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Oklahoma

Hunting

Hunting

Reptile & Amphibian Regulations

License Requirements

Any person while in the act of taking or attempting to take reptiles and amphibians or possessing reptiles or amphibians must first possess:

  1. Any resident or nonresident hunting license, unless otherwise exempt, for land-dwelling reptiles or amphibians, with the exception of (3) and (4) of this paragraph.
  2. A resident or nonresident fishing license, unless otherwise exempt, for water-dwelling reptiles or amphibians, with the exception of (3) and (4) of this paragraph.
  3. A commercial turtle harvester license for legal water-dwelling turtles if the taking or possession is for commercial purposes. Note: Not all bodies of water are open for commercial harvest.
  4. A commercial resident or nonresident minnow dealers license for legal aquatic salamanders if the taking is for commercial purposes.

Bullfrogs may be taken with hook and line, gig, spear, bow and arrow or other methods except firearms under the resident or nonresident fishing license. Bullfrogs may be taken with firearms under the resident or nonresident hunting license.

Persons possessing a current resident or nonresident hunting license, unless otherwise exempt, may sell lawfully-taken rattlesnakes only to those individuals holding a commercial or noncommercial wildlife breeders license during open season. A commercial wildlife breeders license is required of all who buy and resell live rattlesnakes.

5-Day Rattlesnake Permit

Any person hunting, pursuing, trapping, harassing, catching, killing, taking, or attempting to take in any manner any species of rattlesnake during an organized rattlesnake hunting event or festival must have a rattlesnake permit, unless exempt.

Persons with a valid hunting license (see Licenses & Permits) are exempt from the rattlesnake permit.

Permits are available online at wildlifedepartment.com, or at any hunting or fishing license dealer.

Rattlesnake Dates & Daily Limits

  • March 1 - June 30.

The following reptiles are legal to harvest with no daily limit: prairie rattlesnake, western diamondback rattlesnake, timber rattlesnake and massasauga.

Other Reptile Dates
& Daily Limits

There is a statewide closed season on the following reptiles: Texas horned lizard, eastern side-blotched lizard, checkered whiptail, American alligator, western chicken turtle, northern map turtle, wandering gartersnake, gulf swampsnake, alligator snapping turtle, common lesser earless lizard, round-tailed horned lizard and western mudsnake.

All other reptiles, excluding rattlesnakes, have a year-round season. The limit is six (6) per day or in possession for each species.

Nuisance Reptiles

Nothing prohibits the control of reptiles other than those listed as endangered or threatened, by landowners, lessees, or occupants of such land when such reptiles are creating a nuisance.

Legal Means of Taking

It is unlawful to introduce, deposit, place or drain any deleterious, noxious, toxic or petroleum based substance into or around any underground dens or rock crevices for the purpose of taking reptiles or amphibians.

The method of taking legal water turtles and aquatic salamanders for commercial purposes and the taking of bullfrogs is restricted to provisions in the current statutes and regulations. With the exception of water turtles and aquatic salamanders taken for commercial purposes (when licensed) and all legal species of frogs, all other reptiles and amphibians may only be taken by hand or any other legal means.

Commercial Harvest

It shall be unlawful to engage in any commercial activities involving any species or subspecies, if more than one (1) exists, of reptiles or amphibians collected from the wild that are indigenous to or whose range extends into Oklahoma, except for provisions for rattlesnakes, water turtles and aquatic salamanders (Necturus and Ambystoma, except Ambystoma talpoideum) and Ambystoma annulatum.

Commercial & Noncommercial Breeding

All persons so licensed for captive breeding of reptiles and amphibians must keep detailed breeding and hatching records in addition to those records already required by law.

The Director may make exceptions for education or research purposes to holders of Oklahoma scientific collector’s permits for reptiles and amphibians.

Possession of American Alligators

It is unlawful to possess an American alligator.

Amphibian Dates, Areas, Legal Species &
Daily Limits

There will be a statewide year-round open season for all amphibians except for the following salamanders that have a statewide closed season: Sequoyah slimy salamander, Kiamichi slimy salamander, western slimy salamander, Rich Mountain salamander, Ozark zigzag salamander, four-toed salamander, grotto salamander, Oklahoma salamander, cave salamander, mole salamander, ringed salamander, Ouachita dusky salamander and three-toed amphiuma.

Aquatic frogs (except bullfrog and crawfish frog), Woodhouse’s toad and aquatic salamanders of the genera Necturus and Ambystoma (except mole and ringed salamander) have no limit.

The daily limit and possession limit for bullfrogs is 15. It is illegal to sell bullfrogs or ship them out-of-state at any time. Bullfrogs may not be taken in the Wichita Mountains WR.

The limit for crawfish frog and all other species of amphibians, except those listed as closed, is four (4) per day or in possession of each species.