How to Sell Pet Reptiles in the United States | PetzLover

Is it legal to sell reptiles in your state?

The federal Animal Welfare Act covers only warm-blooded animals, so it does not license reptile sellers. Most rules come from states and cities, with a few federal ones on top.

• Small turtles: an FDA regulation bans selling turtles with a shell under 4 inches, holding them for sale or offering them for commercial or public distribution, when done in connection with a business. The only uses allowed are bona fide scientific, educational or exhibition purposes, not pets.
• Injurious constrictors: Burmese, Indian, reticulated and northern and southern African pythons, and yellow, green, Beni and DeSchauensee's anacondas, are federally listed as injurious wildlife. Importing them, or moving them between the mainland and Hawaii, Puerto Rico or US territories, needs a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service permit.
• Wild-caught natives: selling wildlife taken in breach of state law can break the federal Lacey Act. South Carolina, for example, bans selling or trading 13 native turtle species, including the eastern box turtle.
• State permits: Florida requires anyone keeping captive wildlife for sale or public display to hold a permit; the only reptiles on its list of permit-free sales are anoles. It also lists Burmese pythons, green iguanas, tegus and other high-risk reptiles as prohibited species.
• Venomous reptiles: Florida requires a permit that normally needs at least 1,000 hours of documented experience, and the CDC advises against keeping venomous animals as pets.

How do you get a reptile ready for sale?

1. Make sure it is eating reliably. Record the food item, how often it eats and the dates of its last few meals.
2. Weigh and measure it, and note its hatch date and sex if known.
3. Have a reptile vet check it and run a fecal parasite test, and keep the record for the buyer. The Association of Reptile and Amphibian Veterinarians (ARAV) has a Find a Vet directory.
4. Wait until a snake has finished shedding before photos and handover; VCA advises buyers not to take one that is about to shed.
5. Write a care sheet with the temperatures, lighting, humidity and substrate you use.

Do not sell a reptile that is sick, carrying mites or refusing food for no clear reason. Get it treated first.

How much should you charge for a reptile?

Look at current reptiles for sale near you for the same kind, age and color. Many common reptiles sell for modest prices, while rare color morphs can fetch thousands of dollars, so price by what comparable animals actually sell for.

• Kind and morph: the biggest factor.
• Age and size: hatchlings, juveniles and adults sell at different prices.
• Records: captive-bred with a known hatch date, parents and vet record builds trust.
• Feeding: a snake that reliably takes frozen and thawed prey is easier for a new owner.
• Equipment: list each item you include and its condition. VCA says UVB output drops with age, so bulbs older than about 6 months may need replacing.

What should your reptile ad include?

When you post your reptile ad, answer the questions buyers ask most so the right people reply.

Use clear, recent photos and a short video of the animal moving. Never use stock photos, or pictures of the parents as if they were the animal for sale.

How do you screen reptile buyers?

1. Which reptiles have you kept before, and for how long?
2. Can you send a photo or video of the enclosure set up and running, with thermometers in place?
3. How will you provide heat, a thermostat and, if needed, UVB?
4. Which reptile vet will you use?
5. Where do you live, and is this species legal there?
6. Who lives in the home? The CDC does not recommend reptiles for households with children under 5, adults 65 and older or people with weakened immune systems.

Be cautious with anyone who will not say where they live, wants the animal shipped unseen, or plans to keep it in a much smaller enclosure than you describe. A good buyer asks you questions too.

How do you take payment and hand over a reptile safely?

1. Meet in person, at your home or a public place, with the reptile in a secure, ventilated container that holds a steady temperature.
2. Take payment at handover and give a written receipt with the species, morph, hatch date, price and any health disclosures.
3. Never refund an "overpayment", and wait until any payment has fully cleared before the animal leaves.
4. Hand over vet records, the care sheet and a few days of the usual food.
5. Remind the buyer to wash hands after handling and keep reptile equipment out of the kitchen, as the CDC advises.
6. Offer help for the first weeks. VCA notes that snakes, especially ball pythons, may refuse food for weeks to months after a move.

The US Postal Service treats all snakes, turtles and poisonous reptiles as nonmailable. If a distant buyer insists on shipping, use only a carrier that accepts live reptiles and follow its rules, or ask the buyer to collect.

Buyers can see the other side in how to buy a pet reptile. To find a home without a sale, read how to rehome your pet reptile responsibly or how to list a pet reptile for adoption.