# Tennessee



## montana (Jan 31, 2011)

I was blogging on some reptile sites and found out that it is illegal to keep any kind of turtle as a pet .. 

The same goes for bull frogs ,salamanders well you name it ..

What I find incredible is that the locals actually follow that law .

Has any one else heard of that ??


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## 68merc (Jan 31, 2011)

There some turtles and tortoises that are illegal to keep. But not all or even most. Some need permits from state fish and game/wildlife. But that same animal in another state may not need anything at all.
Best bet, do your research about the pet you want to keep!


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## GBtortoises (Jan 31, 2011)

From the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency's website:
"In Tennessee, no one is allowed to keep any animal as a pet taken from the wild, which to many people's surprise includes tadpoles, frogs, lizards, snakes, turtles, baby birds, squirrels, raccoons, and young deer." 

It most likely means that as with many states, it is illegal to possess _native animals_ that were taken from the wild in Tennessee. That is not to say that you cannot possess a species found in naturally within that state if you have documented proof that it came from another source other than being collected within the state. Most states do allow possession of certain animals native to the state, but purchased by legal means elsewhere. State and in some cases, federal permits may be required to do so.


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## montana (Jan 31, 2011)

Here's a little info I found on the net : Tennessee has some of the most conservative regulations in the U.S. when it comes to wildlife possession. While some species - even dangerous ones like large carnivores and poisonous snakes - can be kept with the proper permits, it is illegal to keep any turtle as a pet.

The law harks back to the mid-1970s, when the federal Food and Drug Administration banned the sale and distribution of turtles with shells of less than 4 inches because of reptile-associated salmonella, which causes diarrhea, bloody stools, vomiting and fever.

About a decade ago, Tennessee began purging turtles, typically red-eared sliders, from school classrooms after a salmonella incident in Anderson County.

Pete Wyatt, nongame and endangered species biologist with the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, said a similar statewide ban on keeping skunks as pets was enacted in 1974 after a child in Knox County contracted rabies and died from a skunk bite.

Red-eared sliders are popular in China, where they were introduced as pets. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, the turtles rank among the world's 100 worst invasive alien species.

I think EVERY child in Tenn. should put a frog in a jar ,name it .Then call the police on them selves ..
Ask for a lawyer and a jury trial ..
Tie the court system up for decades ...


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## GBtortoises (Jan 31, 2011)

The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency chapter below covers the rules and regulations regarding the collecting of wildlife native to the state and any permits that are required. Essentially it appears to state that permits, proof of origin and/or proof of purchase are required for _all_ non-domestic animals within the state. How well Tennessee enforces that I would have no idea. 

RULES
OF
THE TENNESSEE WILDLIFE RESOURCES AGENCY
WILDLIFE RESOURCES
CHAPTER 1660-1-18
RULES AND REGULATIONS OF LIVE WILDLIFE


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## Rafaela (May 18, 2011)

You are correct, I recently visited the wildlife rehab center, waldens puddle with a broken eastern box and asked about the legalities of owning a pet tortoise (non-native captive bred) and was told it is illegal and there is some bizarre fine (the lady said $50,000 but I doubt that) if caught. There are exceptions apparently if they are for research, education, or "food". It is also illegal to keep ANY wildlife as a pet, from tadpole to raccoon. 

I suspect there are many underground tennessean tort keepers though. I am from just over the border in KY and they are legal here, odd.


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