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Recreational Reptile and Amphibian Collecting

Licenses and Permits

Harvest Restrictions

  • No removal of nesting or nest-tending animals.
  • Use of gasoline to flush animals from hiding places is prohibited.
  • Destruction of natural cover (ex: stumps and logs) while searching for animals is prohibited.

Turtles

  • Turtle traps:
    • Must be checked daily.
    • Must be marked as a turtle trap.
    • Must be open above water to allow breathing.
    • Must be constructed as a horizontal, single-throated device.
    • May not be used to harvest diamondback terrapins.
    • Possession of finfish while turtle trapping is prohibited.
  • Harvest of turtle eggs is prohibited except for eggs of the red-eared slider.
Species Size Limit Possession Limit Season Gear Restriction
Alligator snapping turtles None One per day per person per vehicle/vessel Open year-round  
Diamondback terrapins 6 inches minimum plastron length (plastron is the underside surface of the shell) None Closed April 15 through June 15 It is illegal to take this species by a trap of any kind.
Box turtles and razorback musk turtles None Two per day, four at any time Open year-round  

Frogs

  • May be harvested using any visible light and mechanical devices known as frog catchers or with devices that puncture the skin (gigs or spears).
  • Possession of firearms while taking or hunting frogs at night is prohibited.
  • Length measured from the tip of the muzzle to the posterior end of the body between the hind legs.
Species Size Limit Posession Limit Season
Bull and pig frogs
  • Bull frogs: 5 inches minimum length
  • Pig frogs: 3 inches minimum length
  • Size limits do not apply to frogs harvested for purposes of stocking on private lands, ponds, or waters, where the harvester is an authorized representative
 None Closed April through May  

Prohibited Species

You may not harvest or possess:

Eastern tiger salamander Mud salamander  Red salamander Southern red-backed salamander
Webster’s salamander Dusky gopher frog Green sea turtle Hawksbill sea turtle
Kemp’s ridley sea turtle Leatherback sea turtle Loggerhead sea turtle Gopher tortoise
Ringed map turtle Louisiana pine snake Black pine snake Eastern diamondback rattlesnake