Hello! I currently live in Colorado and was planning to get a Hognose snakes in the near future. I just learned through a reddit post that there are some pretty specific laws about Hognose snakes, and after reading through a bunch of forums and seeing that almost all of them are 2+ years old I decided to read through the Colorado wildlife regulations myself.
Did the legality recently change? Based on what everyone says, the verbiage is that you cannot buy, sell, trade, gift, barter a captive bred hognose snakes in Colorado and then they cite this document: https://www.coloradosos.gov/CCR/GenerateRulePdf.do?ruleVersionId=10384&fileName=2%20CCR%20406-10
Which specifically says “Chapter 10 of these regulations provide that any person can possess up to four total from a list of sixteen common native herptile species for personal use. These animals may not be sold, traded, or bartered and there are restrictions on release back into the wild.”
Nothing about buying them (hognoses ARE on the list of 16 common native herptile species referenced above). I just wanted to ask this because I feel like I have to be missing something and these documents definitely make it seem like I can have one non-breeding hognose as a pet, legally. Thanks in advance!
1 Like
I think the article you read is specifically talking about wild-caught individuals…
But I agree that if the laws state you cannot breed or sell the individuals in the list, which we know the Western/Plains Hognose snake is on, then unfortunately you can only have them as pets.
As far as releasing them, absolutely do not release captive bred individuals into the wild, and do not take wild individuals to keep as pets.
Edit: I forgot to mention that if you do get a Hognose from out of state you might need to get a license in order to obtain them out of state.
2 Likes
From my understanding…Basically it’s saying you can have a wild caught hognose, but you cannot own more than a certain number, trade or move them otherwise.
I believe if you were to buy one from out of state you need to obtain a license for them first. I could be wrong on that. But better to be safe than sorry.
Especially when it comes to potentially venomous bites or dangerous behaviors some regulations are frustratingly tedious.
Heck, Ball pythons are illegal in the place I grew up in. Hahah. And that’s just because they’re ‘constrictors’
2 Likes
As @armiyana noted, only if it is wild caught. You absolutely cannot keep a captive bred hognose as a pet. There is a license, but it is for breeders, so if you don’t intend to breed, it’s not for you. There is a Hognose breeder in Colorado, Hip Hogs, that has an FAQ on their website, and may be able to help you if you contact them: FAQs 1 — Hip Hogs
That said, I don’t suggest trying to capture a hognose if you’re not experienced dealing with wild caught. They will need to be treated for parasites, hoggies are notoriously sensitive to certain antiparasitics, and getting them feeding in captivity is not necessarily easy. You may just be better off choosing a different species.
2 Likes
Ok but can anyone point out exactly where it states that you need a license to buy them from out of state? I just don’t see anywhere that legally states that other than people believing that is the truth.
You were linked to Hip Hogs, a breeder of Hognose snakes in Colorado. The information on their page seems pretty clear.
I don’t live in Colorado. You need to be responsible for knowing the animal ownership laws for your location.
2 Likes
It’s literally the beginning of the document you linked in your original post, right here:
You need a license and to be a breeder, with your business registered with the state, which is noted in the Hip Hogs FAQ I linked you to. You cannot just get a license to buy a hognose from out of state to keep as a pet, it is fully illegal to have captive bred unless you are under license as a zoo, animal educator, breeder, or specific other special purposes.
2 Likes
I do think it seems pretty clear that there are exceptions to owning this animal, based on the document that I linked. I’m not trying to argue just to prove that I’m right, I’m just pointing out that I actually read this entire document and if you don’t plan on being a breeder or selling these guys or owning a bunch of them…
You’re misunderstanding the wording used. The exception that you are highlighting is in addition to the previous ones.
I will also point you to USARK’s reptile ownership by state guide:
https://usark.org/reptile-ownership-laws-by-state/#colorado
And again, Hip Hogs, as previously linked, is a licensed breeder in the state of Colorado and know the laws as to what is required to own a captive bred hognose. They explicitly state a license is required for them to even sell one to someone in state.
2 Likes
Actually, looking at the Colorado Parks & Wildlife site, it’s not even legal to remove them from the wild:
2 Likes
