From Tuesday this week, 19 snakes, lizards and turtles became legal
On Tuesday, the 40 year old ban on keeping reptiles as pets was abolished. Thus, a number of illegally imported pets can finally emerge from hiding.
On January the 1st, 1977, it became illegal to keep domesticated pet reptiles in Norway. Together, Iceland and Norway were the only countries in Europe that had banned such animals.
Nevertheless, it’s estimated that there may be as many as 100,000 reptiles kept illegally in the country.
When the ban is lifted, reptiles that were introduced or have stayed in Norway since before the 15th of August 2017 will also be legal if they are among the legal species reported Mattilsynet on their web page.
The lifting of the ban has had vague and mixed reactions. The animal welfare organisation, NOAH, fears, among other things, that provision of kittens could become an industry for snake food.
These reptiles are allowed to introduce, trade and hold as hobby animals from August 15, 2017:
| grønn trepyton | Morelia viridis | needs CITES clearance |
| kongepyton | Python regius | needs CITES clearance |
| teppepyton | Morelia spilota | needs CITES clearance |
| hagetreboa | Corallus hortulanus | needs CITES clearance |
| kongeboa | Boa constrictor | needs CITES clearance |
| regnbueboa | Epicrates cenchria | needs CITES clearance |
| kongesnok | Lampropeltis getula | |
| kornsnok | Pantherophis guttatus | |
| melkesnok | Lampropeltis triangulum | |
| kranset gekko | Correlophus ciliatus (Rhacodactylus ciliatus) | |
| leopardgekko | Eublepharis macularius | |
| stor daggekko | Phelsuma madagascariensis | needs CITES clearance |
| pigghaleagam | Uromastyx ocellata | needs CITES clearance |
| skjeggagam | Pogona vitticeps | |
| dvergvaran | Varanus acanthurus | needs CITES clearance |
| perlefirfisle | Lacerta lepida (Timon lepidus) | |
| gresk landskilpadde | Testudo hermanni | needs CITES clearance |
| rødfotet skogskilpadde | Chelonoidis carbonarius (Geochelone carbonaria) | needs CITES clearance |
| kinesisk trekjølskilpadde | Chinemys reevesi (Mauremys reevesi) | needs CITES clearance, China |
© NRK / Norway Today
