Exotic pet laws in Alabama

r. 220-2-.06; r. 220-2-.26(3)

The following animals are hereby designated as game animals: Bear, Beaver, Coyote, Deer, Opossum, Eastern Cottontail and Swamp Rabbit, Raccoon, Squirrel, Nutria, Fox, Mountain Lion (Cougar), Groundhog, Bobcat, Red Wolf, Feral Swine (Wild Hog or Wild Pig), and Alligator.

Alabama designates the alligator a game animal, and 220-2-.26(3) makes it unlawful to keep a live protected wild animal except under a permit issued before that amendment, the reading the raccoon and black bear cells rest on.

How this rule works: Designates bear, beaver, coyote, deer, opossum, eastern cottontail and swamp rabbit, raccoon, squirrel, nutria, fox, mountain lion (cougar), groundhog, bobcat, red wolf, feral swine and alligator as game animals.

Checked against the published text on October 8, 2026.

§ (1), (3)

Any of the following from any area outside the state of Alabama; any member of the family Cervidae (to include but not be limited to deer, elk, moose, caribou), species of coyote, species of fox, species of raccoon, species of skunk, wild rodent, or strain of wild turkey, black bear (Ursus americanus), mountain lion (Felis concolor), bobcat (Felis rufus)

Named by binomial among the animals barred from outside Alabama, and in-state transport is barred except by a licensed game breeder. An Alabama black bear is a protected wild animal that § (3) bars keeping alive.

How this rule works: Alabama's prohibited list, not a permitted one, so absence from it means an animal is unrestricted. This is read from the current rule on Alabama's official code site, not Cornell LII's copy, which is the 2020 version and differs from it. Two clauses do most of the work: everything the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service lists as injurious wildlife under the Lacey Act is banned by reference, and a block of mammals is banned when it comes from outside Alabama.

Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.

§ (1)

Any of the following from any area outside the state of Alabama; any member of the family Cervidae (to include but not be limited to deer, elk, moose, caribou), species of coyote, species of fox, species of raccoon, species of skunk, wild rodent, or strain of wild turkey, black bear (Ursus americanus), mountain lion (Felis concolor), bobcat (Felis rufus)

"Species of fox" carries no species limit, and every arctic fox in the trade comes from outside Alabama, which is the trigger. Same answer as the fennec fox.

How this rule works: Alabama's prohibited list, not a permitted one, so absence from it means an animal is unrestricted. This is read from the current rule on Alabama's official code site, not Cornell LII's copy, which is the 2020 version and differs from it. Two clauses do most of the work: everything the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service lists as injurious wildlife under the Lacey Act is banned by reference, and a block of mammals is banned when it comes from outside Alabama.

Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.

§ (1)

Any species of Tegus (Salvator sp.);

Banned by genus, so every tegu in the pet trade under the name Salvator is caught, not just the Argentine black and white.

How this rule works: Alabama's prohibited list, not a permitted one, so absence from it means an animal is unrestricted. This is read from the current rule on Alabama's official code site, not Cornell LII's copy, which is the 2020 version and differs from it. Two clauses do most of the work: everything the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service lists as injurious wildlife under the Lacey Act is banned by reference, and a block of mammals is banned when it comes from outside Alabama.

Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.

Ala. Admin. Code r. 220-2-.26(1)

Any species of bird, mammal, fish, crustacea, mollusk, reptile, or amphibian listed as injurious wildlife under the Lacey Act (18 U.S.C. 42) from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service;

This is what an incorporation by reference does when the federal list moves. Alabama bans possessing any amphibian the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service lists as injurious wildlife under the Lacey Act, and the salamander rule effective January 2025 put genus Ambystoma on that list. Nothing in Alabama changed and the answer did. The distinction that saves the axolotl in most states, that an injurious listing restricts importation and interstate shipment rather than possession, does not help here, because Alabama has adopted the federal list as its own possession bar. The state's own native protection at 220-2-.92 would not have reached this animal, since Ambystoma mexicanum is Mexican and that clause covers native salamanders.

How this rule works: Alabama's prohibited list, not a permitted one, so absence from it means an animal is unrestricted. This is read from the current rule on Alabama's official code site, not Cornell LII's copy, which is the 2020 version and differs from it. Two clauses do most of the work: everything the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service lists as injurious wildlife under the Lacey Act is banned by reference, and a block of mammals is banned when it comes from outside Alabama.

Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.

§ (1), (3)

Any of the following from any area outside the state of Alabama; any member of the family Cervidae (to include but not be limited to deer, elk, moose, caribou), species of coyote, species of fox, species of raccoon, species of skunk, wild rodent, or strain of wild turkey, black bear (Ursus americanus), mountain lion (Felis concolor), bobcat (Felis rufus)

The bobcat is named by its old binomial, Felis rufus, among the animals barred from outside Alabama, and in-state transport of a listed animal is barred except by a licensed game breeder. One taken in Alabama is a protected furbearer, which § (3) bars keeping alive. The serval, by contrast, is unlisted and legal.

How this rule works: Alabama's prohibited list, not a permitted one, so absence from it means an animal is unrestricted. This is read from the current rule on Alabama's official code site, not Cornell LII's copy, which is the 2020 version and differs from it. Two clauses do most of the work: everything the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service lists as injurious wildlife under the Lacey Act is banned by reference, and a block of mammals is banned when it comes from outside Alabama.

Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.

§ (1)

Any species of bird, mammal, fish, crustacea, mollusk, reptile, or amphibian listed as injurious wildlife under the Lacey Act (18 U.S.C. 42) from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service;

Alabama does not name the species itself. It adopts the federal injurious wildlife list, which has included Python bivittatus since 2012, so the federal listing does the work.

How this rule works: Alabama's prohibited list, not a permitted one, so absence from it means an animal is unrestricted. This is read from the current rule on Alabama's official code site, not Cornell LII's copy, which is the 2020 version and differs from it. Two clauses do most of the work: everything the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service lists as injurious wildlife under the Lacey Act is banned by reference, and a block of mammals is banned when it comes from outside Alabama.

Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.

§ (1)

Any of the following from any area outside the state of Alabama; ...species of skunk, wild rodent, or strain of wild turkey

The largest rodent in the world, and a wild one. Nothing in the rule carves out captive bred stock.

How this rule works: Alabama's prohibited list, not a permitted one, so absence from it means an animal is unrestricted. This is read from the current rule on Alabama's official code site, not Cornell LII's copy, which is the 2020 version and differs from it. Two clauses do most of the work: everything the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service lists as injurious wildlife under the Lacey Act is banned by reference, and a block of mammals is banned when it comes from outside Alabama.

Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.

r. 220-2-.26(1)

Any species of venomous reptile which has never naturally existed in the wild in Alabama including but not limited to venomous snakes of the families Viperidae, Atractaspididae, Elapidae, Hydrophiidae and Colubridae, except for hognose snakes (genus Heterodon);

Cobras are elapids and have never lived wild in Alabama, so possessing one is barred. Only accredited educational, research and rehabilitation facilities may be exempted, by the Commissioner's written permission under § (6). The king cobra and the Asian Naja species are on CITES Appendix II, which governs import and export, not keeping.

How this rule works: Alabama's prohibited list, not a permitted one, so absence from it means an animal is unrestricted. This is read from the current rule on Alabama's official code site, not Cornell LII's copy, which is the 2020 version and differs from it. Two clauses do most of the work: everything the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service lists as injurious wildlife under the Lacey Act is banned by reference, and a block of mammals is banned when it comes from outside Alabama.

Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.

r. 220-2-.26(1), (3); r. 220-2-.06

Any of the following from any area outside the state of Alabama; ... black bear (Ursus americanus), mountain lion (Felis concolor), bobcat (Felis rufus),

Named by binomial among the animals barred from outside Alabama, and in-state transport is barred except by a licensed game breeder. Rule 220-2-.06 designates the mountain lion a game animal, and § (3) bars keeping a live protected wild animal, the black bear's position. Federally, the Big Cat Public Safety Act of 2022 (16 U.S.C. § 3372(e)) bars any person outside a licensed exhibitor, sanctuary or state institution from breeding or possessing a cougar unless the animal was born before December 20, 2022, and registered with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service within 180 days, so no new pet is lawful anywhere in the country whatever the state rule says. The Florida panther subspecies is also endangered under the federal Endangered Species Act.

How this rule works: Alabama's prohibited list, not a permitted one, so absence from it means an animal is unrestricted. This is read from the current rule on Alabama's official code site, not Cornell LII's copy, which is the 2020 version and differs from it. Two clauses do most of the work: everything the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service lists as injurious wildlife under the Lacey Act is banned by reference, and a block of mammals is banned when it comes from outside Alabama.

Checked against the published text on October 8, 2026.

r. 220-2-.06; r. 220-2-.26(1), (3)

The following animals are hereby designated as game animals: Bear, Beaver, Coyote, Deer, Opossum, Eastern Cottontail and Swamp Rabbit, Raccoon, Squirrel, Nutria, Fox, Mountain Lion (Cougar), Groundhog, Bobcat, Red Wolf, Feral Swine (Wild Hog or Wild Pig), and Alligator.

An Alabama squirrel is a designated game animal, which 220-2-.26(3) bars keeping alive, the raccoon's reading, and one from out of state is a "wild rodent" that 220-2-.26(1) bars bringing in.

How this rule works: Designates bear, beaver, coyote, deer, opossum, eastern cottontail and swamp rabbit, raccoon, squirrel, nutria, fox, mountain lion (cougar), groundhog, bobcat, red wolf, feral swine and alligator as game animals.

Checked against the published text on October 8, 2026.

§ (1)

Any of the following from any area outside the state of Alabama; any member of the family Cervidae (to include but not be limited to deer, elk, moose, caribou), species of coyote, species of fox, species of raccoon, species of skunk, wild rodent, or strain of wild turkey, black bear (Ursus americanus), mountain lion (Felis concolor), bobcat (Felis rufus), Pronghorn Antelope (Antelocapridae), any nondomestic member of the families Suidae (pigs), Tayassuidae (peccaries), or Bovidae (except bison).

Species of fox, without qualification. Every fennec fox in the trade comes from outside Alabama, which is the trigger.

How this rule works: Alabama's prohibited list, not a permitted one, so absence from it means an animal is unrestricted. This is read from the current rule on Alabama's official code site, not Cornell LII's copy, which is the 2020 version and differs from it. Two clauses do most of the work: everything the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service lists as injurious wildlife under the Lacey Act is banned by reference, and a block of mammals is banned when it comes from outside Alabama.

Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.

§ (1)

Any of the following from any area outside the state of Alabama; ...species of raccoon, species of skunk, wild rodent, or strain of wild turkey

The wild-rodent import ban that this site's prairie-dog research already documents names squirrels specifically in the underlying regulation text. A flying squirrel brought into Alabama from outside the state is a wild rodent under this rule.

Cities and counties here can prohibit what state law permits, so check your local ordinance too.

How this rule works: Alabama's prohibited list, not a permitted one, so absence from it means an animal is unrestricted. This is read from the current rule on Alabama's official code site, not Cornell LII's copy, which is the 2020 version and differs from it. Two clauses do most of the work: everything the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service lists as injurious wildlife under the Lacey Act is banned by reference, and a block of mammals is banned when it comes from outside Alabama.

Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.

r. 220-2-.26(1)

Any species of bird, mammal, fish, crustacea, mollusk, reptile, or amphibian listed as injurious wildlife under the Lacey Act (18 U.S.C. 42) from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service;

Alabama adopts the federal injurious wildlife list rather than naming the species, and the green anaconda is on it, so possession is barred in the state whatever the federal transport position, the Burmese python's position. Only accredited educational, research and rehabilitation facilities may be exempted under § (6). Federally, the green anaconda has been injurious wildlife under the Lacey Act since 2015 (50 CFR 16.15(a)), which bars importing one into the country or shipping one to Hawaii or a territory; USARK v. Zinke (D.C. Cir. 2017) held it does not bar shipment between the continental states.

How this rule works: Alabama's prohibited list, not a permitted one, so absence from it means an animal is unrestricted. This is read from the current rule on Alabama's official code site, not Cornell LII's copy, which is the 2020 version and differs from it. Two clauses do most of the work: everything the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service lists as injurious wildlife under the Lacey Act is banned by reference, and a block of mammals is banned when it comes from outside Alabama.

Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.

§ (1)

Any of the following from any area outside the state of Alabama; ...species of raccoon, species of skunk, wild rodent, or strain of wild turkey

A prairie dog is a wild rodent on any reading of the phrase, and one brought into Alabama comes from outside the state by definition.

How this rule works: Alabama's prohibited list, not a permitted one, so absence from it means an animal is unrestricted. This is read from the current rule on Alabama's official code site, not Cornell LII's copy, which is the 2020 version and differs from it. Two clauses do most of the work: everything the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service lists as injurious wildlife under the Lacey Act is banned by reference, and a block of mammals is banned when it comes from outside Alabama.

Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.

§ (1), (3)

Any of the following from any area outside the state of Alabama; any member of the family Cervidae (to include but not be limited to deer, elk, moose, caribou), species of coyote, species of fox, species of raccoon, species of skunk, wild rodent, or strain of wild turkey, black bear (Ursus americanus), mountain lion (Felis concolor), bobcat (Felis rufus)

"Species of raccoon" from outside Alabama is barred, and the rule also forbids transporting a listed animal within the state whatever its origin, except by a licensed game breeder under Code § 9-11-31. A raccoon from inside the state is a protected wild animal, which § (3) bars possessing alive except under a permit issued before that amendment. The game breeder license is a propagation license, not a pet one.

How this rule works: Alabama's prohibited list, not a permitted one, so absence from it means an animal is unrestricted. This is read from the current rule on Alabama's official code site, not Cornell LII's copy, which is the 2020 version and differs from it. Two clauses do most of the work: everything the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service lists as injurious wildlife under the Lacey Act is banned by reference, and a block of mammals is banned when it comes from outside Alabama.

Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.

§ (1), (3)

Any of the following from any area outside the state of Alabama; any member of the family Cervidae (to include but not be limited to deer, elk, moose, caribou), species of coyote, species of fox, species of raccoon, species of skunk, wild rodent, or strain of wild turkey, black bear (Ursus americanus), mountain lion (Felis concolor), bobcat (Felis rufus)

Same entry that bans the fennec: "species of fox" from outside Alabama, and no in-state transport except by a licensed game breeder. A red fox from inside the state is a protected furbearer, which § (3) bars keeping alive.

How this rule works: Alabama's prohibited list, not a permitted one, so absence from it means an animal is unrestricted. This is read from the current rule on Alabama's official code site, not Cornell LII's copy, which is the 2020 version and differs from it. Two clauses do most of the work: everything the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service lists as injurious wildlife under the Lacey Act is banned by reference, and a block of mammals is banned when it comes from outside Alabama.

Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.

r. 220-2-.26(1)

Any species of bird, mammal, fish, crustacea, mollusk, reptile, or amphibian listed as injurious wildlife under the Lacey Act (18 U.S.C. 42) from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service;

Alabama adopts the federal injurious wildlife list rather than naming the species, and the reticulated python is on it, so possession is barred in the state whatever the federal transport position, the Burmese python's position. Only accredited educational, research and rehabilitation facilities may be exempted under § (6). Federally, the reticulated python has been injurious wildlife under the Lacey Act since 2015 (50 CFR 16.15(a)), which bars importing one into the country or shipping one to Hawaii or a territory; USARK v. Zinke (D.C. Cir. 2017) held it does not bar shipment between the continental states.

How this rule works: Alabama's prohibited list, not a permitted one, so absence from it means an animal is unrestricted. This is read from the current rule on Alabama's official code site, not Cornell LII's copy, which is the 2020 version and differs from it. Two clauses do most of the work: everything the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service lists as injurious wildlife under the Lacey Act is banned by reference, and a block of mammals is banned when it comes from outside Alabama.

Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.

§ (1), (3); r. 220-2-.92(1)(e)

Any of the following from any area outside the state of Alabama; any member of the family Cervidae (to include but not be limited to deer, elk, moose, caribou), species of coyote, species of fox, species of raccoon, species of skunk, wild rodent, or strain of wild turkey, black bear (Ursus americanus), mountain lion (Felis concolor), bobcat (Felis rufus)

"Species of skunk" from outside the state is barred, an Alabama-caught striped skunk is a protected wild animal under § (3), and the spotted skunk is on the protected nongame list as well. No pet route either way.

How this rule works: Alabama's prohibited list, not a permitted one, so absence from it means an animal is unrestricted. This is read from the current rule on Alabama's official code site, not Cornell LII's copy, which is the 2020 version and differs from it. Two clauses do most of the work: everything the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service lists as injurious wildlife under the Lacey Act is banned by reference, and a block of mammals is banned when it comes from outside Alabama.

Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.

Ala. Admin. Code r. 220-2-.92(1)(b); r. 220-2-.26(1)

All native salamander species, including those in the genera Ambystoma, Amphiuma, Aneides, Cryptobranchus, Desmognathus, Eurycea, Gyrinophilus, Hemidactylium, Necturus, Notophthalmus, Phaeognathus, Plethodon, Pseudotriton, and Siren.

Alabama catches this one twice, from opposite directions. 220-2-.92(1)(b) does not list amphibians species by species the way it lists reptiles; it protects "all native salamander species", naming fourteen genera, and Ambystoma is the first of them. The eastern tiger salamander is an Alabama animal, so it is protected wildlife and possession needs a scientific collection permit or a written permit from the Commissioner. Then 220-2-.26(1) bans by reference anything the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service lists as injurious wildlife under the Lacey Act, and the January 2025 federal salamander rule added genus Ambystoma to that list. The second hook has no permit behind it at all, only the 220-2-.26(6) exemption for accredited educational, research and rehabilitation facilities. Note that Cornell LII still shows the older per-species amphibian list, which does not carry the genus-wide language.

How this rule works: The native side of Alabama, and the rule that catches what 220-2-.26 does not. Protection means no possession without a scientific collection permit or a written permit from the Commissioner. The reptile list is species by species, the amphibian list is not: it protects all native salamander species by genus. Cornell LII still shows the older per-species salamander list, so read the official PDF.

Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.

r. 220-2-.06; r. 220-2-.26(3)

The following animals are hereby designated as game animals: Bear, Beaver, Coyote, Deer, Opossum, Eastern Cottontail and Swamp Rabbit, Raccoon, Squirrel, Nutria, Fox, Mountain Lion (Cougar), Groundhog, Bobcat, Red Wolf, Feral Swine (Wild Hog or Wild Pig), and Alligator.

Alabama designates the opossum a game animal, and 220-2-.26(3) bars keeping a live protected wild animal except under a permit issued before that amendment, the raccoon's reading. Unlike the raccoon, the opossum is not on the out-of-state list, so the bar rests on § (3) alone.

How this rule works: Designates bear, beaver, coyote, deer, opossum, eastern cottontail and swamp rabbit, raccoon, squirrel, nutria, fox, mountain lion (cougar), groundhog, bobcat, red wolf, feral swine and alligator as game animals.

Checked against the published text on October 8, 2026.

r. 220-2-.26(1), (3); r. 220-2-.06

Any of the following from any area outside the state of Alabama; any member of the family Cervidae (to include but not be limited to deer, elk, moose, caribou),

A deer from outside Alabama is barred, and in-state transport of any listed species is barred except by a licensed game breeder under Code § 9-11-31. An Alabama deer is a designated game animal that § (3) bars keeping alive; § (3) says possession does not include wild deer behind natural or man-made barriers that are not managed like domesticated animals.

How this rule works: Alabama's prohibited list, not a permitted one, so absence from it means an animal is unrestricted. This is read from the current rule on Alabama's official code site, not Cornell LII's copy, which is the 2020 version and differs from it. Two clauses do most of the work: everything the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service lists as injurious wildlife under the Lacey Act is banned by reference, and a block of mammals is banned when it comes from outside Alabama.

Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.

Ala. Admin. Code r. 220-2-.92(1)(c)

Snake, All Native King Lampropeltis spp.

This entry read legal, checked against the Lacey Act clause in 220-2-.26 and against nothing else. That clause does not reach a milk snake and it is not the rule that answers one. 220-2-.92(1)(c) protects "Snake, All Native King" and gives the scientific name as Lampropeltis spp., the whole genus, and Lampropeltis triangulum is native to Alabama. Protection under 220-2-.92(1) bars possessing the species without a scientific collection permit or a written permit from the Commissioner, with no carve-out for a captive-bred animal or one bought out of state. Recorded as a permit rather than a ban because the rule does provide for a Commissioner's permit and says nothing about who may hold one, but no pet category is named anywhere in it, so a keeper should not expect one. The California kingsnake gets the opposite answer on this map, and the reason is the word "Native" in the same line.

How this rule works: The native side of Alabama, and the rule that catches what 220-2-.26 does not. Protection means no possession without a scientific collection permit or a written permit from the Commissioner. The reptile list is species by species, the amphibian list is not: it protects all native salamander species by genus. Cornell LII still shows the older per-species salamander list, so read the official PDF.

Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.

Ala. Admin. Code r. 220-2-.92(4)

It shall be unlawful to possess more than one (1) box turtle or to offer for sale, sell, or trade for anything of value any box turtle (Terrapene spp.), box turtle part, or reproductive product except by permit as outlined in paragraph (1).

Alabama gives the box turtle its own subsection rather than putting it on the protected list, and the condition is a number: one. Possessing more than one box turtle is unlawful, and so is selling, offering for sale or trading one for anything of value, with the only exception a permit under paragraph (1), which is the scientific collection permit or a written permit from the Commissioner. The rule says Terrapene spp., so it reaches the ornate box turtle as well as the eastern, and it carries no origin qualifier, which means a captive-bred one bought out of state counts toward the one. The sale bar is the sharper half in practice: a keeper may lawfully have a box turtle and no one may lawfully sell them one.

How this rule works: The native side of Alabama, and the rule that catches what 220-2-.26 does not. Protection means no possession without a scientific collection permit or a written permit from the Commissioner. The reptile list is species by species, the amphibian list is not: it protects all native salamander species by genus. Cornell LII still shows the older per-species salamander list, so read the official PDF.

Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.

Ala. Admin. Code r. 220-2-.92(1)(c); r. 220-2-.26(1)

Snake, Southern Hognose Heterodon simus

Which hognose decides this, and Alabama says so twice. 220-2-.92(1)(c) protects the southern hognose, Heterodon simus, by name, so possessing that species needs a scientific collection permit or a written permit from the Commissioner. The eastern hognose, H. platirhinos, is also an Alabama animal and is not on the list, and the western hognose, H. nasicus, is the pet trade species and is not native here at all. Both of those are unrestricted. The other half is a nice piece of drafting: 220-2-.26(1) bans venomous reptiles that have never naturally existed in the wild in Alabama and then writes an express exception, "except for hognose snakes (genus Heterodon)", which settles the rear-fanged argument that leaves this animal ambiguous in several other states.

How this rule works: The native side of Alabama, and the rule that catches what 220-2-.26 does not. Protection means no possession without a scientific collection permit or a written permit from the Commissioner. The reptile list is species by species, the amphibian list is not: it protects all native salamander species by genus. Cornell LII still shows the older per-species salamander list, so read the official PDF.

Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.

r. 220-2-.26(1); r. 220-2-.92(3)

Any species of venomous reptile which has never naturally existed in the wild in Alabama including but not limited to venomous snakes of the families Viperidae, Atractaspididae, Elapidae, Hydrophiidae and Colubridae, except for hognose snakes (genus Heterodon);

Alabama splits rattlesnakes by nativity. Any rattlesnake that has never lived wild in Alabama is barred outright. A native one is not on the protected nongame list in 220-2-.92(1), so it falls outside the restricted rules, with one exception: 220-2-.92(3) bars possessing a live eastern diamondback rattlesnake without the Commissioner's permit.

How this rule works: Alabama's prohibited list, not a permitted one, so absence from it means an animal is unrestricted. This is read from the current rule on Alabama's official code site, not Cornell LII's copy, which is the 2020 version and differs from it. Two clauses do most of the work: everything the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service lists as injurious wildlife under the Lacey Act is banned by reference, and a block of mammals is banned when it comes from outside Alabama.

Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.

§ (1)

Any of the following from any area outside the state of Alabama; ...species of skunk, wild rodent, or strain of wild turkey

Wild rodent is not defined anywhere in the rule. A pet degu is captive bred, but Octodon degus is a wild species with no domesticated lineage behind it, unlike the hamster or the guinea pig. Ask the Division of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries before buying.

How this rule works: Alabama's prohibited list, not a permitted one, so absence from it means an animal is unrestricted. This is read from the current rule on Alabama's official code site, not Cornell LII's copy, which is the 2020 version and differs from it. Two clauses do most of the work: everything the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service lists as injurious wildlife under the Lacey Act is banned by reference, and a block of mammals is banned when it comes from outside Alabama.

Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.