Illegal in Ontario?

[SerpentLust]

Does anyone know where I can find a list of snakes that are prohibitted to own in Ontario? Or does anyone HAVE a list. I'm most interested in knowing if owning a Red Bellied Snake is illegal. But I would like an entire list seeing as how it would be handy.

Jenn

[Lisa]

www.ontarioherpers.org/laws/ is the place you want to look. it has the info for ontario and a few cities as well.

[SerpentLust]

WOO HOO! Thanks lisa, I can get both I was looking at. A ringneck and red belly! And Holy crap, SO many people are breakng the law that I know!

Oh well...anything for herps

Jenn

[Lisa]

Yes, many people choose to risk their animals and break the law. others just don't know they are breaking the law. I feel people knowingly breaking the law should try to work to change the law.

[Jeff Hathaway]

Hi Jenn,

You are correct that both ringneck snakes and red-bellied snakes are not listed as specially protected reptiles in Ontario (though this may change in the future). As such, permits are not required to possess them. It is debatable whether removing them from the wild is legal or not, depending upon the circumstances, but from a practical point of view the MNR currently seems to not worry about it.

However, both species are quite difficult to keep in captivity successfully. I have had both on several occasions, and they tend to be quite picky feeders. Northern ringnecks, unlike southerns (from the US) have a strong propensity to eat red-backed salamanders, and ignore worms, at least in captivity. Since red-backed salamanders ARE a specially protected amphibian, this would put you in the position of requiring collecting permits to catch protected species to feed to your unprotected species. I've considered applying to the MNR for this purpose myself, but have not had the time and energy to suffer the frustration involved. Suffice it to say that southern ringnecks, which in my limited experience readily take worms, are a better choice unless you have a specific purpose that requires northerns.

Red-bellies typically favour slugs, though a few do take worms in captivity. While slugs may be easy to get in the summer and fall, they are hard to find in numbers in the spring, and impossible to obtain in the winter. I tried keeping a slug colony once, and it was a dismal experience.

With all of this in mind, why would you want to keep these species? Without some particular purpose, it is hardly justified to bother trying to keep them healthy, nevermind justify removing them from the wild.

As for people breaking the law- now that you are better informed, you can at least make them aware of it!

Jeff Hathaway
Sciensational Sssnakes!!

[SerpentLust]

Thank you Jeff for all that information. I was unaware of those facts. For now, I'm just considering small species of snakes that I like for a six part enclosure I'm building.

I was hoping to find someone who is breeding them in captivity, but that idea, unfortunately, failed.

I will probably not aquire them now. I am against WC pets if you're only keeping them as a pet and not for studying.

Jenn

[Lisa]

If the kind of garter doesn't matter to you you might consider red sided garters. here's a care sheet on garters in general http://www.mcwetboy.com/gartercare/gartercare.pdf