Saskatchewan Bylaws

[jjaj02]

Hey, everyone. I was just wondering if there is anyone in Saskatchewan that could explain the bylaws to me. I know the bylaw states that you cannot have any constrictors or venomous snakes. My question is, why can you have a 4' corn snake in Sask when they are also constrictors and why you can't have, for example, a 2' kenya sand boa?? I think their bylaws are kind of screwy.

[Invictus]

Saskatchewan banned all snakes in family Boidae - thus all boas and pythons. It was a lazy way to eliminate the problems of people taking their large constrictors out at parties when alcohol was around, and ending up in the hospital.

[Scales Zoo]

Yeah, and back in '85 when the captive wildlife act was written, the only boas and pythons ususally found in petstores were ones that grew big, and wild caught.

Wild caught burms and big boas can be very nasty.

What I've always wondered about, is why they go out of their way to state that crocodillians are legal, and why they conciously made crocodillians legal.

Also, all big monitors are legal to keep in Saskatchewan.

It is important to check the bylaws in your city however (cities have bylaws, provinces have laws) - because some cities in Saskatchewan have further bylaws prohibiting large monitors, crocodillians, scorpions and many tarantulas.

Ryan

[jjaj02]

Thanks guys, I really apreciate the info. I do still think the laws are kinda dumb, but hey what can you do. A law is law i guess. Not like i've never broken one before. HAHA. Also I know a guy that has a boa constrictor and he walks around with it everywhere. No one has ever bugged him. What kind of consequenses are there for getting caught with one? I would really like to get a breeding pair of kenya sand boas. Thats why I am asking. Thanks again.

[Scales Zoo]

They can charge you with posession of illegal wildlife, and sometimes also importation or trafficking in illegal wildlife (if you bring it in from out of province, or sell anything within province).

I think the maximum charge on each account is $5000 / animal.

Even if there are no fines, they can take all your pets away, not just the illegal ones.

Ryan

[Gary D.]

And if another herp person sees you just waltzing around with your snakes in pubic, they might just smack you up side the head and ask what the h*** you're thinking.

[Vanan]

And if another herp person sees you just waltzing around with your snakes in pubic, they might just smack you up side the head and ask what the h*** you're thinking.

LMAO! No kiddin!! :D ;)

[Scales Zoo]

Caught it, haha!

How would you walk around with them like that?

Ryan

[Gary D.]

Simple, if you have no real care for the well being of your animal, no respect for other people who might be phobic of snakes, and lack the foresight to understand the negative impact this can have on the entire hobby, how it can create opinions and misconceptions which affect the rest of us. If you own an animal just for your own image, because you think it makes you look cool, well then I guess walking around with your snake on your shoulder in public is easy.

[Scales Zoo]

No, I meant walking with your snakes in pubic, like you originally said.

How would you walk with a snake in pubic, would it not be uncomfortable?

Ryan

[Gary D.]

yes I suppose it would, lol

[Vanan]

LMAO!!!! You crack me up Gary!! LOL!

[jjaj02]

Ok, is there a way I would possibly be able to get a permit to keep kenyan sand boas. I really want a pair of them but I'm not the type to break the law. Thanks again for all the info everyone. Especially Scales Zoo.

[chamitch]

you need to become a zoo that teh public has access too then you can get a permit to get those. just liek scales zoo.

peace

[vanderkm]

We looked into getting a permit or some way of being authorized to keep our boids when we knew we would be moving to Saskatchewan last year (with lots of help from Ryan and Sheila at Scales).

It is basically not possible for anyone with a personal collection, even of small and harmless boids. The regulations require that you operate a fully functional zoo, with public access and subject to inspections. It pretty much requires a diverse collection, not just one or two species, along with all the paperwork involved.

There was no flexibility in the system - and believe me, we tried. The only option that we didn't pursue to the fullest was retaining some ownership on our animals and getting an already established zoo in the city we were moving to, that would agree to display them as part of their collection - just not a choice we were comfortable with because inexperienced people would be working with them there.

Our conclusion was to place our carpet pythons and boas with other breeders here in Alberta - no way it was worth the risk of losing them there - just not much fun to have animals you have to hide and worry about losing.

We will be relocating to Regina in 2005 and hope to work more actively with H.I.S.S. once we are there - with any luck and more dedicated reptile owners working at it, some of the laws can be modified - Ryan and Sheila have made a very good start by raising the profile already.

mary v.

[jjaj02]

I'm wondering if there is ne thing a person like me with a very small limited collection of smaller snakes could do to somehow help change the laws. Would petitions ect. work? I am willing to help out in any way I can. Please let me know what I can do to be a help in this matter. Its really quite important to me. I mean the I love the smaller snakes like corns ect. but I am really interested in getting into the boids also. I also think that the laws are kind of fuzzy. Because when they say "no constrictors" it kind of is confusing because, like I said a corn is a constrictor. But yet u are allowed to have them???? I dunno, I think its really important that Sask go over thier laws again. Thanks again.

[jjaj02]

Also another thing I was wondering..........is there some sort of site that could give me a comprehensive list of snakes you can and can't have in Sask???

[Scales Zoo]

Well, last night I typed up a very long reply to this thread. When I went to post it, I had been signed out already and lost everything I typed.

Anyways the site with the laws is www.geocities.com/hissca/ - it is the provincial reptile club’s website. The club has just had an influx of new members, as well as a minor change in directorship.

Anyways, in the laws, notice they restrict snakes of the family boidae. While it has been argued by some that many colubrids are “constrictors”, only boas and pythons are restricted in Saskatchewan, by law.

The laws may change soon, I have been told of the new draft. No pythons and boas are being deregulated unfortunately.

The whole Saskatchewan Environment department got some major cuts, and the is being restructured. The guy who used to be in charge is no longer in charge, and this can only be a good thing for our chances to keep some boidae in Saskatchewan.

Last time I discussed the laws with that guy, he said no boas or pythons would ever be deregulated because they felt the government could be held liable if anything ever happened after reversing a ban.

I also know, that hognose snakes are restricted from keeping on the new draft of the law – and that they denied an import permit for some to someone in province last month (before the restructuring).

From the attitude of the guy who was in charge, we should feel lucky to keep any reptile or exotic animal – as he did not agree with it. Really, the only reptiles restricted at all right now are boidae and venomous. If a person was successful getting the laws changed for small boidae – there would probably be less than 10 somewhat common small species you could keep anyways, and they’d be sure to restrict many more species of things we can currently keep legally.

I know I am probably forgetting a lot of things that were in my original, but hopefully this helps answer some questions.

Ryan

[jjaj02]

Thanks, Ryan.