Originally Posted by WingedSweetheart

Yea! I finally got a reply from the DNR! My snakes are legal and its only illegal to collect them from the wild without a permit (which I'm not interested in doing).

" Thanks for contacting us regarding purchasing and owning snakes. In West Virginia it is legal to own snakes that were purchased from reputable,licensed pet stores and you don’t need a permit. These stores have the necessary permits to sell snakes. The snakes sold in pet stores are all born in captivity and none were taken from the wild. It is illegal to have in your procession any snakes that were taken from the wild without having the necessary permits. It is also illegal to catch native snakes then try to sell them. We also do not want people releasing any snakes that were purchased in pet stores. This can spread diseases and compromise their genetic make-up. Hope this clears things up and if you have any other questions,please let us know.

Jim Fregonara
WVDNR Wildlife Resources
Section Wildlife Diversity Program
phone: 304-637-0245
fax: 304-637-0250
email: Jim.M.Fregonara@wv.gov"