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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.
708 stories
If you’re wondering whether you can own a turtle in North Dakota, the short answer is yes for most common species, though the exact rules shift depending on where the turtle came from and what kind it is.
Alaska is the only U.S.
In October 2025, a truck hauling 21 rhesus monkeys overturned on Interstate 59 near Heidelberg, Mississippi, sending several animals loose into the surrounding countryside and forcing a multi-day search involving local law enforcement and wildlife officials.
Finding a snake in your yard or attic in Mississippi does not automatically give you free rein to trap, relocate, or kill it however you see fit.
You can legally keep an iguana in Oregon without applying for a special state wildlife permit — a fact that surprises plenty of new reptile owners, especially anyone who moved from Florida, where the same lizard is now banned from the pet trade.
Finding a snake coiled near your back porch in Louisiana raises an immediate question: can you handle it yourself, or does the law require someone else to step in? Snake removal laws in Louisiana depend heavily on the species involved, where the snake is found, and whether it poses an immediate threat.
Hawaii is one of the few U.S.
If you have ever scooped a painted turtle out of a farm pond or eyed a red-eared slider at a Nebraska pet store, you have probably wondered whether keeping it at home is actually allowed.
If you’re wondering whether you can own a turtle in Montana, the short answer is yes, but the details change depending on the species, where it came from, and how big it is.
If you are wondering whether you can own a python in Connecticut, the answer depends entirely on which species you have in mind.
You can own a python in New Hampshire without applying for a special state permit for most pet species, but the rules governing that ownership sit at the intersection of two separate legal systems: state wildlife regulations and a federal law originally written to stop invasive snakes from taking over the Everglades.
If you’ve ever watched a viral video of someone walking a pet alligator on a leash and wondered whether that could happen in Arkansas, the short answer is no.
If you’re wondering whether you can own a python in Kentucky, the short answer is yes — with fewer hurdles than you might expect.
Kansas sits on a short list of states that don’t classify alligators as banned or heavily restricted exotic animals at the state level.
If you’re thinking about keeping a turtle as a pet in Texas, the honest answer is “it depends” — and that answer hinges almost entirely on which species you’re talking about.
Virginia treats iguanas very differently than states like Florida, where the same lizard sold in pet stores has been banned outright since 2021.
Massachusetts has a reputation for having some of the strictest exotic pet laws in the country, yet green iguanas are perfectly legal to keep here without a state permit.
You spot a snake sliding across your patio, and your first instinct probably isn’t to think about state statutes — but maybe it should be.
Can you own a python in California? The answer depends entirely on which species you’re asking about.
If you found a box turtle crossing your driveway or you’re eyeing a red-eared slider at a pet store, the question of whether you can own a turtle in Kentucky doesn’t have a simple yes-or-no answer.
