Can you have a rattlesnake as a pet in California?
2 min read
Asked by: Krista Graham
Keeping live, native rattlesnakes is not prohibited by fish and game laws. No license is required to take or kill a rattlesnake in California, but the daily bag and possession limit is two.
Can you have a pet rattlesnake?
Don’t consider a rattlesnake as a pet unless you have adequate space and knowledge of the species. Avoid keeping a rattlesnake as a pet if children, elderly or disabled people live in your house. Don’t play games with the snake, knock on the cage or even take it out of the tank except to clean or transport it.
What venomous snakes can you own in California?
Can I legally keep native rattlesnakes in captivity in California? Yes – Except for one protected species – the Red Diamond Rattlesnake. (According to the Restricted Species Laws and Regulations regarding Crotalidae-Pitvipers, all non-native species are prohibited, but nothing is said about native Crotalidae.
What snakes are legal in California?
Answer: Most snakes are legal in CA with the exception of venomous snakes.
Can you buy live rattlesnakes?
While you need a permit to own a deadly cobra in many states, in others you don’t. Venomous snakes that can kill you, including cobras, rattlesnakes and vipers, can easily be bought at reptile shows or online.
Can you buy a rattlesnake in California?
Keeping live, native rattlesnakes is not prohibited by fish and game laws. No license is required to take or kill a rattlesnake in California, but the daily bag and possession limit is two.
Is killing rattlesnakes illegal in California?
Anyone can kill a rattlesnake at any time in California, with one exception: the endangered red diamond rattlesnake. There is some confusion here in the regulations. Mostly because California considers snakes game animals but puts its reptile regulations under the fishing regulations (for some odd reason).
How many rattlesnake bites a year in California?
The California Poison Control System manages and reports approximately 250 cases of rattlesnake bites each year, with over 50 cases occurring in Southern California. California is home to eight species of rattlesnakes, which may be spotted anywhere from off-road dirt trails to your own backyards and front porches.
How big do California rattlesnakes get?
They can be found most anywhere in the state, with the exception of the southern deserts. Their size varies greatly, from an average adult’s three foot length, to more than five feet.
