alleganiensis)
Mudpuppy (Necturus maculosus)
Eastern Narrow-mouthed Toad (Gastrophryne carolinensis)
Carpenter Frog (Rana virgatipes)
Mountain Chorus Frog (Pseudacris brachyphona)
Barking Treefrog (Hyla gratiosa)
Northern Map Turtle (Graptemys geographica)
Leatherback Seaturtle (Dermochelys coriacea)
Loggerhead Seaturtle (Caretta caretta)
Green Seaturtle (Chelonia mydas)
Atlantic Hawksbill Seaturtle (Eretmochelys imbricata)
Kemp's Ridley Seaturtle (Lepidochelys kempii)
Bog Turtle (Glyptemys muhlenbergii)
Spiny Softshell (Apalone spinifera)
Northern Coal Skink (Eumeces anthracinus)
Rainbow Snake (Farancia erytrogramma)
Smooth Earthsnake (Virginia valeriae)
Northern Scarletsnake (Cemophora coccinea)
Timber Rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus)
Copperhead (Agkistrodon contortrix)
Per the state regulations you may have to submit a request for a permit when it comes to owning these species within Maryland. How to know if you need a permit for the animals above?
When do you need a permit?
You need a permit if you:
When don't you need a permit?
You do not need a permit to possess:
In order to obtain a permit you must complete and submit the form (see here for form download) and the associated $10.00 application fee to the Maryland State DNR.
To those of you who have read everything up to this point, you’re probably scratching your head on something. “Tihsho, I see that the permit/non permit only covers lists A and B above… What do I do for a species found in List C?” Great question! Sadly, I don’t have an answer you’re going to like to hear… The answer is that any species in that list cannot be possessed, bred, or sold within the state. These animals may only be held in accordance with a Scientific Collection Permit or an Endangered Species Permit issued by the Department of Natural Resources. If you’re interested in either of those two permits I’ll leave you to get that information since most people reading this thread won’t be approved without an educational justification backing the application.
Now that we have the native species out the way, let's get into some of the other exotics. What can’t you get from an out of state breeder or show for your private collection? Well here’s the list:
“Wait a minute… aren’t Western Hognoses technically venomous?” Yes, yes they are! Great catch! This is the only venomous snake that you can easily and legally obtain as a Maryland resident. “Why are they allowed?” This is a long going discussion in the Maryland Herp community… Being that these species are rear fanged and not regularly known to bite people is a key driver of this, whether or not that’s truly the answer, we as citizens won’t ever truly know what’s going on in the head of lawmakers. Anything else that is venomous will require you to be a licensed and inspected Zoo and/or trained individual who is housing these species for educational research. If you’re interested in getting those licenses, well again I’ll leave you to find that information as it generally won’t be something anyone reading this will fall into.
Though this part of the forum is for all of the North East of the US, I’m just going to stick to the Maryland. If you’re from part of the North East and in another state that I’m not covering and want to add to this it would probably end up helping someone in the future
Maryland:
Maryland is a state that has many things that are regulated at both the state and county levels. As this is Dendroboard I’ll focus on animals in this case, specifically amphibians and reptiles. At the time I'm writing this (9/30/2020) this list is composed of information specific to the State regulations directly from Maryland's Department of Natural Resources.
Per the DNR site, here is the latest list of native species (see here for the updated list on the state site if you’re reading this post years from now):
List A
Red-spotted Newt (Notophthalmus viridescens)
Spotted Salamander (Ambystoma maculatum)
Marbled Salamander (Ambystoma opacum)
Northern Dusky Salamander (Desmognathus fuscus)
Seal Salamander (Desmognathus monticola)
Mountain Dusky Salamander (Desmognathus ochrophaeus)
Northern Two-lined Salamander (Eurycea bislineata)
Long-tailed Salamander (Eurycea longicauda)
Northern Spring Salamander (Gyrinophilus porphyriticus)
Four-toed Salamander (Hemidactylium scutatum)
Eastern Red-backed Salamander (Plethodon cinereus)
Northern Slimy Salamander (Plethodon glutinosus)
Valley and Ridge Salamander (Plethodon hoffmani)
Northern Red Salamander (Pseudotriton ruber)
Eastern Spadefoot (Scaphiopus holbrooki)
American Toad (Bufo americanus)
Fowler's toad (Bufo fowleri)
Northern Cricket Frog (Acris crepitans)
Cope’s Gray Treefrog (Hyla chrysoscelis)
Gray Treefrog (Hyla versicolor)
Green Treefrog (Hyla cinerea)
Northern Spring Peeper (Pseudacris crucifer)
Southeastern Chorus Frog (Pseudacris feriarum)
Pickerel Frog (Rana palustris)
Southern Leopard Frog (Rana spenocephala)
Wood Frog (Rana sylvatica)
Green Frog (Rana clamitans)
American Bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana)
Eastern Fence Lizard (Sceloporus undulates)
Common Five-lined Skink (Eumeces fasciatus)
Little Brown Skink (Scincella lateralis)
Eastern Wormsnake (Carphophis amoenus)
Northern Black Racer (Coluber constrictor)
Ring-necked Snake (Diadophis punctatus)
Cornsnake (Elaphe guttata guttata)
Black Ratsnake (Elaphe obsoleta obsoleta)
Mole Kingsnake (Lampropeltis calligaster rhombomaculata)
Eastern Milksnake (Lampropeltis triangulum triangulum)
Coastal Plain Milksnake (Lampropeltis triangulum elapsoides x triangulum)
Eastern Kingsnake (lampropeltis getula getula)
Red-bellied Watersnake (Nerodia erythrogaster)
Northern Watersnake (Nerodia sipedon)
Rough Greensnake (Opheodrys aestivus)
Smooth Greensnake (Opheodrys vernalis)
Dekay's Brownsnake (Storeria dekayi)
Red-bellied Snake (Storeria occipitomaculata)
Eastern Gartersnake (Thamnophis sirtalis sirtalis)
List B
Broad-headed Skink (Eumeces laticeps)
Eastern Six-lined Racerunner (Aspidoscelis sexlineatus)
Eastern Hog-nosed Snake (Heterodon platirhinos)
Queen Snake (Regina septemvittata)
Common Ribbonsnake (Thamnophis sauritus sauritus)
Wood Turtle (Glyptemys insculpta)
Spotted Turtle (Clemmys guttata)
Eastern Box Turtle (Terrapene carolina carolina)
Eastern Painted Turtle (Chrysemys picta picta)
Midland Painted Turtle (Chrysemys picta marginata)
Eastern Mud Turtle (Kinosternon subrubrum)
Northern Red-bellied Cooter (Pseudemys rubriventris)
Stinkpot (Sternothorus odoratus)
Diamond-backed Terrapin (Malaclemys terrapin)
List C
Eastern Tiger Salamander (Ambystoma tigrinum)
Green Salamander (Aneides aeneus)
Jefferson Salamander (Ambystoma jeffersonianum)
Wherle’s Salamander (Plethodon wehrlei)
Eastern Hellbender (Cryptobranchus alleganiensis)
Mudpuppy (Necturus maculosus)
Eastern Narrow-mouthed Toad (Gastrophryne carolinensis)
Carpenter Frog (Rana virgatipes)
Mountain Chorus Frog (Pseudacris brachyphona)
Barking Treefrog (Hyla gratiosa)
Northern Map Turtle (Graptemys geographica)
Leatherback Seaturtle (Dermochelys coriacea)
Loggerhead Seaturtle (Caretta caretta)
Green Seaturtle (Chelonia mydas)
Atlantic Hawksbill Seaturtle (Eretmochelys imbricata)
Kemp's Ridley Seaturtle (Lepidochelys kempii)
Bog Turtle (Glyptemys muhlenbergii)
Spiny Softshell (Apalone spinifera)
Northern Coal Skink (Eumeces anthracinus)
Rainbow Snake (Farancia erytrogramma)
Smooth Earthsnake (Virginia valeriae)
Northern Scarletsnake (Cemophora coccinea)
Timber Rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus)
Copperhead (Agkistrodon contortrix)
Per the state regulations you may have to submit a request for a permit when it comes to owning these species within Maryland. How to know if you need a permit for the animals above?
When do you need a permit?
You need a permit if you:
- breed, attempt to breed, sell, offer for sale, trade, or barter any reptile or amphibian, including color mutations, native to Maryland regardless of where you obtained it.
- possess more than 4 individuals of each reptile and salamander from List A. Of these only 4 may have been taken from the wild.
- possess more than 4 adults and 25 eggs or tadpoles of each frog or toad from List A. Of these only 4 adults and 25 eggs or tadpoles may have been taken from the wild.
- possess more than 1 individual of each reptile or amphibian from List B. Only 1 individual of each species may have been taken from the wild, except no Wood Turtles, Spotted Turtles, or Diamond-backed Terrapins may be taken from the wild.
- possess turtles less than 4 inches.
When don't you need a permit?
You do not need a permit to possess:
- any reptile or amphibian not native to Maryland.
- up to 4 individuals of each reptile and salamander from List A. These may have been obtained from the wild, captively produced, or legally obtained from out of state.
- up to 4 adults and 25 eggs or tadpoles of each frog or toad from List A. These may have been obtained from the wild, captively produced, or legally obtained from out of state.
- 1 individual of each reptile or amphibian from List B. Only 1 individual of each species may have been taken from the wild, except no Wood Turtles, Spotted Turtles, or Diamond-backed Terrapins may be taken from the wild.
- up to 10 American bullfrogs may be taken from the wild per day for personal use as food.
- an unlimited number of any List A reptile or amphibian which is an albino, partial albino, or other color mutation as a result of captive breeding.
In order to obtain a permit you must complete and submit the form (see here for form download) and the associated $10.00 application fee to the Maryland State DNR.
Wildlife Permit Coordinator
Maryland Department of Natural Resources
Wildlife and Heritage Service
580 Taylor Ave., E-1
Annapolis MD 21401
Maryland Department of Natural Resources
Wildlife and Heritage Service
580 Taylor Ave., E-1
Annapolis MD 21401
To those of you who have read everything up to this point, you’re probably scratching your head on something. “Tihsho, I see that the permit/non permit only covers lists A and B above… What do I do for a species found in List C?” Great question! Sadly, I don’t have an answer you’re going to like to hear… The answer is that any species in that list cannot be possessed, bred, or sold within the state. These animals may only be held in accordance with a Scientific Collection Permit or an Endangered Species Permit issued by the Department of Natural Resources. If you’re interested in either of those two permits I’ll leave you to get that information since most people reading this thread won’t be approved without an educational justification backing the application.
Now that we have the native species out the way, let's get into some of the other exotics. What can’t you get from an out of state breeder or show for your private collection? Well here’s the list:
- Caiman
- Alligator
- Crocodile
- Venomous snakes
“Wait a minute… aren’t Western Hognoses technically venomous?” Yes, yes they are! Great catch! This is the only venomous snake that you can easily and legally obtain as a Maryland resident. “Why are they allowed?” This is a long going discussion in the Maryland Herp community… Being that these species are rear fanged and not regularly known to bite people is a key driver of this, whether or not that’s truly the answer, we as citizens won’t ever truly know what’s going on in the head of lawmakers. Anything else that is venomous will require you to be a licensed and inspected Zoo and/or trained individual who is housing these species for educational research. If you’re interested in getting those licenses, well again I’ll leave you to find that information as it generally won’t be something anyone reading this will fall into.