Wisconsin DNR’s updated frog, turtle rules ban races, contests

Madison — The Wisconsin Natural Resources Board (NRB) approved updated rules for collecting reptiles and amphibians that now ban frog and turtle races and contests.

The new regulations were requested by the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) at the board’s Feb. 25 meeting, primarily to clarify current rules and protect species from exposure to diseases.

Rori Paloski, DNR herpetologist, said DNR conservation wardens and the public have difficulty interpreting the current regulations, which were last updated in the 1990s.

“Amphibians and reptiles are the only native vertebrates in Wisconsin that can be collected from the wild and be possessed,” Paloski said, adding that there are a lot of new invasive diseases that affect amphibians and reptiles (“herps” for short) that weren’t known back in the 1990s.

Most people might come in contact with amphibians and reptiles as a nuisance around the house, or in the wild, especially near wetlands.

If an animal is a nuisance on the property, the rule changes would now allow residents to live-trap and move the animal within one mile of where it’s found. If it is in a residence, it could be destroyed (or removed), but a hibernaculum (an over-wintering location) on a property may not be destroyed.

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Paloski said destruction of a hibernaculum could have a “profound” impact on a species, some of which could be recognized as endangered.

The previous law allowed people to keep up to five “herps” (such as fox snakes, tiger salamanders, leopard frogs, turtles, etc.) for the life of the animal. The new law still allows them to be collected, but may be possessed for only 24 hours.

Paloski said that this still allows kids to go out and collect frogs or parents to collect a frog or snake and show it to children.

The new law does include a “grandfather” clause allowing native amphibians and reptiles kept as pets to remain as pets.

The new regulation also will prohibit the use of herps in races or contests.

“These (events) can have hundreds of animals being in close contact with each other.Disease spread is really one of our concerns,” Paloski said.

Amphibians and reptiles may be harvested. The new rules reduces the daily bag and possession limit on snapping turtles on boundary waters from 10 to three. The current limit on inland waters also is three. The change prohibits the harvest of all other turtles, and keeps the bullfrog possession limit at five.

When collecting herps on DNR properties, people will not be allowed to use snake hooks in order to not spread disease from animal to animal. People may not disturb hibernacula.

Paloski said cage sizes for kept species will have to be considered at a later time when the public can weigh in.

Five members of the public presented testimony, most of which favored the majority of the new rules but suggested some changes.

Phil Goss, of the United States Association of Reptile Keepers, said his group supports most of the proposals, but a needed change is to allow the breeding and selling of captive reptiles, especially snakes, which would reduce take from the wild.

Art Parola, of the National Animal Interest Alliance, was concerned the changes will have unintended consequences of increasing take from the wild to fill demand now filled with captive bred animals.

Alex Heeb, of the Turtle Conservation Group, strongly supported the regulations, saying that turtle races often involve wild turtles that are then released away from their capture site, increasing their mortality.

John Moyles, of J&R Aquatic Animal Rescue in Menasha, works with exotic pet rescues. He said the 24-hour limit is perfect, allowing families to collect frogs, but then release them.

“Turtle and frog races are concerning. Our big fear is you would be able to buy frogs online, have them shipped and use them in a race because then you are moving animals from a warehouse situation, where they could be sick, and then introduce them into the wild,” Moyles said.

NRB member Rachel Bouressa was concerned about nature centers. Paloski said the DNR is not proposing changes. Centers already must have a permit and may keep educational animals.

One of the biggest questions with amphibians and reptiles involves the ability of some animals of the same species, or at different ages, to have varying colors. NRB member Bill Smith had concerns over simplicity and public understanding of the rules. He said that some color variances could be hard for the public to understand.

“I’m totally onboard with reducing the flow from the natural environment to reduce the risk of disease, but I want to make this more understandable for the public,” Smith said.

Smith offered an amendment that would, “Reduce the number of color variants that are considered exceptions and would reduce some of the complexity and misunderstanding.”

The change removes some of the items that were complicated in the original proposal.

The new rules were approved with Smith’s amendment, and now go to the governor and legislature for approval.