GENERAL REGULATIONS REPTILES AND AMPHIBIANS

License Requirements

Any person while in the act of taking or attempting to take reptiles and amphibians or possessing reptiles or amphibians must first possess:

1. Any resident or nonresident hunting license, unless otherwise exempt, for land-dwelling reptiles or amphibians, with the exception of (3) and (4) of this paragraph.

2. A resident or nonresident fishing license, unless otherwise exempt, for water-dwelling reptiles or amphibians, with the exception of (3) and (4) of this paragraph.

3. A commercial turtle harvester license for legal water-dwelling turtles if the taking or possession is for commercial purposes.

4. A commercial resident or nonresident minnow dealers license for legal aquatic salamanders if the taking is for commercial purposes.

5. A fishing & hunting legacy permit, unless otherwise exempt.

Bullfrogs may be taken with hook and line, gig, spear, bow and arrow or other methods except firearms under the resident or nonresident fishing license. Bullfrogs may be taken with firearms under the resident or nonresident hunting license.

Persons possessing a current resident or nonresident hunting license, unless otherwise exempt, may sell lawfully taken rattlesnakes only to those individuals holding a commercial or noncommercial wildlife breeders license during open season. A commercial wildlife breeders license is required of all who buy and resell live rattlesnakes.

Any person hunting, pursuing, trapping, harassing, catching, killing, taking, or attempting to take in any manner any species of rattlesnake during an organized rattlesnake hunting event or festival must have a rattlesnake permit, unless exempt.

Persons with a valid hunting license (see page 5) are exempt from the rattlesnake permit.

A fishing & hunting legacy permit is not required while using the 5-day rattlesnake permit.

Permits are available online at wildlifedepartment.com, by calling (405) 521-3852, or on-site at selected rattlesnake round-up festivals.

It shall be unlawful to engage in any commercial activities involving any species or subspecies, if more than one (1) exists, of reptiles or amphibians collected from the wild that are indigenous to or whose range extends into Oklahoma, except for provisions for rattlesnakes, water turtles and aquatic salamanders (Necturus and Ambystoma, except Ambystoma talpoideum).

It is unlawful to introduce, deposit, place or drain any deleterious, noxious, toxic or petroleum based substance into or around any underground dens or rock crevices for the purpose of taking reptiles or amphibians.

The method of taking legal water turtles and aquatic salamanders for commercial purposes and the taking of bullfrogs is restricted to provisions in the current statutes and regulations. With the exception of water turtles and aquatic salamanders taken for commercial purposes and all legal species of frogs, all other reptiles and amphibians may only be taken by hand or any other legal means.

Nothing prohibits the control of reptiles other than those listed as endangered or threatened, by landowners, lessees, or occupants of such land when such reptiles are creating a nuisance.

All persons so licensed for captive breeding of reptiles and amphibians must keep detailed breeding and hatching records in addition to those records already required by law.

The Director may make exceptions for education or research purposes to holders of Oklahoma scientific collector’s permits for reptiles and amphibians.

The following reptiles are legal to harvest from March 1 - June 30, annually with no daily limit: prairie rattlesnake, western diamondback rattlesnake, timber rattlesnake and massasauga.

There is a statewide closed season on the following reptiles: Texas horned lizard, desert side-blotched lizard, checkered whiptail, American alligator, western chicken turtle, map turtle, wandering garter snake, gulf crayfish snake, alligator snapping turtle, earless lizard and roundtail horned lizard.

All other reptiles have a year-round season. The limit is six (6) per day or in possession for each species.

There will be a statewide year-round open season for all amphibians except for the following 10 salamanders which have a statewide closed season: Sequoyah slimy salamander, Kiamichi slimy salamander, western slimy salamander, Rich Mountain salamander, Ozark zigzag salamander, four-toed salamander, grotto salamander, Oklahoma salamander, cave salamander and mole salamander.

Aquatic frogs (except bullfrog and crayfish frog), Woodhouse’s toad and aquatic salamanders of the genera Necturus and Ambystoma (except mole salamander) have no limit.

The daily limit and possession limit for bullfrogs is 15. It is illegal to sell bullfrogs or ship them out-of-state at any time. Bullfrogs may not be taken in the Wichita Mountains NWR.

The limit for crayfish frog and all other species of amphibians, except those listed as closed, is four (4) per day or in possession of each species.

updated July 18, 2007 01:10 PM