The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) has been working on changes to the state’s herp regulations. MDNR staff has already presented one proposal at several meetings to ban the possession of all native Maryland herps, including captive-bred animals. There is no timeline yet, but a formal proposal is expected to happen at any time. All Maryland stakeholders are encouraged to join the Maryland Amphibian and Reptile Conservation Charitable Trust (MAARC) Facebook group for updates. You can request to join the group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/1971574380136788/. MDNR already regulates the possession, breeding, and sale of native herps through permits and licenses. Many species are protected and not allowed to be possessed.
The Maryland Herp Club (previously called the Maryland Herpetological Society) provided MDNR’s herpetologist with a 25-page set of recommendations and regulatory changes that agree to some amendments to Maryland’s herp regulations, but not a broad-sweeping ban. The Herp Club’s recommendations rejected the possession ban on all Maryland native species and provided evidence to discredit the biased reasoning behind the proposed bans.
