Ball pythons illegal in some states?? What??

[Kyle@theHeathertoft]

I just found out that 'Pythons' are illegal where I'm moving, and of course this makes me terribly sad. I have been waiting for a long time to be able to move out and have one! The bylaw says nothing other than 'Pythons', which leads me to believe that all species are included, but I still plan on emailing whomever one emails about local laws to ask.

What makes it worse is that I'm moving so close to where the Canadian Reptile Breeders Expo is.

When I moved to Canada shortly after leaving college, I had to sell my Ball since there is an ordinance with similar wording there...just says "Pythons." I asked someone in an official position (it's been years since now and I can't recall who I contacted) and they fed me a lie about how it's to protect people's children and pets from dangerous large reptiles. I pointed out that my ADULT Ball Python was a mere three feet long, tops...and then he said it's also to prevent people from keeping them as pets and releasing them into the wild to form a breeding population of dangerous, non-native constrictors that will THEN go out and eat children/pets/et cetera.

He didn't have a good response to my reply of "Then they'd all DIE in the first really good freeze."

It's a load of BS but I'm a law abiding person, so...I sold my snake before I finalized the move.

Without irony, for TOTALLY unrelated reasons, I am now flagged as a "threat" to Canada and almost every time I cross the border I have to go through customs. I adore Canada, but holy crap there be some ignorance up there.

[NomiGold]

When I moved to Canada shortly after leaving college, I had to sell my Ball since there is an ordinance with similar wording there...just says "Pythons." I asked someone in an official position (it's been years since now and I can't recall who I contacted) and they fed me a lie about how it's to protect people's children and pets from dangerous large reptiles. I pointed out that my ADULT Ball Python was a mere three feet long, tops...and then he said it's also to prevent people from keeping them as pets and releasing them into the wild to form a breeding population of dangerous, non-native constrictors that will THEN go out and eat children/pets/et cetera.

He didn't have a good response to my reply of "Then they'd all DIE in the first really good freeze."

It's a load of BS but I'm a law abiding person, so...I sold my snake before I finalized the move.

Without irony, for TOTALLY unrelated reasons, I am now flagged as a "threat" to Canada and almost every time I cross the border I have to go through customs. I adore Canada, but holy crap there be some ignorance up there.

Maybe you were in the same place as I, because I have never heard of ball pythons being illegal anywhere else is Canada, or even boa constrictors for that matter.

[Kyle@theHeathertoft]

Nope, I was in Southern Ontario. It wasn't a province-wide thing but, as was explained to me, literally a city ordinance in the city I lived in.

For some reason they also didn't allow ferrets.

[NomiGold]

Nope, I was in Southern Ontario. It wasn't a province-wide thing but, as was explained to me, literally a city ordinance in the city I lived in.

For some reason they also didn't allow ferrets.

Well, since southern Ontario is where I'm going, maybe it was the same place. Oakville?

[SnakesNStangss22]

Well, since southern Ontario is where I'm going, maybe it was the same place. Oakville?

man, i am GLAD i live clear out in the country where no one even knows i exist..

although i dont think Ohio has any of those laws.... but not sure

[SpartaDog]

Anyone know about Philadelphia? I plan on moving there in about two years, but if ball pythons or snakes or exotics or whatever are banned, I'll go somewhere else.

Are there any laws on other snakes in NYC?

[Kiestraak]

Hey there. I actually grew up in Hawai'i, and ALL snakes- not just BPs, are illegal there. Most reptilian pets are, in fact- you can own geckos, anoles, and Jackson's chameleons, but that's about it. NO SNAKES, no skinks, iguanas, nothing like that, period.

The reason for this is because they have laws to protect the indigenous wildlife. Snakes would be predators to some of the local creatures- they actually imported mongoose to get rid of any snakes that managed to crop up. Of course, the mongoose ended up eating the eggs of the indigenous birds, and now they're pests as well... Hrg.

But yeah. The island never had any snakes on it to begin with(or ants or cockroaches, for that matter), which is why they're not allowed.

[Kyle@theHeathertoft]

Well, since southern Ontario is where I'm going, maybe it was the same place. Oakville?

Not sure where Oakville is, I was in the Brantford area. It was a number of years ago, too.

The reason for this is because they have laws to protect the indigenous wildlife. Snakes would be predators to some of the local creatures- they actually imported mongoose to get rid of any snakes that managed to crop up. Of course, the mongoose ended up eating the eggs of the indigenous birds, and now they're pests as well... Hrg.

That's the problem with using a non-native animal to control another non-native animal...inevitably BOTH cause problems.

[NomiGold]

Not sure where Oakville is, I was in the Brantford area. It was a number of years ago, too.



That's the problem with using a non-native animal to control another non-native animal...inevitably BOTH cause problems.

It's a bit North-East of Brantford, halfway to Toronto. The more I look into it, ther more it seems like there are some weird reptile and pet laws in that whole area.

I can absolutly understand, and support, not permitting species that can become invasive, or animals that are endangered, venomous or extremely large snakes and local species. But come on, Ball Pythons?

[SERPENT_MASTERS]

According to some people on this forum. Ball pythons are illigel in NYC.

After contacting my local department of health they told me that boas and pythons 10 feet and over were illigel.

Therefore.....I guess they are not,

THEY LIED TO YOU Theartisticgemini

NEW YORK CITY HEALTH CODE § 161.01. Wild animals prohibited

(10) Reptiles (Reptilia). All Helodermatidae (gila monster and Mexican beaded lizard); all front-fanged venomous snakes, even if devenomized, including, but not limited to, all Viperidae (viper, pit viper), all Elapidae (cobra, mamba, krait, coral snake), all Atractaspididae (African burrowing asp), all Hydrophiidae (sea snake), all Laticaudidae (sea krait); all venomous, mid-or rear-fanged, Duvernoy-glanded members of the family Colubridae, even if devenomized; any member, or hybrid offspring of the family Boidae, including, but not limited to, the common or green anaconda and yellow anaconda; any member of the family Pythonidae, including but not limited to the African rock python, Indian or Burmese python, Amethystine or scrub python; any member of the family Varanidae, including the white throated monitor, Bosc's or African savannah monitor, Komodo monitor or dragon, Nile monitor, crocodile monitor, water monitor, Bornean earless monitor; any member of the family Iguanidae, including the green or common iguana; any member of the family teiidae, including, but not limited to the golden, common, or black and white tegu; all members of the family Chelydridae, including snapping turtle and alligator snapping turtle; and all members of the order Crocodylia, including, but not limited to alligator, caiman and crocodile.