Pennsylvania does not list exotic animals that are legal to own without a permit. Wild skunks are hardly good pets. That`s why this animal is currently only legal in 15 U.S. states. Maybe you`ve always wanted to own a pet monkey, or you`re wondering if it`s legal for your neighbor to have that cougar in their yard. Luckily for your curiosity, every state has exotic animal laws that allow, restrict, or prohibit the ownership of certain animal species. The following article describes some of these state laws in more detail. Delaware state law requires permits for most wild mammals and hybrids. Pets that do not require a permit include chinchillas, hedgehogs, ferrets, opossums, rabbits, sugar gliders, etc.
Many lizards are allowed, including anoles, water dragons, basilisks, bearded dragons, chameleons, geckos, iguanas and more. Possession of non-native venomous snakes is illegal. According to Florida`s administrative code, Class I animals are illegal to possess and Class II animals require a permit. Class I animals include bears, big cats, rhinos, crocodiles, chimpanzees and more. Class II includes howler monkeys, macaques, bobcats, pumas, cheetahs, alligators, wolves, giraffes and more. A 2010 law prohibits the import, sale and release of non-native species. This law further restricts the capture and keeping of venomous reptiles and other reptiles of concern, unless the owner already had a permit before the law. You do not need a permit to keep ferrets, parrots, hedgehogs, chinchillas and other small rodents.
Permits are required for the importation of legal pets listed in Section 4-71-6.5 of the Hawaii Bylaws. These animals are subject to quarantine rules before being legally distributed to their owners. In Oregon, it is illegal to own feral cats, bears other than black bears, dogs that are not native to Oregon, monkeys, alligators, crocodiles or caimans. You can get a special permit for an assistance monkey. Animals you can have without a license include alpacas, ferrets, bison, camels, chinchillas, emus, ostriches, llamas, lemurs, sugar gliders and giraffes. Some imported birds must have legal import documents, which excludes them from the need for a license, including: There are still about 4,000 tigers in the wild, but experts say there are more than that in captivity in the U.S. alone, though many states have strict restrictions on keeping these animals in captivity. The map, created by Tech Insider, shows U.S. states where humans can legally own big cats. Wooden rattlesnakes and eastern copper heads can only be kept as pets if they are legally taken from the wild and require a venomous snake license.
Pet owners are limited to a wooden rattlesnake. The possession of large carnivores such as lions, tigers and bears is illegal, as are monkeys, baboons and macaques. There is also a limit of six animals per owner for bobcats, squirrels, rabbits, raccoons, quail, opossums, coyotes, deer, red foxes and gray foxes. If you acquired an animal in another state, you must prove that it was acquired legally. For the most part, exotic animals are illegal in Hawaii. These include bears, big cats, wild canines, hybrids of feral cats and wild dogs, kangaroos, wild cattle and deer, birds of prey, alligators, geckos and most lizards, hedgehogs, gerbils, hamsters and ferrets. Pets allowed include guinea pigs, chinchillas, pet mice and rats, parakeets and pigeons. The Asian-clawed otter is the only otter species allowed in the United States, as this species is nationally illegal due to the Marine Mammal Protection Act. Asian claw otters are not federally illegal because they are not marine animals, but they are certainly not legal in every U.S. state. States where it is legal to own an otter are colored yellow.
This condition restricts potentially dangerous animals. Bears, big cats, wolves and primates are included in the list of illegal animals to own in this state. If you are before 1. October 2010 had a primate under 35 pounds at maturity, you can keep ownership of this animal. Non-native raccoons can be kept as pets with proper veterinary inspection and proof of legal ownership. Under Georgian law, wild animals and some exotic animals can be illegally kept as pets in the state of Peach. While you`re probably not surprised that keeping a rhino or bat as a pet is illegal, you may not know that species that are welcome as pets in other states must stay out of Georgia. If you end up with an illegal pet, contact a rescue that operates in the state. You`ll have to give up your pet, but you may not be charged, which can include hefty fines and even jail time.
Whatever you do, don`t just throw the animal away. Permits are required for the importation, transportation and possession of illegally possessed wildlife. The state does not explicitly list exotic animals whose possession is illegal. The Arizona administrative code states that it is illegal to possess non-domestic dogs and cats, primates (except non-infant primates which are free of zoonoses), alligators, crocodiles, poisonous snakes, and many others. Special permits may be issued to specific individuals or groups to keep these animals if the application falls under the categories of education, public health, commercial photography, wildlife rehabilitation or wildlife management. The map atlas below shows some known exotic and wild animals that may be allowed or illegal in any state. Forget about keeping any type of crocodile species as a Georgian pet. These include alligators, caimans and crocodiles. Any type of non-native venomous snakes is prohibited as a pet, such as vipers or vipers, but also native non-venomous snakes.
Gila monsters, giant toads and gopher turtles are just some of the species that can be illegally held in the country. § 27-5-8 Seizure of Certain Wildlife as Contraband and Civil Remedies for the Recovery of Illegally Seized Wildlife as Contraband It is illegal to keep a kangaroo as a pet in the vast majority of the United States. Only in Wisconsin, West Virginia and South Carolina is it legal to possess this pet without permission. Ohio`s laws have changed since the Zanesville animal slaughter in 2011. More than 50 wild animals have been released from a reserve where authorities have had to euthanize lions, tigers, bears and wolves roaming the streets. Since then, the Dangerous Wildlife Act has made lions, tigers, bears, elephants, alligators, monkeys and servals illegal and requires a permit. Animals that do not require permits are lemurs, foxes, bobcats, alpacas and llamas. It is legal to own a raccoon as a pet in Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Indiana, Nebraska, North and South Carolina, Michigan, Wyoming, Wisconsin, Texas, Rhode Island, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, West Virginia. It is illegal to possess dangerous regulated animals, including: Georgia allows sugar gliding flight, a popular pocket marsupial, if the owner “has valid documentation that the animal is from a source inspected and regulated by the USDA.” If you bought your pet from an unregulated backyard producer, you don`t have such proof. European ferrets are legal if they have been sterilized at 7 months of age and have received a rabies vaccine.