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Snake Legal troubles

Ozzy

SirKristoff is a poopiehead
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I was researching NC laws for keeping/selling reptiles. I was talking to a person with state wildlife enforcement. She told me that it was illegal to keep eastern kingsnakes in NC, not because eastern kingsnakes are threatened but because they look similar to the outer banks kingsnakes and the outer banks KS is listed as a species of special concern.

I told her that I had a captive breed KS that I bought while I was living in another state. I told her it looks the same as an eastern KS, although when I bought her, she was labeled as an Arizona chain king. I believe she is a common Arizona KS. She told me that it was illegal to keep her.

My KS "Lucy" is kind of well known on this forum. I have been posting pics of her since I got her about 5 years ago. For those that don't know her, she spent her first 2 years in a petstore with people tapping on the glass, sticking their hands in her tank and poking her, etc, etc. When I first met her she hated all people. The people that worked in the petstore would not touch her because they were so afraid of her. Her first reaction to any person was to bite. She didn't just bite when you grabbed her, but she would come at you as soon as her cage was opened. For some reason she never tried to bite me, she would just follow my hand as I moved it along the tank. The petstore workers said she was just trying to lure me in a little closer so she could get her teeth in me. Every week I would go to this petstore to buy crickets. I soon came to look forward to playing with the "Mean" KS. One day the girl told me that I should buy her since she seemed to like me. They said that nobody would buy her because of how aggressive she was. They sold her to me at cost just to get rid of her. They refused to get her out of her cage and told me I had to do it.

Lucy was a handful for the first two years I had her. It took her that long to start trusting me. I am the only person that has even touched her since I bought her 5 years ago. She still has trust issues even with me, but I'm the only one that she will even let near her.

I asked the person from the state what I was suppose to do, I can't just release her. She told me my only real option was to give her to an organization that kept snakes for educational purposes. Lucy can't be around kids for obvious reasons. She's almost 6 ft long and will bite. I don't think she'll do well at all as a display snake because of her past.
She told me that I could apply for a permit to keep her but since I brought the snake into the state illegally, I would probably be denied. Also if I do apply and lose, they will take her. They have my name and phone number but don't know anything else about me. I can do nothing and hope they never catch me.

What should I do?


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whats the law say specifically?
 
I'll see if I can find it online.
 
i tried and wasnt having luck.............hate negotiating state websites for legislation unless i know the general range of the code numbers.......i can do Montana's open meeting laws but everything else is a pain :grin:
 
That's terrible news. What is the punishment if caught? Is there a way to apply for exemption?

xvart.
 
i say have your snake keyed out by a professional that the state would recognize.......and get a signed affidavit on what species it is before going any farther...........would need to see it spelled out in the law that i couldnt have it before turning it over.
 
Good idea Rattler, I'll have to see if I can find one.
 
check the colleges and universities near you for a biologist teaching....any biologist familiar with reptiles should be able to key it out
 
  • #10
Hopefully he or she won't narc on you.

xvart.
 
  • #11
depends............call anonymously, explain the situation.........maybe you will find someone who will do it and not turn yah in so long as it doesnt key out to a SPECIFICALLY outlawed SPECIES......never seen a law written that says you cant have something cause it looks like something thats protected
 
  • #12
I'd also check local zoos for a qualified herpetologist. I have a buddy here who might be able to help. Let me email him and see if he can offer any advice.
 
  • #13
That's terrible. Poor Lucy. I guess that means we might need the...

"SAVE LUCY CAMPAIGN!!!"

:D

BTW....what was illegal about bringing her into the state? Can't transport snakes across state lines without permission?
 
  • #14
I believe the argument is that the snake is supposedly illegal to keep in the state and yet he brought it in anyways. Just a guess.

I can empathize as technically I am illegal with one of my snakes. GA does not allow for any herp native to GA to be kept as a pet regardless of breeding or morphology. And my 16 year old corn which is albino (so obviously CB) and was purchased in CO when I lived there falls under the category of "native herp"
 
  • #15
Its odd that the law wouldn't offer a variance for people who lived in and acquired snakes in another state where it was legal. Its kinda like forcing a parent to give up a child just because they moved to a new state. (Not that I'm saying snakes and kids are on the same level. Well, you know what I mean.) There should be some recognition of the fact that that laws vary by state and people move.
 
  • #16
This might sounds goofy but it's just an idea- suppose you transported the snake to somewhere (and obviously in the care of someone who's "good for it") that it IS legal, then try to get that permit that way, then legaly re-import the thing- worst case, the snake gets to stay with a snake-person and doesn't get conficated so long as it's out-of-state and in a "legal" place at the time (in case the permit gets denied)

And IF the permit works out, you're golden.

Just a thought , hope it works out well no matter what man
 
  • #17
Hey Suzanne,

Fed laws are asinine sometimes. I think the more idiotic thing is that it is not even widely published. I only learned about it when I was looking into the possibility of getting a sugar glider. Found out they were illegal here (one of only 2 states in the US and for the dumbest reason) and followed a link to GA F&W page and saw the thing about native herps. If I had not for that series of coincidences I'd still be clueless.
 
  • #18
I called the local university and they told me they could not help me. I know I just talked to the wrong person, but I don't know how to track down the right person who can help. I called my vet and they gave me the name and number of another vet who specializes in reptiles. That vet is suppose to call me Monday to see if she can help.

I called the Cape Fear Serpentarium, ran by Dean Rippa. Great place. I have posted pics from there in the past. The avatar you see to the left is one of their animals.

http://www.capefearserpentarium.com/property.html


I talked to the girl at the front desk and she said they would help me if I brought Lucy in. I'm planing to be there at 1pm today.
 
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  • #19
Sounds like you are on the way to keeping her. Let us know how it goes.
 
  • #20
So you are going to give Lucy up?? :(

Fed laws are asinine sometimes.

I wonder if that's because there are SOOO many laws on the books that half the time even the "authorities" don't know what they are. I guess no one wants to take the time to update or refine them.

I don't really get the "looks like" part of it. If its NOT the exact species that's outlawed...why does it matter that much if a snake LOOKS like that species. ???
 
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