11/08/2024
Sad day in Louisiana for reptile keepers 🥲
UPDATE 11/7/24: Following public comment, the Commission approved the amended proposal with a 5-1 vote. USARK, a private attorney, and a venomous keeper were the only ones who spoke opposing the Prohibited Species ban. A turtle farmer and two recreational turtle fishermen spoke, in addition to a few people supporting the bans.
The effective date should be either December 20, or January 20. Following the effective date there will be a window to register any animals that you currently own: 365 days for Prohibted Species and 180 days for certain native turtles. This means enforcement of the Prohibited and Restricted Species will begin in 14-15 months. Until that time (possibly January 20, 2026), Prohibited Species can still be bred, sold, acquired, imported, etc. as previously.
There were several changes made during the process, including extension of the grandfathering period, snake cage requirements, and turtle regulations. Thank you to everyone who worked to make those changes happen.
What did not change was the Prohibited Species List. Those species are listed below.
We will provide further updates as they become available. The Department still needs to create the grandfathering permit system.
Prohibited Species List:
All crocodilians;
All species in the Genera Salvator and Tupinambis, including the Argentine Black and White Tegu (Salvator merianae);
Nile Monitor (Varanus niloticus);
Savannah Monitor (Varanus exanthematicus);
Green Iguana (Iguana iguana);
Brown Anole (Anolis sagrei);
Burmese Python (Python bivittatus);
Brown Tree Snake (Boiga irregularis);
All Genera in the Family Atractaspididae (stiletto snakes);
All species in the Genera Dispholidus (boomslangs), Thelotornis (twig snakes), and Rhabdophis (keelback snakes) of the Family Colubridae;
All species in the Genera Naja, Ophiophagus, Pseudohaje,
Aspidelaps, and Walterinnesia (cobras); Dendroaspis (mambas), Oxyuranus (taipans), and Bungarus (kraits) of the Family Elapidae;
Cuban Treefrog (Osteopilus septentrionalis);
Cane Toad (Rhinella marina);
African Clawed Frog (Xenopus laevis).
The previously listed snake species will need permits at any size, not just after they attain 8', and the species below were added:
Asian Water Monitor (Varanus salvator);
Brown Basilisk (Basiliscus vittatus);
Gray’s American Spiny-tailed Iguana (Ctenosaura similis);
Northern Curly-tailed Lizard (Leiocephalus carinatus armouri);
Peter’s Rock Agama (Agama picticauda).
The full regulation can be found at https://usark.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/24-LA-herp-NOI-2.pdf.
