Moving snake collection from California to Florida

Hi everyone. Although I visit this forum for information and general info on a regular basis, this will be my first posting.

I’ll be moving from San Diego, California to Southwest Florida in the coming months and wanted to know if there would be any legal pitfalls I might encounter while travelling between states. I’ve been doing my own web search for this topic, but thought I’d give the MM community a try also.

My collection consists of Ball Python morphs, Black Headed, Rough Scaled, Angolan, Bredls Pythons and Dumerils, rough Scaled Sand and Solomon Island Tree boas. I also have various Lampropeltis kings and Milks. I worry my Graybanded Kings might be a problem travelling through Texas.I don’t own any of the restricted Large constrictors or venomous snakes. I have a total of 41 snakes.

I appreciate any info anyone might have on this topic. Forgive me if I’ve anything out but will provide if requested.

Thanks in advance. Romeo

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Hello, welcome

I traveled from California to Alabama some years ago. I had couple reptiles horses dogs pot belly pig… With me. Although I had health certificates and paperwork for the pig, we were not stopped at any state line. I would guess that as long as you have paperwork showing where you got the snakes, you will probably be fine . I doubt that you actually need the paperwork but better safe than sorry.

I can tell you, that there is no kind of checkpoint going into Florida like we used to have in California.( I live in Southern Alabama close to the Florida state line and visit occasionally) good luck on your trip and welcome to the Deep South

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That is great to hear. I drove cross country from Maryland to southern Cali back in 1992 with a dog, 3 snakes and 3 parrots and never got stopped once for a border check until I got to California. I was just worried with how the laws have changed so drastically pertaining to reptiles, if I’d have problems. I don’t plan on going over the speed limit so I won’t attract attention. Thanks for the response and the reassurance.

“Show me your papers”

Wow I had no Idea that California actually had a check point at their border of other states thats wild. I mean I understand how it would at its southern most part where its actually connected to another country but another state?

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Keeping in mind that they tried to become another country I’m not surprised. However I’m not sure if they would be focused on reptiles as much as things like terrorist weapons and keeping track of who goes in and out.
First of all, Welcome to the community! I would note all of the states that you are planning to drive through and email/call the proper law enforcement (F&W?) in those states.

Thanks for the suggestion. I’ve already compiled a list of F&W agencies for each state just for that purpose. Coming into California from Yuma, you gotta traverse a mountain and back down…Border Patrol was stationed halfway up the mountain doing checks. All they asked was how I was doing. Told them I was fine, tired and that was it. They didn’t even ask for I.D. Being that they were Border patrol, I assumed they were looking for something else.

That was the only time During my drive that I ever came across any kind of checkpoint. My route was Maryland, West Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, NM and Arizona. As long as I don’t speed, I’m sure I’ll be fine.

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The checks into California may be for terrorist weapons now, but traditionally it’s been an agriculture thing - avoiding bringing in non-native plants and pests that could devastate the Central Valley’s farms.

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Fruit and live plants is what they asked about at CA state line. They didn’t ask for ID , but at that time I had CA plates on my car, and it was years before Covid…

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Thanks for all the info everyone. I’m feeling more at ease making my drive back east. Now as long as I keep my lead foot in check, I should be fine. I’ve got a collection of Tillandsias that I considered stowing away in the back of my SUV, but I knew better not to transport those over state lines. I’ll hate to give them up before I leave, but being that I’ll be in Florida, won’t be hard to build up my collection again. Can’t wait to grow orchids naturally outside without a greenhouse too.

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I love doing this, it works and they stay alive :grin:

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I just wanted to take a moment to clear this thread up, as I cross the border from CA frequently (monthly, sometimes weekly) into both Oregon, and Nevada. It’s been a couple years but I’ve crossed into AZ frequently in the past. I do this in personal vehicles, cargo vans, or box trucks and the only question I’ve ever been asked is “Do you have any live plants or fresh produce”.

AGRICULTURE/PRODUCE are the only thing they’re concerned about at the checkpoints.

Thanks for that bit of reassurance. Puts me more at ease now that my move is about a month away. I wish I could take some of my Tillandsias, Orchids and a prized South American Staghorn Fern with me as I’ve had some of them over a decade. Guess I’ll have to start my exotic plant addiction all over again.

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We have one, he name is Stagy. He is three feet in diameter :grin:

Very nice lumpy. One of my favorite stags and the only one found in S. America. Mine is also about 3’ wide and has at least 4 mature individuals and one new pup. It’s going to my mom. It’ll be one of the first plants I buy in Florida. Wish I could take mine with me. It would love that sub-tropical Florida weather.

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I wish that you could take it too. They grow very very fast down here. Just make sure not to water them too much because the constant humidity can lead to Black rot. Except during the summers we don’t water at all. And during the summer we do about 3 cups of water every week once a week.

I’ll go get a picture of mine! I have no idea what species it is though because I found it laying on the ground.

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That’s one thing that I considered…overwatering in the Florida weather. It’s dry heat here in San Diego, so overwatering was never a problem, plus, I usually watered mine during the hottest days of summer, about once every 2 or 3 weeks. Sounds like I won’t even have to do that when I’m there. I can’t wait!

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There’s a lot of native Tillandsias in Florida. That one looks like one of them. Here are mine:


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The bottom’s flower look like mine’s

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I have 3 T. Xergraphicas that are growing so well and I have to leave them. Makes me said to think about leaving all my plants I worked so hard grow.

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