Collect, breed, buy or sell a live reptile or amphibian
The rules for collecting, keeping, buying, selling, or breeding live reptiles and amphibians, or releasing them into the wild.
Effective July 1, 2013.
The law
In general, for reptiles and amphibians that are native to Ontario, you need approval before you can:
- take (collect) them from the wild
- buy or sell them
- release them into the wild
If you have approval to take or collect them, you can keep or breed the animals, without a licence.
Source law
This is a summary of the provincial laws. You can find a complete set of rules related to this activity in:
- Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act, 1997
- Ontario Regulation 668/98 (wildlife in captivity)
- Endangered Species Act, 2007
Species at risk
Special restrictions apply for endangered or threatened species. You can only keep a protected species under very limited circumstances (e.g., for scientific and education purposes).
Protected species are listed on Ontario’s Species at Risk List. Please contact a local ministry office for more information about the rules.
Species at risk in Ontario list
How to get approval
Please contact your local ministry work centre for more information on activities related to reptiles and amphibians.