Is It Legal to Own a Turtle in Tennessee

There is a show/exchange of exotic reptiles in Lebanon on the first weekend of April. Captive-bred turtles are legal in TN. Any TN species caught in the wild is technically illegal to possess. (1) Sale, sale and distribution of bona fide viable live turtles and turtle eggs In 1975, the U.S. government passed regulations with the stated goal of protecting sea turtle eggs, reducing environmental damage, and reducing health risks. In short, this law makes it illegal to sell turtles under 4 inches. Here is the law. As long as you do your research and have the finances to keep your turtle in proper habitat, they can make fun pets and teach responsibility to children, but unfortunately, many people will take a turtle out of the wild without worrying about how to care for it, and the Eastern box turtle is protected and should never be kept as a pet. Because everyone out of nature causes the number of reproduction. to go down. I love turtles and I save as many as possible, my friends think I`m crazy when I stop on a busy highway to save a turtle from the road, of course, I immediately release them across the road in the direction they are going, but far enough away from the highway to be safe, And I was told I could expect a fine just because I could lift one, which is ridiculous. This information should cover the basics of what you need to know about sea turtle laws. If you want to get a permit to work with sea turtles, you should visit the Fish and Wildlife Government website, where you will find all the details you need: www.fws.gov.

It is legal to possess turtles without a permit, but you must prove that you purchased the turtle from a legitimate source. Usually, the receipt will suffice, unless you have a more exotic species. Name and address of the supplier of these wild animals and date of purchase.3. All persons who own wild animals must be able to provide proof of legal ownership. Legal documentation may consist of evidence of legal red-eared turtles, which are the most traded reptiles in the world due to their relatively low and generally low food prices, small size, and ease of maintenance. [4] [38] [39] As with other turtles, turtles and box turtles, individuals who survive their first year or two are generally expected to live to about 30 years. They are at risk of infection; especially salmonella. [38] If you already own one and don`t want it anymore, you should give it to someone who can continue to care for it, as you should never release any of these turtles into the wild. It can be harmful to the native environment. the quantity of product, the name and address of the supplier, the name of the body of water from which the product was harvested and the date of import or export.4. Only the common Snapping Turtle, Chelydra serpentina serpentine, with a shell length (upper shell) of at least (12) twelve inches, In addition to all this mess, there was a state health department for many years that said that no turtle or turtle could be kept as a pet, period.

For this reason, for SOOOOO, NO pet store has been able to legally exploit turtles, no matter who, what, when, where or why. Many of us in the pet trade wore turtles — especially larger than 4 inches — because it was a stupid «law» and non-native turtles were the least risky chelonians to catch. My friend bought a little baby turtle on the internet and she stayed here. Professor Snuggles only lived a few months, but wow, what a wonderful month it was. I advise against having a pet aquatic turtle not only for legal and health reasons, but also because it is a pain in the buttocks to be treated. Do yourself a favor and don`t. If you encounter this problem when you have a pet turtle that you want to release back into the wild, contact the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (twra), animal control agencies, or your local humane society and see if they have any suggestions for you. Growing up, we regularly went on «turtle hunting» and caught them, brought them home and kept them as pets. That is not possible today. I tried to overturn the state`s health care law for years, to no avail, but someone more powerful/richer than me finally did it a few years ago. Now it is finally legal to own SOME turtles in TN. For one, they are still illegal to trade nationwide if they have less than 4″ shell length.

For two, they may NOT be native species unless you apply for (and obtain) Class II approval from TWRA (Tenn. Wildlife Resources Agency) OR keep your receipts indicating that you purchased them from a duly authorized Class II supplier (such as the aquatic creature). Technically, an exotic type of turtle or turtle over 4″ in TN is completely legal (as it always should have been). That`s why you`ll see larger turtles/turtles for sale in the creature – they have permits for native species and don`t need permits for exotic species. They do not carry young animals/young animals under 4 years old. If you see a store somewhere in the U.S. that sells baby turtles, even if they say they`re «free» by buying a «carrier,» they`re technically breaking federal law. Yes! Turtles are my favorite animal and I was hoping to have one soon. I think this law is b*llsh*t. People say dogs have clean mouths? They have tons of deadly bacteria and Cr*P and vomit as they eat outside which has probably been there for weeks! NASHVILLE, August.