Found out something interesting...

[EasternGirl]

A friend of mine had told me that it was illegal to own garter snakes in Delaware...so I was always keeping my girls on the downlow...I was talking to my mother about it recently, considering my little snake family has been getting bigger and she asked me if I had ever actually looked the law up and read it to see what it says....so I decided that I would. Turns out, there is no law against owning garter snakes in DE...there is a law against owning poisonous snakes, boas, and pythons. My girls are not outlaws...lol! Guess I'll be having that reptile room one day...:cool:.

[guidofatherof5]

Good for you and your little non-criminals.

[Bart]

Gee, in my state (polish district of EU) venomous vipers are banned too. I know, I'm a lawyer. But dang, I'll get some pit vipers! ;) Just can't help it... One day, if I'm not logging here for a long time - it means one of them just kissed me. :)

PS. There aren't any poisonous snakes. ;) Just venomous. ;)

[katach]

That is good news. I keep tring to find the law that says I can't keep my girls, but I still can't find it. We have a city patrol officer friend that stops by from time to time and he never says a thing so I guess I won't worry too much, unless my land last finds out.

[EasternGirl]

Right...well you can actually look here: Summary of State Laws Relating to Private Possession of Exotic Animals (http://www.bornfreeusa.org/b4a2_exotic_animals_summary.php)

It lists the regulations by state....

Bart...it actually says "poisonous" in the DE code...but I know what you are saying. I was just saying what the code says:).

[katach]

Yeah that's what i keep finding, but i've been told that because my snakes are native species that they are not supposed to be captive pets.

[EasternGirl]

Hmmm...what do you mean? I'm having a dumb moment...help me out...in the Delaware law it says that if they are native to Delaware you can keep them...you can't bring them in to state if they aren't native to the area apparently...and of course you can't have them if they are endangered.

[katach]

I think it's a WA thing. Not going to stop me though. :)

[EasternGirl]

Right? My friend had told me that if you have an illegal snake and they find it, they confiscate it and destroy the snake...I told my mother when I thought my girls were not allowed....better keep some bail money handy, because if someone ever comes in here threatening to destroy my girls...Marnie is going to get violent...no one messes with my girls!

[katach]

That's how I feel!!! I love my girls and little boy!

[infernalis]

OK, here is the lowdown, at least with New York state, I have been in direct contact with the local D.E.C. officer, he lives right up the road.

The laws were primarily written to end the mass gathering of "disposable" herps for the pet trade, and are not really directed at the folks who keep one or two native herps as "pets" (Captives)

So anyone who really thinks that some government officials are going to serve a no knock warrant to search for garter snakes in your home can rest a bit easier.

However, if you were to get busted for another (real) crime, they would add the charges to the list.

A neighbour of mine was arrested about ten years ago for trafficing dope, they found native snakes in his posession at the time, and to increase the "hype" he was also charged with the snakes.

Makes for "better" newspaper headlines.

[EasternGirl]

So basically if they came over here for some domestic disturbance they would make sure to write "and the crazy lady had a bunch of snakes to boot..." in the headlines...just to make me look a little crazier! That's okay...I think my neighbor have already decided I'm crazy because I have snakes...ha ha!!! I don't think I'm gonna get busted for anything anyway...I live a pretty boring life...

[guidofatherof5]

That is good news. I keep tring to find the law that says I can't keep my girls, but I still can't find it. We have a city patrol officer friend that stops by from time to time and he never says a thing so I guess I won't worry too much, unless my land last finds out.

I just got off the phone with Walt at Washington Fish and Wildlife. 360-902-2515
According to him garter snake are considered an unclassified species and not regulated.
He checked the endangered species list and protected species list and found no garter snakes.
He said that the keeping of native garter snakes is OK.

[kibakiba]

Weird. There was a website that had fish and wildlife laws that said that it was illegal to keep garter snakes in Washington.

[EasternGirl]

I read the Delaware Code and it specifies that you can keep snakes native to Delaware as long as they are not venomous. You cannot have boas or pythons or import snakes not native to Delaware...so I figured that garters were okay...but thank you Steve and Wayne for talking to officials and getting more info....it's always good to be thorough. Sounds like that guy that Steve talked to would know what he is talking about for WA...so I would go by that...

[katach]

YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!
Thanks Steve!!!!!!!!!!!!! :D :D :D

[BUSHSNAKE]

Ohioans arent allowed to keep radix

[guidofatherof5]

Snakes - Living with Wildlife | Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife (http://wdfw.wa.gov/living/snakes.html#info)

[EasternGirl]

I guess then technically according to Delaware law, I wouldn't be able to keep a radix because it isn't native to Delaware...but I find it hard to believe that they are that picky and specific...I think they are talking about species of snakes not subspecies...so, since the garter snake in general is native to DE...it's okay...but for example, a pit viper...is not native to DE...now that is not a good example because it's venomous and involves another violation of the code...I can't really think of a non-venomous snake that isn't native to DE right off-hand...

[BUSHSNAKE]

dont move to Ohio Steve

[guidofatherof5]

dont move to Ohio Steve

I have a note from all radix States allowing me full access to all of them.:D

[BUSHSNAKE]

we are not in kansas anymore are we toto

[EasternGirl]

Ha ha ha ha....

[brain]

From US Fish & Wild life web site

Here are all the species that match your criteria. Please click on the the Scientific Name to find out more about the particular species.





Thamnophis brachystoma (http://www.thamnophis.com/speciesProfile/profile/speciesProfile.action?spcode=C043)

Short-headed garter snake

Reptiles

Species of Concern



Thamnophis eques megalops (http://www.thamnophis.com/speciesProfile/profile/speciesProfile.action?spcode=C04Q)

Northern Mexican gartersnake

Reptiles

Candidate



Thamnophis gigas (http://www.thamnophis.com/speciesProfile/profile/speciesProfile.action?spcode=C057)

Giant garter snake

Reptiles

Threatened



Thamnophis hammondii (http://www.thamnophis.com/speciesProfile/profile/speciesProfile.action?spcode=C05K)

Two-striped garter snake

Reptiles

Species of Concern



Thamnophis rufipunctatus (http://www.thamnophis.com/speciesProfile/profile/speciesProfile.action?spcode=C051)

Narrowhead garter snake

Reptiles

Species of Concern



Thamnophis sirtalis annectens (http://www.thamnophis.com/speciesProfile/profile/speciesProfile.action?spcode=C053)

Texas garter snake

Reptiles

Species of Concern



Thamnophis sirtalis ssp. (http://www.thamnophis.com/speciesProfile/profile/speciesProfile.action?spcode=C062)

South coast garter snake

Reptiles

Species of Concern



Thamnophis sirtalis tetrataenia (http://www.thamnophis.com/speciesProfile/profile/speciesProfile.action?spcode=C002)

San Francisco garter snake

Reptiles

Endangered




Last updated: December 22, 2011

[PINJOHN]

Gee, in my state (polish district of EU) venomous vipers are banned too. I know, I'm a lawyer. But dang, I'll get some pit vipers! ;) Just can't help it... One day, if I'm not logging here for a long time - it means one of them just kissed me. :)

PS. There aren't any poisonous snakes. ;) Just venomous. ;)

Hey Bart how come they don't allow venomous snakes in your state YET they allow lawyers ......don't seem right to me :p :D

[EasternGirl]

Tee hee John....