Connecticut Administrative Code › Title 26 - Fisheries and Game › 55 - Importation of Fish, Birds and Quadrupeds › Importation, Possession or Liberation of Wild Birds, Mammals, Reptiles, Amphibians and Invertebrates › Section 26-55-6 - Importation, possession or liberation of wild birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians and invertebrates

Current through July 10, 2024
(a)
Definitions
. As used in this section:
(1) "Aquarium" means a facility accredited by
				the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, or the Alliance of Marine Mammal Parks
				and Aquariums;
(2) "Category One
				Wild Animal" means, notwithstanding changes in taxonomic nomenclature, any wild
				animal, gamete or hybrid of any of the following:
(A) A member within the family Felidae
				(including, but not limited to, lion, leopard, cheetah, jaguar, ocelot,
				jaguarundi cat, puma, lynx and bobcat) except Bengal cat pursuant to section
				26-40a
				of the Connecticut General Statutes;
(B) A member within the family Canidae
				(including, but not limited to, wolf and coyote);
(C) A member within the family Ursidae
				(including, but not limited to, black bear, grizzly bear and brown bear);
				or
(D) A member within the family
				Hominidae (including, but not limited to, gorilla, chimpanzee and
				orangutan);
(3)
				"Category Two Wild Animal" means any wild animal, gamete, or hybrid thereof, as
				follows:
(A) That is not a Category One Wild
				Animal; and
(B) That is,
				notwithstanding changes in taxonomic nomenclature:
(i) A species referenced as injurious
				wildlife in
				50 CFR
				16.11,
(ii) A member within the family Elephantidae
				(including, but not limited to, African elephant),
(iii) A member within the order Primate
				(including, but not limited to, capuchin, macaque, lemur and
				marmoset),
(iv) Wolverine (Gulo
				gulo),
(v) A member within the
				family Hyaenidae (including, but not limited to, brown hyaena, spotted hyaena,
				striped hyaena and aardwolf),
(vi)
				A member within the genus Dendrolagus (including, but not limited to, tree
				kangaroos),
(vii) A member within
				the genus Dorcopsis (including, but not limited to, dorcopsis and New Guinea
				forest wallabies),
(viii) A member
				within the genus Dorcopsulus (including, but not limited to, lesser forest
				wallaby),
(ix) A member within the
				genus Lagorchestes (including, but not limited to, hare-wallabies),
(x) A member within the subgenus Osphranter
				(including, but not limited to, red kangaroo),
(xi) A member within the subgenus Macropus
				(including, but not limited to, gray kangaroo);
(xii) A member within the genus Onychogalea
				(including, but not limited to, nail-tailed wallaby),
(xiii) A member within the genus Petrogale
				(including, but not limited to, rock wallaby),
(xiv) Quokka (
Setonix
				brachyurus
),
(xv) A member
				within the genus Thylogale (including, but not limited to,
				pademelons),
(xvi) Swamp wallaby
				(
Wallabia bicolor
);
(xvii) A member within the family Viveridae
				(including, but not limited to, civets, genets, binturong, linsangs),
(xviii) A member within the family
				Herpestidae (including, but not limited to, mongooses, meerkats),
(xix) A member within the family Dasypodidae
				(including, but not limited to, armadillos),
(xx) A member within the family Mephitidae
				(including, but not limited to, striped skunk),
(xxi) A member within the family Procyonidae
				(including, but not limited to, common raccoon),
(xxii) A member within the suborder Suiformes
				(including, but not limited to, wild boar, warthog, hippopotamus, and
				peccary),
(xxiii) A member within
				the order Chiroptera (bats),
(xxiv)
				A member within the family Rhinocerotidae (rhinoceros),
(xxv) A member within the order Rodentia,
				except for guinea pig (Cavia porcellus), gerbil (Meriones unguiculatus),
				chinchilla (Chinchilla lanigera), rat (Rattus norvegicus), mouse (Mus
				musculus), hamster (Mesocricetus auratus), dwarf hamster (genera Phodopus and
				Cricetulus), Patagonia mara (Dolichotis patagonum) and American beaver
				(
Castor canadensis
),
(xxvi) Mute swan (Cygnus olor),
(xxvii) Monk parakeet (Myiopsitta
				monachus),
(xxviii) A member within
				the order Crocodylia (including, but not limited to, alligator, crocodile and
				caiman),
(xxix) A member within the
				family Elapidae (including, but not limited to, cobra, coral snake, mamba, sea
				snake and sea krait),
(xxx) A
				member within the family Viperidae (including, but not limited to, copperhead,
				rattlesnake, cottonmouth, adder, viper, pit viper and night adder),
(xxxi) Northern African python (Python
				sebae), Southern African python (Python natalensis), reticulated python (Python
				reticulates) and amethystine python (Morelia amethistina),
(xxxii) Green or common anaconda (Eunectus
				murinus), yellow anaconda (Eunectus notaeus) and Bolivian anaconda (Eunectus
				beniensis),
(xxxiii) A member
				within the genera Boiga, Thelotornis, Enhydris, Dispholidus, Clelia,
				Rhabdophis, Hydrodynastes, Philodryas or Malpolon (including, but not limited
				to, mangrove snake, false cobra, cat-eyed snake, false water snake, African
				boomslang, vine snake, twig snake and bird snake),
(xxxiv) A member within the family
				Helodermatidae (including, but not limited to, Gila monster and beaded
				lizard),
(xxxv) Nile monitor
				(Varanus niloticus), water monitor (Varanus salvator), black-throated monitor
				(Varanus a. ionidesi), white-throated monitor (Varanus a. albigularis) or
				crocodile monitor (Varanus salvadorii), or
(xxxvi) Komodo dragon (Varanus
				komodoensis);
(4) "Category Three Wild Animal" means any
				wild animal, gamete, or hybrid thereof, as follows:
(A) That is not a Category One, Category Two
				or Category Four Wild Animal; and
(B) That is, notwithstanding any changes to
				taxonomic nomenclature:
(i) A member within
				the family Cervidae (including, but not limited to the, white-tailed deer, elk,
				red deer and sika),
(ii) American
				beaver (
Castor canadensis
),
(iii) A member within the family Mustelidae
				(including, but not limited to, short-tailed weasel, long-tailed weasel, mink,
				fisher, otter and marten),
(iv)
				Harbor seal (Phoca vitulina),
(v)
				American black duck (Anas rubripes), lesser scaup (Aythya affinis), greater
				scaup (Aythya marila), canvasback (Aythya valisineria), long-tailed duck
				(Clangula hyemalis), hooded merganser (Lophodytes cucullatus), white-winged
				scoter (Melanitta fusca), black scoter (Melanitta nigra), surf scoter
				(Melanitta perspicillata) and common merganser (Mergus merganser),
(vi) Ruffed grouse (Bonasa
				umbellus),
(vii) Chimney swift
				(Chaetura pelagica) and ruby-throated hummingbird (Archilochus
				colubris),
(viii) Spotted sandpiper
				(Actitis macularius), sanderling (Calidris alba), semipalmated sandpiper
				(Calidris pusilla), willet (Tringa semipalmata), American woodcock (Scolopax
				minor), ruddy turnstone (Arenaria interpres) and black skimmer (Rynchops
				niger),
(ix) Great blue heron
				(Ardea herodias), green heron (Butorides virescens) and black-crowned
				night-heron (Nycticorax nycticorax),
(x) Belted kingfisher (Ceryle
				alcyon),
(xi) Yellow-billed cuckoo
				(Coccyzus americanus) and black-billed cuckoo (Coccyzus
				erythropthalmus),
(xii) Cooper's
				hawk (
Accipiter cooperii
), northern goshawk (
Accipiter
				gentilis
), red-shouldered hawk (
Buteo lineatus
),
				osprey (
Pandion haliaetus
) and rough-legged hawk
				(
Buteo lagopus
),
(xiii) Red-throated loon (Gavia
				stellata),
(xiv) Virginia rail
				(Rallus limicola), clapper rail (Rallus longirostris) and sora (Porzana
				carolina),
(xv) Baltimore oriole
				(Icterus galbula) and orchard oriole (Icterus spurius),
(xvi) Brown creeper (Certhia
				Americana),
(xvii) Purple finch
				(Carpodacus purpureus),
(xviii)
				Rose-breasted grosbeak (Pheucticus ludovicianus),
(xix) Gray catbird (Dumetella
				carolinensis),
(xx) Red-breasted
				nuthatch (Sitta canadensis),
(xxi)
				Cliff swallow (Petrochelidon pyrrhonota), bank swallow (Riparia riparia) and
				northern rough-winged swallow (Stelgidopteryx serripennis),
(xxii) Scarlet tanager (Piranga
				olivacea),
(xxiii) Veery (Catharus
				fuscescens), hermit thrush (Catharus guttatus), gray-cheeked thrush (Catharus
				minimus), Swainson's thrush (Catharus ustulatus) and wood thrush (Hylocichla
				mustelina),
(xxiv) Blue-gray
				gnatcatcher (Polioptila caerulea),
(xxv) Golden-crowned kinglet (Regulus
				satrapa),
(xxvi) Louisiana
				waterthrush (Seiurus motacilla), northern waterthrush (Seiurus noveboracensis),
				black-throated blue warbler (Dendroica caerulescens), bay-breasted warbler
				(Dendroica castanea), cerulean warbler (Dendroica cerulea), yellow-rumped
				warbler (Dendroica coronata), prairie warbler (Dendroica discolor),
				blackburnian warbler (Dendroica fusca), magnolia warbler (Dendroica magnolia),
				chestnut-sided warbler (Dendroica pensylvanica), Cape May warbler (Dendroica
				tigrina), black-throated green warbler (Dendroica virens), worm-eating warbler
				(Helmitheros vermivorum), black-and-white warbler (Mniotilta varia), ovenbird
				(Seiurus aurocapilla), American redstart (Setophaga ruticilla), blue-winged
				warbler (Vermivora pinus), Canada warbler (Wilsonia canadensis) and hooded
				warbler (Wilsonia citrina),
(xxvii)
				Dark-eyed junco (Junco hyemalis), eastern towhee (Pipilo erythrophthalmus),
				field sparrow (Spizella pusilla) and indigo bunting (Passerina
				cyanea),
(xxviii) Olive-sided
				flycatcher (Contopus cooperi), eastern wood-pewee (Contopus virens), least
				flycatcher (Empidonax minimus), willow flycatcher (Empidonax traillii), acadian
				flycatcher (Empidonax virescens), great crested flycatcher (Myiarchus crinitus)
				and eastern kingbird (Tyrannus tyrannus),
(xxix) Yellow-throated vireo (Vireo
				flavifrons), warbling vireo (Vireo gilvus), white-eyed vireo (Vireo griseus)
				and blue-headed vireo (Vireo solitarius),
(xxx) Marsh wren (Cistothorus palustris) and
				winter wren (Troglodytes troglodytes),
(xxxi) Great cormorant (Phalacrocorax
				carbo),
(xxxii) Northern flicker
				(Colaptes auratus) and pileated woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus),
(xxxiii) Horned grebe (Podiceps auritus) and
				red-necked grebe (Podiceps grisegena),
(xxxiv) Great horned owl (Bubo virginianus),
				snowy owl (Bubo scandiacus), eastern screech owl (Megascops asio) and barred
				owl (Strix varia),
(xxxv) Spotted
				turtle (Clemmys guttata),
(xxxvi)
				Eastern racer (Coluber constrictor),
(xxxvii) Diamond-backed terrapin (Malaclemys
				terrapin),
(xxxviii) Fowler's toad
				(Bufo fowleri),
(xxxix) Northern
				dusky salamander (Desmognathus fuscus),
(xl) Gray treefrog (Hyla
				versicolor),
(xli) Eastern newt
				(Notophthalmus viridescens), or
(xlii) Wood frog (Rana sylvatica);
(5) "Category Four Wild
				Animal" means any wild animal or gamete thereof listed as endangered,
				threatened, or of special concern pursuant to section
				26-306
				of the Connecticut General Statutes;
(6) "Commissioner" means Commissioner of
				Energy and Environmental Protection
(7) "Domestic animal" means any animal that
				humans have selectively bred in captivity to produce genetic changes affecting
				the temperament, color, conformation, or other attributes of the species to an
				extent that makes such animal unique and distinguishable from wild individuals
				of the species, and that has been raised in a life intimately associated with
				and advantageous to humans. "Domestic animal" does not include any wild animal
				raised in captivity, even over many generations, that has become accustomed to
				human interaction but that is still wild by nature;
(8) "Exhibitor" means a person or
				organization engaged in the showing, displaying, exhibiting or training of wild
				animals for the purpose of public viewing, and who meets the requirements of
				subsection (f) of this section;
(9)
				"Exhibitor registered with the United States Department of Agriculture" means
				an exhibitor who holds a Class C ("exhibitor's") license issued by the United
				States Department of Agriculture pursuant to the Animal Welfare Act (
				7
				USC 54 ), and who holds a copy of the last
				inspection report signed and dated by the United States Department of
				Agriculture;
(10) "Hybrid" means
				any animal or egg that results from the combining of a gamete of a wild animal
				with a gamete of another species;
(11) "Import" or "importation" means bringing
				or causing to be transported into the state wild animals or eggs of such wild
				animals by any means;
(12) "Marine
				mammal park" means a facility accredited by the Alliance of Marine Mammal Parks
				and Aquariums;
(13) "Municipal
				park" means a facility publicly owned and operated by a municipality, and that
				is in the practice of displaying wild animals for public viewing;
(14) "Museum" or "Nature center" means an
				institution devoted to the procurement, care, study, and public display of wild
				animals and that meets the requirements of subsection (e) of these
				regulations;
(15) "Passive
				Integrated Transponder Tag" means a computer microchip attached to a wire
				antenna and encapsulated in a biologically inert glass capsule which, when
				passed through the electromagnetic field of a detector, transmits a unique
				identification code to the detector;
(16) "Public nonprofit aquarium" means an
				aquarium that is publically held and that has been issued a federal
				Determination Letter of exemption under section 50l(c)(3) or (13) of the
				Internal Revenue Code;
(17)
				"Research facility" or "Laboratory" means a facility maintained by a scientific
				or educational institution with documented works that relate to branches of
				systemized knowledge including, but not limited to, zoology, botany, ecology,
				wildlife management, fisheries management, medicine, psychology or veterinary
				medicine;
(18) "Research facility
				registered with the United States Department of Agriculture" or "Laboratory
				registered with the United States Department of Agriculture" means a research
				facility or laboratory that holds a Class C ("exhibitor's") license issued by
				the United States Department of Agriculture pursuant to the Animal Welfare Act
				(
				7
				USC 54 ) and that holds a copy of the last
				inspection report signed and dated by the United States Department of
				Agriculture;
(19) "School" means
				kindergarten and grades one to twelve, inclusive;
(20) "Veterinarian" means a person licensed
				to practice veterinary medicine, surgery or dentistry pursuant to the
				provisions of chapter 384 of the Connecticut General Statutes;
(21) "Wild animal" means any bird, mammal,
				reptile, amphibian, or invertebrate that is, or historically has been found, in
				the wild or in the wild state, and that is not otherwise a domestic animal;
				and
(22) "Zoo" means a facility
				accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums or the Zoological
				Association of America.