USA Snake Import Prohibtions

CITES Notification No. 2012/031

CONCERNING:

Prohibition of import of certain snakes into the United States of America

1. This Notification is being distributed at the request of the United States of America.

2. The United States wishes to inform CITES Parties that, since 23 March 2012, import into the United States of the following snakes have been prohibited:
- Eunectes notaeus (the yellow anaconda);
- Python molurus [which includes Python molurus bivittatus (the Burmese
python) and Python molurus molurus (the Indian python)];
- Python natalensis (the Southern African python); and
- Python sebae (the African python).

3. These four large non-native snakes are listed as "injurious wildlife" (effective 23 March 2012) under newly revised federal regulations (50 CFR 16) that implement injurious-wildlife provisions of the Lacey Act.
In addition to domestic prohibitions, the new listing makes it illegal to import live specimens (including gametes, viable eggs and hybrids) of these snakes into the United States without an injurious-wildlife
permit. The import prohibition includes a ban on shipments containing these snakes transiting through the United States on their way to other countries.

4. The listing does not prohibit the import into the United States of dead specimens of these snakes or of products made from dead specimens.

http://www.cites.org/eng/notif/2012.php