Ohio Administrative Code
Title 1501:31 - Division of Wildlife
Chapter 1501:31-25 - Wild Animal Collecting
Section 1501:31-25-04 - Reptiles and amphibians
Universal Citation: OH Admin Code 1501:31-25-04
Current through all regulations passed and filed through September 16, 2024
This rule does not apply to American bullfrogs and green frogs possessed at a permitted aquaculture production facility as provided in section 1533.632 of the Revised Code and in rule 1501:31-39-01 of the Administrative Code. Provided further, this rule does not apply to American bullfrogs and green frogs legally acquired from the holder of an aquaculture permit issued under section 1533.632 of the Revised Code and as provided in rule 1501:31-39-01 of the Administrative Code.
(A) Season dates
(1) It shall be unlawful for any
person to take bullfrogs or green frogs from May first through six p.m. on the
second Friday of June each year.
(2) It shall be unlawful for any person to
take snapping turtles or softshell turtles from January first through the last
day of June each year.
(3) It shall
be unlawful to take, collect or possess the eggs of snapping turtles or
softshell turtles unless legally acquired from outside the state, or propagated
under the authority of a commercial or noncommercial propagating license issued
under section 1533.71 of the Revised
Code.
(B) Bag and size limits
(1) It shall be unlawful for any person
to take more than fifteen bullfrogs or green frogs, singularly or in the
aggregate, in any one day;.
(2) It shall be unlawful for any person to
possess more than fifteen bullfrogs or green frogs, singularly or in the
aggregate, at or between the place where taken and a residence or place of
lodging.
(3) It shall be unlawful
for any person to take snapping turtles or softshell turtles with a
straight-line carapace length of less than eleven inches.
(4) It shall be unlawful for an Ohio resident
to take or possess more than four total individuals of each species of
collectible reptiles or collectible amphibians from the wild in
Ohio.
(5) It shall be unlawful to
take any reptile or amphibian not listed as a collectible reptile or collectible amphibian from the wild in Ohio except
bullfrogs, green frogs, snapping turtles and softshell turtles.
(6) It shall be unlawful to take or possess
any reptile or amphibian from any area under agreement with, owned, controlled
or administered by the division of wildlife, except for:
(a) Persons who have received written
permission from the chief of the division of wildlife, provided they carry and
exhibit said permission upon request.
(b) Persons lawfully taking bullfrogs, green
frogs, snapping turtles and softshell turtles.
(7) It shall be unlawful for a nonresident to
take any collectible reptile or collectible amphibian from the wild in Ohio.
(C) Methods
(1) It shall be unlawful for any person to
take reptiles or amphibians by shooting; except bullfrogs and green frogs may
be taken with a longbow or crossbow and arrow.
(2) It shall be unlawful for any person to
set, use or maintain a turtle trap having mesh measuring less than four inches
on a side unless such traps are provided with an escape ring of at least six
inches in diameter, leading out of the trap, held open at all times.
(3) It shall be unlawful for any person to
take or attempt to take turtles by means of a trap, placed in the water, having
wings or leads.
(4) It shall be
unlawful for any person to take reptiles or amphibians with a foot hold or
body-gripping trap.
(5) It shall be
unlawful for any person to fail to inspect or maintain their trap once every
twenty-four hour period.
(6) It
shall be unlawful for any person to set, use or maintain traps unless they have
attached thereto a durable waterproof tag bearing the name and address of the
user legible in the English language.
(7) It shall be unlawful for any person to
disturb or molest a legally set trap of another person without permission from
the trap's owner or user.
(8) It
shall be unlawful to take reptiles or amphibians with the aid or use of
chemicals, deleterious or stupefying substances, smoke, explosives, winches,
jacks or other device or material that may cause damage to or destroy the den,
hibernaculum, nest, or immediate surroundings thereof.
(D) Permits
(1) It shall be unlawful to buy, sell, barter
or trade any reptile or amphibian taken from the wild in Ohio except snapping
turtles and softshell turtles.
(2)
It shall be unlawful to export live snapping turtles or live softshell turtles
taken from the wild in Ohio, except for live snapping turtles or live softshell
turtles possessed under the authority of a commercial or noncommercial
propagating license issued under section
1533.71 of the Revised
Code.
(3) It shall be unlawful for
any person eighteen years of age or older to fail to apply to the division of
wildlife for a propagating license under section
1533.71 of the Revised Code
after taking possession of a reptile or amphibian, except:
(a) Bullfrogs and green frogs legally
acquired from outside the state, or propagated under the authority of a
commercial propagating license issued under section
1533.71 of the Revised Code,
that are accompanied by a bill of sale, receipt, record of acquisition or
invoice, legible in the English language, and are possessed and sold solely for
consumption as food.
(b) Snapping
turtles and softshell turtles legally acquired from outside the state, or
legally obtained from within the state, that are accompanied by a bill of sale,
receipt, record of acquisition or invoice, legible in the English language, and
are possessed and sold solely for consumption as food.
(c) Snapping turtles and softshell turtle
heads, shells and feet legally acquired from outside the state, or legally
obtained from within the state, that are accompanied by a bill of sale,
receipt, record of acquisition or invoice, legible in the English
language.
(d) Wildlife ornamental
products.
(4) It shall be
unlawful for an Ohio resident seventeen years of age or younger to posses,
without applying for a propagating license under section
1533.71 of the Revised Code,
more than four individuals or more than twenty-five eggs, tadpoles, or larvae
of each species of reptile or amphibian.
(E) Records
(1) It shall be unlawful for any person
possessing, buying, selling, trading, bartering, receiving or gifting reptiles
or amphibians to fail to maintain accurate records, legible in the English
language, which include the scientific and common names and the following, when
applicable:
(a) The date of acquisition or
transactions.
(b) The number of
reptiles or amphibians by species.
(c) The birth dates of reptiles and
amphibians propagated while in possession, by species.
(d) The location of capture and length of all
reptiles and amphibians taken from the wild by species.
(e) The complete name and address of the
person from whom the reptile or amphibian was purchased or otherwise
acquired.
(f) The complete name and
address of the person to whom the reptile or amphibian was sold, traded,
bartered or given as a gift.
(g)
The weight of snapping turtles or softshell turtles sold solely for consumption
as food by species.
(h) The date of
death or escape.
(i) The unique
passive integrated transponder identifier of any implanted reptile.
(2) It shall be unlawful to fail
to retain a certificate of origin, a bill of sale, receipt, record of
acquisition or invoice legible in the English language, for each individual
reptile or amphibian produced in captivity or legally obtained from out of
state which includes:
(a) Both the scientific
and common name.
(b) Number of
reptiles and amphibians by species.
(c) Date of acquisition or
transaction.
(d) The complete name
and address of the person from whom the reptile or amphibian was purchased or
otherwise acquired.
(e) The
propagating license number as issued under section
1533.71 of the Revised Code,
when applicable.
(3) It
shall be unlawful to fail to maintain on the premises as stated on the license,
for a period of less than five years any:
(a)
Records required by this rule.
(b)
Certificate of origin, a bill of sale, receipt, record of acquisition or
invoice required by this rule.
(4) It shall be unlawful to fail to make
available for inspection, by an authorized representative of the division of
wildlife, at any reasonable time:
(a) Reptiles
and amphibians possessed.
(b)
Records required by this rule.
(c)
Certificate of origin, a bill of sale, receipt, record of acquisition or
invoice required by this rule.
(5) Records shall not be required for:
(a) Retail store and restaurant sales of
snapping turtles, softshell turtles, bullfrogs and green frogs to persons
solely for their own consumption as food.
(b) Persons who purchase snapping turtles,
softshell turtles, bullfrogs and green frogs solely for their own consumption
as food.
(c) Wildlife ornamental
products.
(F) Passive integrated transponders
(1) It shall
be unlawful to possess any live reptile not permanently implanted with a unique
passive integrated transponder with a frequency of 125 kHz, 134.2 kHz or 400
kHz in each:
(a) Snake with a snout-vent
length of eighteen inches or greater.
(b) Turtle with a straight-line carapace
length of four inches or greater, except:
Snapping turtles and softshell turtles legally acquired from outside the state, or legally obtained from within the state, that are accompanied by a bill of sale, receipt, record of acquisition or invoice, legible in the English language, and are possessed and sold solely for consumption as food.
(2) It shall be unlawful to sell, barter,
trade or gift any reptile, regardless of size, to another person that is not
permanently implanted with a unique passive integrated transponder with a
frequency of 125 kHz, 134.2 kHz or 400 kHz in each specimen, except:
Snapping turtles and softshell turtles legally acquired from outside the state, or legally obtained from within the state, that are accompanied by a bill of sale, receipt, record of acquisition or invoice, legible in the English language, and are possessed and sold solely for consumption as food.
(G) Release into the wild, unless otherwise authorized by a permit issued by the Chief of the division of wildlife:
(1)
It shall be unlawful to release any reptile or amphibian into the wild
obtained from outside the state.
(2)
It shall be
unlawful to release any reptile or amphibian into the wild that has been raised
in captivity, except for those amphibians propagated and reared under the
authority of an aquaculture permit issued under section
1533.632 of the Revised Code and
only with the landowners permission.
(3) It shall be
unlawful to release any reptile or amphibian into the wild that was taken from
the wild in Ohio and was held in captivity for more than thirty days.
(4)
It shall be unlawful to release any reptile or amphibian into the wild at any
place other than the location of capture.
(5) It shall be
unlawful to release any reptile or amphibian into the wild that has been held
in captivity, in the same enclosure with any other species of reptile or
amphibian.
(H) Special areas
Pymatuning lake
It shall be unlawful to take frogs and turtles in any manner or by any method except as provided in rule 1501:31-13-07 of the Administrative Code.
(I) All definitions set forth in rule 1501:31-1-02 of the Administrative Code apply to this rule.
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