Wisconsin Administrative Code › Department of Natural Resources › NR 1-99 - Fish, Game and Enforcement, Forestry and Recreation › Chapter NR 16 - Captive Wildlife › Section NR 16.12 - Reptiles and amphibians

Current through June 24, 2024
(1) APPLICABILITY. This section applies to
				the collection, possession and exhibition of live or dead native wild reptiles
				and live or dead native wild amphibians in Wisconsin.
(2) POSSESSION RESTRICTED. No person may take
				from the wild or possess any live or dead native amphibians or reptiles or
				their eggs, except as provided under sub. (3) and s.
				NR
				19.26, or turtles taken under the authority of ss.
				NR
				19.275,
				21.13 and
				22.13.
(3) POSSESSION EXEMPTIONS FOR NATIVE
				AMPHIBIANS AND REPTILES.
(a)
Endangered and threatened species.
Endangered and threatened
				amphibians and reptiles may only be possessed as provided under s.
				29.604(6),
				Stats.
(b)
Possession
				exemptions and additional restrictions.
1. A person may take or possess up to 5
				individuals or eggs of each species of native amphibian, lizard and snake that
				are not endangered or threatened, except as provided under subds. 2. to
				11.
2. No person may take or
				possess gophersnakes of the species
Pituophis catenifer
, North
				American racers of the species
Coluber constrictor
or gray
				ratsnakes of the species
Pantherophis spiloides
taken from
				within the borders of the state. Persons may possess up to 2 of each of these
				species if legally obtained from out-of-state.
3. A person may only take or possess up to 2
				individuals of the following snake species: Eastern foxsnakes of the species
Pantherophis vulpinus
and milksnakes of the species
Lampropeltis triangulum
.
4. A person may possess more than the legal
				possession limit of lizards or snakes that result from live birth or eggs
				delivered while in captivity. All offspring that bring the possessed total for
				that species to more than the legal possession limit established in subds. 1.,
				2. and 3., shall be given away within 3 months of their birth or hatching.
				These offspring may not be sold, bartered or traded. The release of offspring
				to the wild is not allowed unless a written request to release is submitted to
				the department and a license or other authorization is issued by the department
				as provided under ss.
				169.06
				and
				169.23,
				Stats.
5. A person may take or
				possess up to one native amphibian egg mass or the larvae from that egg mass.
				These may not be sold and shall be returned to the same body of water that they
				were taken from immediately after transforming to the adult form, except that
				up to 5 transformed amphibians may be possessed.
6. A person may take and possess more than 5
				native northern leopard frogs of the species
Lithobates
				pipiens
, 5 mudpuppies of the species
Necturus
				maculosus
, and 5 eastern tiger salamanders of the species
Ambystoma tigrinum
, or native amphibians and reptiles subject
				to s.
				NR
				16.13(2) (a) if authorized by the
				department by a class A captive wild animal farm license issued under s.
				169.15,
				Stats.
7. A non-resident may not
				take or possess any native amphibian, lizards, snakes or their eggs except as
				authorized by s.
				169.04(3)
				or
				169.12(3),
				Stats.
8. Publicly owned museums
				and American Zoo and Aquarium Association accredited institutions are exempt
				from possession and size limits.
9.
				Accredited colleges, universities and other educational or research
				institutions are exempt from the possession and size limits of this section for
				the purpose of research and education.
10. A person may take and possess more than 5
				individual specimens of any native amphibian not listed as threatened or
				endangered, which are purchased or collected as part of a shipment of live bait
				by a licensed bait dealer or registered fish farmer.
11. A person may possess an unlimited number
				and size of atypically colored or patterned native amphibians and reptiles,
				e.g. albinos, striped snakes that are typically blotched.
12. No person may take or possess Blanding's
				turtles of the species
Emydoidea blandingii
within the borders
				of the state. Persons may possess up to 2 of this species if legally obtained
				from out-of-state.