What Animals Are Illegal to Have in Georgia?

Native Wildlife

• Most wild animals native to Georgia are illegal to keep. These include the armadillo, all species of bat, black bear, bobcat, chipmunk, cottontail rabbit, coyote, cougar, flying squirrel, fox squirrel, gray fox, gray squirrel, groundhog, marsh rabbit, mink, mole, muskrat, opossum, pocket gopher, raccoon, red fox, river otter, skunk, swamp rabbit, weasel, white-tailed deer, alligator, alligator snapping turtle, black racer, bog turtle, box turtle, brown snake, coachwhip, corn snake, crayfish snake, crowned snake, diamondback terrapin, earth snake, fence lizard, flatwoods salamander, Florida worm lizard, garter snake, Georgia blind salamander, glass lizard, gopher tortoise, green anole, green salamander, hellbender, hognose snake, indigo snake, kingsnake, map turtle, milksnake, mud snake, one-toed amphiuma, pigeon mountain salamander, pine snake, pine woods snake, queen snake, rainbow snake, rat snake, redbellied snake, ribbon snake, rough green snake, scarlet snake, sea turtle, six-lined racerunner, skink, spotted turtle, striped newt, water snake, worm snake, all native fish species and all bird species found in the wild in Georgia except English sparrows, European starlings and pigeons.

Exotic Animals

• In Georgia, most non-native animals are illegal to keep. These include all species of marsupials, insectivores, flying lemurs, bats, primates, sloths, armadillos, pangolins, rabbits, hares, rodents, whales, dolphins, carnivores, aardvarks, elephants, conies, manatee, dugong, hawks, eagles, vultures, turkeys, monk parakeet, cuckoos, owls, sky larks, bulbuls, thrushes, white eyes, yellow hammers, sparrows except the English sparrow, cape weaver, baya weaver, queleas, plackbirds, grackles, java sparrow, starlings, mynas, crows, ravens, ungulates except American bison, water buffalos, llamas, crocodiles, gavials, alligators, caimans, cobras, coral snakes, adders, vipers, pit vipers, venomous colubrid snakes, gila monsters, beaded lizards, piranhas, air-breathing catfish, parasitic catfish, giant walking catfish, snakehead, fresh-water stingray, grass, silver and bighead carp, wart hogs, hippopotamus, giant and marine toads, rhinoceri and banded tetra.

Safety

• Keeping an illegal animal endangers your safety and the safety of your family. Many such animals carry rabies or other diseases. Wild or exotic animals may seem tame when they are young, but as they age and mature they may become aggressive and try to escape. In doing so, they may injure or kill you or your family.

  If your illegal animal hasn't lived in the wild, it won't have the skills to survive and will most likely die if it escapes. If it doesn't escape, it may be denied its dietary needs, which are very different from domesticated animals, and may suffer malnutrition.

Returning Illegal Animals

• Owners of illegal animals often dump their animals in neighbor's backyards or release them to the outdoors because they are afraid of prosecution. If these animals survive, they may have trouble surviving and/or wreak havoc on the ecosystem.

  Rescue organizations have been created to prevent this. These include, but are not limited to, Southeastern Reptile Rescue and TLC Exotic Animal Rescue. If you have an illegal pet, you can contact an appropriate rescue organization and anonymously turn over the animal without legal repercussions and with no questions asked. The animal is then placed in an appropriate facility or, occasionally, used in educational programs.

Exceptions

• Georgia has permits and licenses available that allow you to handle wild or exotic animals; however, these permits and licenses do not allow someone to keep that animal as a pet. People who qualify for these permits and licenses include breeders, hunters, fishers, trappers, educational institutions, zoos or transient circuses. To apply for a permit or license, contact the Georgia Department of Natural Resources Wildlife Resource Division.

Better Safe Than Sorry

• If you have any doubt about the legality of keeping an exotic pet, contact the Georgia Department of Natural Resources Wildlife Resource Division. Always consider the safety of your family, the well-being of the natural ecosystem and the protection of both native and exotic animals before making the commitment to purchase or adopt an exotic pet.