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Explore the world of reptiles — cold-blooded, scaly vertebrates including snakes, lizards, turtles, crocodilians, and the tuatara, found across deserts, rainforests, and oceans worldwide.
703 stories
New Mexico bans wolves, crocodiles, and big cats outright, yet the state’s wildlife code never even mentions the word “iguana.” That gap confuses a lot of would-be reptile owners searching for a straight answer on whether you can own an iguana in New Mexico.
Vermont is home to 11 native snake species, and unlike many states, it does not treat snake removal as a simple do-it-yourself matter.
A 17-foot albino Burmese python once slipped out of a home in Meadow Lakes and spent two weeks on the run before its owner found it curled up in the living room.
Ball pythons live in thousands of Ohio homes without a single state permit, yet a slightly larger cousin down the street can trigger felony charges and a surety bond running into six figures.
If you’re picturing a green iguana lounging in a terrarium in Fargo or Bismarck, you’re not alone in wondering whether that’s actually allowed.
If you’ve ever wondered whether you can own an alligator in Indiana, the short answer is yes, but only if you follow a specific state permitting process first.
A pet store turtle the size of a silver dollar, a snapping turtle basking on a pond log, and a box turtle crossing a backyard trail are all covered by different rules in Connecticut.
South Carolina has a reputation for being one of the more relaxed states in the country when it comes to exotic pets, and that reputation matters if you’re wondering whether you can own an iguana in South Carolina.
If you have ever wondered whether you can own an alligator in South Dakota, the honest answer is more complicated than a simple yes or no.
Grabbing a shovel the moment you spot a snake in your yard could cost you far more than a few minutes of effort in Tennessee.
When a Waterloo resident bought a baby alligator off an online ad, he had no idea he was breaking the law.
If you’ve been eyeing a green iguana at a Chicagoland reptile expo, you might assume the same rules that ban tigers and wolves in Illinois also apply to lizards.
Nebraska has a reputation as one of the friendlier states for exotic pet keepers, and that reputation mostly holds true for pythons.
Finding a snake coiled near your porch or garage in North Dakota raises an immediate question: can you legally handle it yourself, or do state wildlife laws require something different?
If you’re wondering whether you can own a python in Washington, the short answer is yes for most species, but the full picture involves three separate layers of law working at once.
If you have ever wondered whether you can own a turtle in New Jersey, the short answer is yes for most species, but the details matter more than the headline.
Most people assume a snake in the yard is fair game to kill or move as they please.
South Carolina rewrote its rules on turtle ownership in 2020, and many pet owners and backyard collectors still don’t realize how much changed.
Here’s something that surprises a lot of new reptile owners: you can legally keep a green iguana in your Georgia living room, but you cannot legally keep the orphaned raccoon you rescued from your backyard.
Alligators show up in Mississippi backyards, drainage ditches, and golf course ponds often enough that plenty of residents wonder whether keeping one as a pet is actually an option.
