Drymarchon corais dropped off
 

Drymarchon corais dropped off at my store with nothing else; no name or information except a note saying captive bred and can't keep it. So I call the TX Game Warden for Coryell County to find out if he needs to pick up this threatened species. I have to leave a message on a machine; I hydrate and feed the very friendly snake a mouse and place in a lock tank with water and heat. No call back from Game Warden next day, so I call again and once more have to leave a message. This is day 4 of having the snake and no call or visit from the Game Warden. Anyone know what I am required to do with this beauty? Thanks

KEEP IT!!! Beautiful Indigo......

Yeah Keith, keep it. You already did way more than I would have. Spend some more time with it, and a little less with those cobras that seem to enjoy bringing you to the brink of death. :)

You have anyone local with the required Federal permit that you can board it at while you apply for your own Permit?

Isn't the permit issued for each individual animal?

Thanks

Yeah, but I figured someone with a permit is better off as a temporary measure than someone completely without one......

Well I say you called the warden. He should know you have it. Email them so you have a record of notification and apply for the permit. See if in the meantime fish and game can issue you a temporary one. CYA. The likelihood of that snake returning to the wild breeding and living now though is slim to none. Depending on it's captive term that is.

Eastern Indigos are legal in TX
 

Keith,

You can just keep the snake. Eastern Indigos are legal in TX. The only federal permit you would require is to transport the snake out of TX. If you don't want to take my word for it. Here is the Federal Fish and Wildlife contact in charge of Eastern Indigo permits. Hope this helps.

Victoria Davis, 404-679-4176

Take care

Joe Deavers
J & S Reptiles
www.jandsreptiles.net

If it was a donated gift without interstate exchange of money it comes under "Bonafide Gift" and you don't need a permit for Texas. I assume you are speaking of an Eastern Indigo Drymarchon couperi, not the Texas D.m.erebenus?

From the look of the head scalation that I can see, it looks like a Texas Indigo (Drymarchon m erebennus). With a good side shot of the head, we could tell for sure. If that is the case, then all is required is a permit from the state as it is state protected, not federal. I would email the regulatory agency (Texas Parks and Wildlife?) and give them the story and ask what to do. There are no federal regs on Texas Indigos.

On a side note, there are no regs in TX for Eastern Indigos. Federal permits for Eastern Indigos (Drymarchon couperi) are only needed for interstate transport when commerce is involved (i.e. buying one or trading for one). There are no federal permits to own one. There are a handful of states that require permits to keep them such as GA, FL, AL, SC, etc.