stupidest question...

[snakewrangler89]

This is probably the stupidest question ever. Does anyone know anyone with a website who sells...5 lined skinks..lol That sounds stupid but i really want to breed them. If anyone has any ideas besides get them out of my backyard please reply. And i want them CB..thanks alot

[Bartman]

Im pretty sure its illigal to keep them if their native to wher eyou are..and im guessing if you can find them in your backyard then you cant keep them. Correct me if im wrong, im just pretty sure you cant keep native reptiles...

[kidchameleon]

well, i know in NJ you cant keep animals that are native to nj, like normal cornsnakes

[ReptiliansDOTca]

Bartman is right, if you are in an area in which this species is found naturally, it is illegal for you to keep them.

[Frillie]

Hey, Five-Lined Skinks are AWESOME. Best looking skink ever, but damn fast. Anywho its illegal to keep them, they are protected, and nobody breeds them. Have fun trying to catch them though

[M_surinamensis]

Er...

Okay... In the United States we have federally protected species, state protected species and individual counties and towns can all have laws which are more restrictive than those for the next level up... This means that the laws in one place might not be the same as those in another.

Some states have laws against all collection of native species, some do not... Others allow certain numbers to be maintained or certain numbers collected any given year but...

Five lined skinks are as common as dirt throughout the majority of their natural range. With the exception of states which outlaw ALL wild collection without a permit, there's likely no reason that one or two shouldn't or couldn't be collected. If the original poster wishes to leave a response with the state and possibly the county they live in, the laws should be fairly easy to find online.

[snakewrangler89]

seamus i swear i see you everywhere i go. I live in ga and always talk to you in the rep chatroom on aol and you are always the one to help me. Thanks again.

[M_surinamensis]

Unfortunately Georgia is one of those states with some truly bizzare restrictions. The only species of native wildlife you're allowed to collect or keep are those which are considered nuisances or potentially dangerous (that's some seriously backwards legislative thinking right there). While I was adamant that every state was different, Georgia is one of the ones which is strict to the point of idiocy.

The list of species you are NOT able to collect or keep are:

Alligator
Alligator Snapping Turtle
Black Racer
Bog Turtle
Box Turtle (Eastern, Florida, Gulf Coast, Three-toed)
Brown Snake
Coachwhip
Corn Snake
Crayfish Snake (Glossy, Striped)
Crowned Snake (Southeastern, Central Florida)
Diamondback Terrapin
Earth Snake (Rough, Smooth)
Fence Lizard
Flatwoods Salamander
Florida Worm Lizard
Garter Snake
Georgia Blind Salamander
Glass Lizard (Eastern, Island, Mimic, Slender)
Gopher Tortoise
Green Anole
Green Salamander
Hellbender
Hognose Snake (Eastern, Southern)
Indigo Snake
Kingsnake (Black, Eastern, Mole, Scarlet)
Map Turtle (Alabama, Barbour's, Common)
Milksnake
Mud Snake
One-toed Amphiuma
Pigeon Mountain Salamander
Pine Snake (Florida, Northern)
Pine Woods Snake
Queen Snake
Rainbow Snake
Rat Snake (Black, Gray, Yellow)
Redbellied Snake
Ribbon Snake
Ringneck Snake
Rough Green Snake
Scarlet Snake
Sea Turtle (Green, Hawksbill, Leatherback, Loggerhead, Ridley)
Six-lined Racerunner
Skink (Broadhead, Coal, Five-lined, Southeastern Five-lined, Ground, Mole)
Spotted Turtle
Striped Newt
Water Snake (Banded, Brown, Florida Green, Northern, Redbelly)
Worm Snake


Five lined skinks are included.

In searching through the Georgia state homepage, the only possible way around this that I saw for you *might* be if you were to find a teacher who was willing to apply for a collection and exhibition permit for educational purposes or if you yourself were to apply to become a liscenced rehabber (and were willing to say with a straight face "This skink used to have a broken leg, it was kept for too long for me to consider releasing.").

I was made aware of some efforts being made to try and pressure the state legislative body to change the laws to something a bit more reasonable- i.e. protect species which have threatened populations, allow limited collection of those which have healthy numbers and densities, but I'm not sure if anything ended up coming of it or how much progress has been made. There are a number of threads about it over on http://www.faunaclassifieds.com in the legislative alerts section, under Georgia.

I also generally don't endorse breaking ANY laws, no matter how poorly thought out or foolish they might be but it might be worth mentioning that you picking up a couple skinks you just coincidentally happened across and keeping them in a tank without telling anyone is unlikely to bring a SWAT team to your door. If you were collecting hundreds of them and selling them, someone might take notice. Having a couple in a twenty gallon tank in your bedroom purely for your own pleasure as pets... Whole different situation.