It turned out a lot better than I expected. I'm glad I can legally own broadband copperheads here in ga if I find a native dealer. I'm also very happy I can buy, sell, and breed all I like within GA. Lacey act still sucks though

If your talking about the broadbanded copperhead-Laticinctus(I believe the range is from kansas to texas) it is illegal to keep unless you obtain an exotic venomous permit. Also any native non-venomous snake is illegal to keep, or breed including cornsnakes(morphs included). I do recall a repticon show(smallest one I have ever been to in the back of an antiques mall) that had a young man running a table, and it did not take long for him to reach in the back of his table to pull out a 9 inch deli slap full of baby corns of various morphs. Just goes to show how easy it is for someone to break the law just to make a quick buck.

No it's perfectly legal. Refer to my conversation via email with ga dnr on the previous page. They made sure to emphasize the fact it was legal as long as it's not brought from out of state because they're the same species.

First I have heard of this. Used to do talks to 4-h and had dnr snooping through on multiple occasions to make sure all was legal. I always was under the assumption that A.C. Contortrix was different then A.C. Laticinctus. I will email my buddy that works for the DNR to get him to clarify.

They are different. Most snakes only go as far down as species (which is why I'm sure the law was made as such) but a small percentage in the species class are vaguely different enough genetically and well enough established to go down to the subspecies levels such as copperheads and pygmy rattlesnakes.

I thought the same thing as you a few weeks ago when a guy offered me a broadband and I had to turn him down for legal reasons and he swore it was legal. I mean common sense would dictate that if "only ga native venomous snakes are legal" a snake native to Texas or Pennsylvania wouldn't cut it but apparently not so. In which case I'm not complaining. Broadbands and Carolina pygmys are gorgeous.

I have no idea how it works with non venomous snakes or other venomous or poisonous reptiles though. Funny how they're so much more high strung about cornsnakes then eastern diamond backs :shrug01:

I would be happy to hear a confirmation from your friend though. If he has a different interpretation of the law then what I received don't tell me, that ga gov email inquiry is my "get out of jail free" card lol :dgrin:

I agree with not taking wild specimens, but I know that as long as there is a law making it illegal there will always be a market for whatever is illegal. The price and the crime drops nearly overnight. Ask any smuggler or drug dealer or anyone that is in illegal activity. These laws are oxymorons. By creating a law it puts these animals in danger. Also I have family born in Georgia and I lived here the past 11 years and I would like to say the cops here are on straight power trips.

Has anyone actually considered getting the ball rolling on changing the GA laws concerning native nonvenomous snakes? I see no reason why the law shouldn't be amended to include at the bare minimum the kinds of blatant color morphs that simply don't exist in the wild, if not also localities that do not naturally occur in GA (such as the Miami phase). Corn snakes are bred in such huge numbers in captivity that I sincerely doubt legalizing morphs would cause much if any uptick in illegal wild take of corns. I also find it completely ludicrous that the law has been written in such a way that someone's 15 year old wholly domestic Snow corn snake can be confiscated while the owner is fined $1000 to "protect wildlife". I mean come on.

If I move to that state this summer (strong possibility) I'd like to contact DNR and speak with them on it. I'd love to get a pair of corn snakes, but I will have to wait until my living situation is certain.

Has anyone gotten the educational permit? Any idea of what's required (like hours, how to get said hours, etc)?

pretty much in ga it's impossible to get any permit for residents. and even if you wanted to start or had a business it's uncommon to actually obtain a permit.

I know of a few that have the educational permits but I cant remember how much it cost per year also you have do 12 hours of edcuation per month and document the hours per month on a form and send it to dnr periodically
oddly enough recently i was online looking to see if the laws have changed any and i saw a list and corns and eastern kings was not on it but then i also saw one that they was both on every year the dnr meets in atl at certain times of the year to discuss what laws need to be changed and I have heard the native non venomous has came up a alot but it keeps getting put on the back burner

Do you have any idea if the public is welcome at these DNR meetings? I would love to go and discuss changes. My degree is in wildlife biology so I recognize their need to keep local native species from being collected/decimated, but I also want there to be fewer restrictions. I could have rescued some corn snakes but once we knew we were moving to GA that option became closed to us.

I've read over the permits and I find their procedures VERY excessive for species with abundant populations. Lots of documentation about where they came from, who sent them, what their enclosures are, and any new animals on that permit must be documented immediately. I could see this for endangered species, but not Least Concern. Especially since no one should have them without the permit/educational hours.

I'd at least like to see the compromise of allowing morph animals; New Jersey does this. If the point is to prevent animals being taken from the wild I'm pretty sure a Lava Lavender Stripe corn is obviously captive bred. :P Same for kings, pine snakes, etc.