Wisconsin's Amphibian and Reptile Regulations

These regulations apply to native Wisconsin amphibian and reptile species, regardless of their origin.

No non-resident harvest or possession is allowed, except for unprotected aquatic turtles.

Definitions
"Amphibian" means cold-blooded, smooth-skinned vertebrates of the class Amphibia and includes all life stages.

"Herptile" means amphibians and reptiles collectively.

"Native" means indigenous and occurring, or having occurred, naturally within the boundaries of this state, regardless of whether a particular specimen originates outside of this state.

"Reptile" means cold-blooded, scaled vertebrates of the class Reptilia and includes all life stages.

License Requirements
All residents and non-residents who collect, attempt to collect, or possess native Wisconsin unprotected aquatic turtles must possess one of the following resident or non-resident licenses: Fishing, Small Game, Sports, Conservation Patron, Setline*, or Set or Bank Pole*. Existing Senior Citizen Recreational Cards also qualify. In addition to the licenses listed above, residents holding a Commercial Fishing License may harvest turtles on Mississippi Boundary Waters.

* These licenses are available only to residents.

Commercial Herptile Permits
Commercial Herptile Permits are required for persons who possess (above the possession limit of 5 each) or sell eastern tiger salamanders, mudpuppies, or northern leopard frogs collected in Wisconsin, or for persons collecting or purchasing unprotected native herptiles from out of state for the purpose of selling them. (See sales restrictions on previous column.) Permits are issued free of charge, but permit holders must first possess either a resident Fishing, Small Game, Sports, or Conservation Patrons license.
Persons needing a permit application should write to:

Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
Bureau of Endangered Resources
P. O. Box 7921
Madison, WI 53707

Permit holders are required to maintain detailed records of all collections and all purchase and sale transactions. Permit holders must file an annual report that includes copies of all collection reports, purchases, and sales from the previous year, regardless of the origin of the native species collected, purchased, or sold. Reports are due by the 15th of March following the year of activity and should be sent to the above address.

Protected Species
Endangered and Threatened species (including parts and all life stages) may not be collected, dead or alive, or possessed without first having a valid Endangered Species Permit. Permits are issued only for selected education, research, and conservation activities.

Endangered Herptiles
Blanchard's cricket frog, Acris crepitans blanchardi Eastern massasauga
rattlesnake, Sistrurus catenatus
Ornate box turtle, Terrapene ornata
Northern ribbon snake, Thamnophis sauritus
Queen snake, Regina septemvittata
Western ribbon snake, Thamnophis proximus
Western slender glass lizard, Ophisaurus attenuatus

Threatened Herptiles
Blanding's turtle, Emydoidea blandingii
Butler's garter snake, Thamnophis butleri
Wood turtle, Clemmys insculpta

Protected Wild Animals
(may not be collected in Wisconsin)
Black rat snake, Elaphe obsoleta
Bullsnake, Pituophis melanoleucus sayi
Timber rattlesnake, Crotalus horridus
Yellow-bellied (blue) racer, Coluber constrictor

Seasons
Frogs

The open frog season runs from the Saturday nearest May 1 through December 31. There is no open season for bullfrogs, Rana catesbeiana, in Jefferson County.

Turtles

The open turtle season runs from July 15 through November 30.  Turtles or turtle eggs may not be taken during the closed season.

Other Herptiles

There are no closed seasons for amphibians and reptiles not listed in the preceding paragraphs.

Possession Limits
Persons may collect or possess up to 5 individuals of each unprotected native herptile species (see lists above for protected species), with the following exceptions:

• The possession limit for snapping turtles, Chelydra serpentina, and softshell turtles, Apalone sp., is 3 statewide. The one exception is the Mississippi River, where the possession limit is 10 for snapping turtles and 5 for softshell turtles.

• Up to 2 eastern milk snakes, Lampropeltis triangulum, and 2 western fox snakes, Elaphe vulpina, may be collected or possessed.

• Up to 2 black rat snakes, 2 bullsnakes, and 2 yellow-bellied (blue) racers may be possessed if legally obtained from out of state.

• There are no possession limits for herptiles not listed as endangered and threatened that are atypically colored or atypically patterned (e.g., albinos, striped snakes that are typically blotched).

• Eastern tiger salamanders, Ambystoma tigrinum, mudpuppies, Necturus maculosus, and northern leopard frogs, Rana pipiens, may be collected and possessed in unlimited numbers if the collector or possessor has a valid Commercial Herptile Permit.

• Licensed bait dealers and registered fish farmers may possess more than 5 specimens of any unprotected amphibian species which are collected or possessed as part of a bait collection or shipment.

• There is a 3-month grace period on the possession limit for unprotected native lizards and snakes that are born in captivity and that bring the possession limit above the legal limit for a species. The offspring must be given away within 3 months of their birth, but they may not be sold, bartered, or traded. These offspring may not be released to the wild without first obtaining a Stocking Permit from the Department.

• A person may collect and possess up to 1 full clutch of amphibian eggs and their hatched larvae up until metamorphosis (transformation to the adult form). Only 5 adult-form individuals may be possessed, and the rest must be either given away or released in the wetland where the eggs were originally collected.

• Publicly owned museums and American Zoo and Aquarium Association accredited institutions are exempt from possession limits.

• Accredited colleges, universities, and other educational institutions are exempt from possession limits for education and research. Faculty, staff, or students conducting research with native herptiles must obtain a Scientific Collectors Permit from the Department prior to in-state collecting.

Size Limits
Snapping turtle size limits are a 12-inch minimum and a 16-inch maximum carapace (top shell) length.

**measure shell contour **

12" minimum - 16" maximum

There are no size limits for other herptiles.

Turtle Harvesting Methods
Turtles may be taken by hand, dip net, hook and line, set line, set or bank poles, hooking, or hoop net trap (see allowed design and specifications in the next column). No other trap types are allowed.

Turtles may not be taken by hook and line from trout streams during the closed trout season.

The number of hoop traps that can be operated are 10 in Iowa-Wisconsin or Minnesota-Wisconsin boundary waters and 3 in all other waters of the state.

Hoop Net Trap Specifications
Traps must be made of stretchable fabric (e.g., nylon) and must have a minimum mesh stretch of 6 inches. No wire mesh is allowed. Each trap must have a metal tag showing the name and address of the operator attached, and must be visible above the water's surface. The operator identified on the trap tag is the only person authorized to tend these traps. Traps must be set with the hoops exposed a minimum of 2 inches above the water's surface.  Turtle traps must be checked and the entrapped contents removed at least once each day after the day they are set in all waters.

Sale Provisions
The sale of native herptiles collected within Wisconsin is restricted to 3 species: eastern tiger salamanders, mudpuppies, and northern leopard frogs.  Sales of native herptiles collected or purchased from out of state are restricted to unprotected species and may be sold only within Wisconsin to education or research institutions for education or research purposes. No native herptiles, other than the three amphibians listed in this paragraph, may be sold as pets in Wisconsin. Any person or business that sells native herptiles must first possess a valid Commercial Herptile Permit.

There is one exception to the preceding paragraph:
Any native herptile not listed as endangered or threatened may be sold without a permit and for any purpose if it has an atypical color or an atypical pattern (e.g., genetically manipulated specimens that exhibit aberrant colors and/or patterns, such as albinos).

Native herptile species not listed as endangered or threatened, and that are legally imported from out of state, may be sold out of state under federal interstate commerce regulations. A Commercial Herptile Permit is required.

Unprotected dead turtles, turtle meat, or turtle shells (not eggs) may be sold.

Link to WDNR Herp Site