Exotic pet laws in Connecticut

§ 26-55-6(a)(3)(B)(xxviii), (b)(3)

(xxviii) A member within the order Crocodylia (including, but not limited to, alligator, crocodile and caiman),

Connecticut names the alligator first in the Category Two crocodilian entry. Subsection (b)(3) allows a Category Two animal only to a treating vet, municipal parks, zoos, aquaria, nature centers, museums, exhibitors, laboratories and research facilities, so there is no private route.

How this rule works: Connecticut's official eRegulations text, served as a PDF. This is the operative rule for every animal on this map, and it sorts wild animals into four categories. Category One (four mammal families) and Category Two (a long specific list) may be possessed only by institutions; Category Three, which is Connecticut's own native species, bars import and export but not possession; Category Four, the state endangered, threatened and special concern species, needs a permit. An animal in none of the four is not restricted by this section. The definitions in subsection (a) do more work than the lists: 'wild animal' reaches invertebrates, and 'domestic animal' is defined in a way that takes the pet rabbit and the ferret out of the scheme entirely.

Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.

§ 26-55-6(a)(2)(C), (b)(1)

"Category One Wild Animal" means, notwithstanding changes in taxonomic nomenclature, any wild animal, gamete or hybrid of any of the following: (A) A member within the family Felidae (including, but not limited to, lion, leopard, cheetah, jaguar, ocelot, jaguarundi cat, puma, lynx and bobcat) except Bengal cat pursuant to section 26-40a of the Connecticut General Statutes; (B) A member within the family Canidae (including, but not limited to, wolf and coyote); (C) A member within the family Ursidae (including, but not limited to, black bear, grizzly bear and brown bear); or (D) A member within the family Hominidae ...

The black bear is the first example named in Category One's Ursidae clause. Subsection (b)(1) allows a Category One animal only to a municipal park, zoo, public nonprofit aquarium, nature center, museum, or a USDA-licensed exhibitor, laboratory or research facility, so there is no private route.

How this rule works: Connecticut's official eRegulations text, served as a PDF. This is the operative rule for every animal on this map, and it sorts wild animals into four categories. Category One (four mammal families) and Category Two (a long specific list) may be possessed only by institutions; Category Three, which is Connecticut's own native species, bars import and export but not possession; Category Four, the state endangered, threatened and special concern species, needs a permit. An animal in none of the four is not restricted by this section. The definitions in subsection (a) do more work than the lists: 'wild animal' reaches invertebrates, and 'domestic animal' is defined in a way that takes the pet rabbit and the ferret out of the scheme entirely.

Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.

§ 26-55-6(a)(2)(B), (b)(1)

"Category One Wild Animal" means, notwithstanding changes in taxonomic nomenclature, any wild animal, gamete or hybrid of any of the following: (A) A member within the family Felidae (including, but not limited to, lion, leopard, cheetah, jaguar, ocelot, jaguarundi cat, puma, lynx and bobcat) except Bengal cat pursuant to section 26-40a of the Connecticut General Statutes; (B) A member within the family Canidae (including, but not limited to, wolf and coyote); (C) A member within the family Ursidae (including, but not limited to, black bear, grizzly bear and brown bear); or (D) A member within the family Hominidae ...

Same answer as the fennec fox: every canid is Category One. Subsection (b)(1) allows a Category One animal only to a municipal park, zoo, public nonprofit aquarium, nature center, museum, or a USDA-licensed exhibitor, laboratory or research facility, so there is no private route.

How this rule works: Connecticut's official eRegulations text, served as a PDF. This is the operative rule for every animal on this map, and it sorts wild animals into four categories. Category One (four mammal families) and Category Two (a long specific list) may be possessed only by institutions; Category Three, which is Connecticut's own native species, bars import and export but not possession; Category Four, the state endangered, threatened and special concern species, needs a permit. An animal in none of the four is not restricted by this section. The definitions in subsection (a) do more work than the lists: 'wild animal' reaches invertebrates, and 'domestic animal' is defined in a way that takes the pet rabbit and the ferret out of the scheme entirely.

Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.

§ 26-55-6(a)(2)(A), (b)(1)

"Category One Wild Animal" means, notwithstanding changes in taxonomic nomenclature, any wild animal, gamete or hybrid of any of the following: (A) A member within the family Felidae (including, but not limited to, lion, leopard, cheetah, jaguar, ocelot, jaguarundi cat, puma, lynx and bobcat) except Bengal cat pursuant to section 26-40a of the Connecticut General Statutes; (B) A member within the family Canidae (including, but not limited to, wolf and coyote); (C) A member within the family Ursidae (including, but not limited to, black bear, grizzly bear and brown bear); or (D) A member within the family Hominidae ...

The bobcat is named among the Felidae examples in Category One. Subsection (b)(1) allows a Category One animal only to a municipal park, zoo, public nonprofit aquarium, nature center, museum, or a USDA-licensed exhibitor, laboratory or research facility, so there is no private route.

How this rule works: Connecticut's official eRegulations text, served as a PDF. This is the operative rule for every animal on this map, and it sorts wild animals into four categories. Category One (four mammal families) and Category Two (a long specific list) may be possessed only by institutions; Category Three, which is Connecticut's own native species, bars import and export but not possession; Category Four, the state endangered, threatened and special concern species, needs a permit. An animal in none of the four is not restricted by this section. The definitions in subsection (a) do more work than the lists: 'wild animal' reaches invertebrates, and 'domestic animal' is defined in a way that takes the pet rabbit and the ferret out of the scheme entirely.

Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.

§ 26-55-6(a)(2)(A), (b)(1)

"Category One Wild Animal" means, notwithstanding changes in taxonomic nomenclature, any wild animal, gamete or hybrid of any of the following: (A) A member within the family Felidae (including, but not limited to, lion, leopard, cheetah, jaguar, ocelot, jaguarundi cat, puma, lynx and bobcat) except Bengal cat pursuant to section 26-40a of the Connecticut General Statutes; (B) A member within the family Canidae (including, but not limited to, wolf and coyote); (C) A member within the family Ursidae (including, but not limited to, black bear, grizzly bear and brown bear); or (D) A member within the family Hominidae ...

"Lynx" is named among the Felidae examples in Category One. Subsection (b)(1) allows a Category One animal only to a municipal park, zoo, public nonprofit aquarium, nature center, museum, or a USDA-licensed exhibitor, laboratory or research facility, so there is no private route.

How this rule works: Connecticut's official eRegulations text, served as a PDF. This is the operative rule for every animal on this map, and it sorts wild animals into four categories. Category One (four mammal families) and Category Two (a long specific list) may be possessed only by institutions; Category Three, which is Connecticut's own native species, bars import and export but not possession; Category Four, the state endangered, threatened and special concern species, needs a permit. An animal in none of the four is not restricted by this section. The definitions in subsection (a) do more work than the lists: 'wild animal' reaches invertebrates, and 'domestic animal' is defined in a way that takes the pet rabbit and the ferret out of the scheme entirely.

Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.

§ 26-55-6(a)(3)(B)(iii), (b)(3)

(iii) A member within the order Primate (including, but not limited to, capuchin, macaque, lemur and marmoset),

Connecticut names the capuchin first among the primate examples in Category Two. Subsection (b)(3) allows a Category Two animal only to a treating vet, municipal parks, zoos, aquaria, nature centers, museums, exhibitors, laboratories and research facilities, so there is no private route.

Existing owners: A primate weighing less than 35 pounds at maturity and legally possessed in Connecticut on or before October 1, 2003, may be kept by that person if registered with the department under § 26-55-6(c), with no breeding or release.

How this rule works: Connecticut's official eRegulations text, served as a PDF. This is the operative rule for every animal on this map, and it sorts wild animals into four categories. Category One (four mammal families) and Category Two (a long specific list) may be possessed only by institutions; Category Three, which is Connecticut's own native species, bars import and export but not possession; Category Four, the state endangered, threatened and special concern species, needs a permit. An animal in none of the four is not restricted by this section. The definitions in subsection (a) do more work than the lists: 'wild animal' reaches invertebrates, and 'domestic animal' is defined in a way that takes the pet rabbit and the ferret out of the scheme entirely.

Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.

§ 26-55-6(a)(3)(B)(xxv), (b)(3)

A member within the order Rodentia, except for guinea pig (Cavia porcellus), gerbil (Meriones unguiculatus), chinchilla (Chinchilla lanigera), rat (Rattus norvegicus), mouse (Mus musculus), hamster (Mesocricetus auratus), dwarf hamster (genera Phodopus and Cricetulus), Patagonia mara (Dolichotis patagonum) and American beaver (Castor canadensis)

Connecticut regulates rodents the opposite way round from most states: rather than naming the ones it bars, it puts the whole order Rodentia in Category Two and then excepts nine, the guinea pig, gerbil, chinchilla, rat, mouse, hamster, dwarf hamsters, Patagonian mara and American beaver. The capybara is not among them, and note what is: the Patagonian mara, another large caviomorph, is excepted while the capybara is not. So this is a deliberate line rather than an oversight, and it is not drawn on size. This entry previously read as unrestricted on the four-family statute. Subsection (b)(3) allows possession of a Category Two animal only by a vet treating it, a municipal park, zoo, marine mammal park, aquarium, nature center, museum, exhibitor, laboratory or research facility. There is no private permit.

How this rule works: Connecticut's official eRegulations text, served as a PDF. This is the operative rule for every animal on this map, and it sorts wild animals into four categories. Category One (four mammal families) and Category Two (a long specific list) may be possessed only by institutions; Category Three, which is Connecticut's own native species, bars import and export but not possession; Category Four, the state endangered, threatened and special concern species, needs a permit. An animal in none of the four is not restricted by this section. The definitions in subsection (a) do more work than the lists: 'wild animal' reaches invertebrates, and 'domestic animal' is defined in a way that takes the pet rabbit and the ferret out of the scheme entirely.

Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.

§ 26-55-6(a)(3)(B)(xxix), (b)(3)

(xxix) A member within the family Elapidae (including, but not limited to, cobra, coral snake, mamba, sea snake and sea krait),

Connecticut names the cobra in the Elapidae entry of Category Two, which reaches the king cobra too. Subsection (b)(3) allows a Category Two animal only to a treating vet, municipal parks, zoos, aquaria, nature centers, museums, exhibitors, laboratories and research facilities, so there is no private route. The king cobra and the Asian Naja species are on CITES Appendix II, which governs import and export, not keeping.

How this rule works: Connecticut's official eRegulations text, served as a PDF. This is the operative rule for every animal on this map, and it sorts wild animals into four categories. Category One (four mammal families) and Category Two (a long specific list) may be possessed only by institutions; Category Three, which is Connecticut's own native species, bars import and export but not possession; Category Four, the state endangered, threatened and special concern species, needs a permit. An animal in none of the four is not restricted by this section. The definitions in subsection (a) do more work than the lists: 'wild animal' reaches invertebrates, and 'domestic animal' is defined in a way that takes the pet rabbit and the ferret out of the scheme entirely.

Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.

§ 26-55-6(a)(3)(B)(iii), (b)(3)

(iii) A member within the order Primate (including, but not limited to, capuchin, macaque, lemur and marmoset),

Connecticut names the marmoset among the primate examples in Category Two. Subsection (b)(3) allows a Category Two animal only to a treating vet, municipal parks, zoos, aquaria, nature centers, museums, exhibitors, laboratories and research facilities, so there is no private route.

Existing owners: A primate weighing less than 35 pounds at maturity and legally possessed in Connecticut on or before October 1, 2003, may be kept by that person if registered with the department under § 26-55-6(c), with no breeding or release.

How this rule works: Connecticut's official eRegulations text, served as a PDF. This is the operative rule for every animal on this map, and it sorts wild animals into four categories. Category One (four mammal families) and Category Two (a long specific list) may be possessed only by institutions; Category Three, which is Connecticut's own native species, bars import and export but not possession; Category Four, the state endangered, threatened and special concern species, needs a permit. An animal in none of the four is not restricted by this section. The definitions in subsection (a) do more work than the lists: 'wild animal' reaches invertebrates, and 'domestic animal' is defined in a way that takes the pet rabbit and the ferret out of the scheme entirely.

Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.

§ 26-55-6(a)(2)(A), (b)(1)

(A) A member within the family Felidae (including, but not limited to, lion, leopard, cheetah, jaguar, ocelot, jaguarundi cat, puma, lynx and bobcat) except Bengal cat pursuant to section 26-40a of the Connecticut General Statutes;

The Category One felid entry names the puma among its examples. Subsection (b)(1) allows a Category One animal only to municipal parks, zoos, public nonprofit aquaria, nature centers, museums and USDA-registered exhibitors, laboratories and research facilities, so there is no private route. 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: Connecticut's official eRegulations text, served as a PDF. This is the operative rule for every animal on this map, and it sorts wild animals into four categories. Category One (four mammal families) and Category Two (a long specific list) may be possessed only by institutions; Category Three, which is Connecticut's own native species, bars import and export but not possession; Category Four, the state endangered, threatened and special concern species, needs a permit. An animal in none of the four is not restricted by this section. The definitions in subsection (a) do more work than the lists: 'wild animal' reaches invertebrates, and 'domestic animal' is defined in a way that takes the pet rabbit and the ferret out of the scheme entirely.

Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.

§ 26-55-6(a)(3)(B)(xxv), (b)(3)

A member within the order Rodentia, except for guinea pig (Cavia porcellus), gerbil (Meriones unguiculatus), chinchilla (Chinchilla lanigera), rat (Rattus norvegicus), mouse (Mus musculus), hamster (Mesocricetus auratus), dwarf hamster (genera Phodopus and Cricetulus), Patagonia mara (Dolichotis patagonum) and American beaver (Castor canadensis)

Connecticut regulates rodents the opposite way round from most states: rather than naming the ones it bars, it puts the whole order Rodentia in Category Two and then excepts nine, the guinea pig, gerbil, chinchilla, rat, mouse, hamster, dwarf hamsters, Patagonian mara and American beaver. The degu is not among them. The exception list names every small rodent that is commonly sold, including both hamster groups, which makes the degu's absence hard to read as accidental. Subsection (b)(3) allows possession of a Category Two animal only by a vet treating it, a municipal park, zoo, marine mammal park, aquarium, nature center, museum, exhibitor, laboratory or research facility. There is no private permit.

How this rule works: Connecticut's official eRegulations text, served as a PDF. This is the operative rule for every animal on this map, and it sorts wild animals into four categories. Category One (four mammal families) and Category Two (a long specific list) may be possessed only by institutions; Category Three, which is Connecticut's own native species, bars import and export but not possession; Category Four, the state endangered, threatened and special concern species, needs a permit. An animal in none of the four is not restricted by this section. The definitions in subsection (a) do more work than the lists: 'wild animal' reaches invertebrates, and 'domestic animal' is defined in a way that takes the pet rabbit and the ferret out of the scheme entirely.

Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.

§ 26-55-6(a)(3)(B)(xxv), (b)(3)

(xxv) A member within the order Rodentia, except for guinea pig (Cavia porcellus), gerbil (Meriones unguiculatus), chinchilla (Chinchilla lanigera), rat (Rattus norvegicus), mouse (Mus musculus), hamster (Mesocricetus auratus), dwarf hamster (genera Phodopus and Cricetulus), Patagonia mara (Dolichotis patagonum) and American beaver (Castor canadensis),

Category Two takes the whole rodent order minus nine named exceptions, and no squirrel is among them. The gray squirrel is a Connecticut native, but Category Three, the native tier that bars only import and export, applies only to an animal not already in Category One or Two. Subsection (b)(3) allows a Category Two animal only to a treating vet, municipal parks, zoos, aquaria, nature centers, museums, exhibitors, laboratories and research facilities, so there is no private route.

How this rule works: Connecticut's official eRegulations text, served as a PDF. This is the operative rule for every animal on this map, and it sorts wild animals into four categories. Category One (four mammal families) and Category Two (a long specific list) may be possessed only by institutions; Category Three, which is Connecticut's own native species, bars import and export but not possession; Category Four, the state endangered, threatened and special concern species, needs a permit. An animal in none of the four is not restricted by this section. The definitions in subsection (a) do more work than the lists: 'wild animal' reaches invertebrates, and 'domestic animal' is defined in a way that takes the pet rabbit and the ferret out of the scheme entirely.

Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.

§ 26-55-6(a)(2)(B), (b)(1)

"Category One Wild Animal" means, notwithstanding changes in taxonomic nomenclature, any wild animal, gamete or hybrid of any of the following: (A) A member within the family Felidae (including, but not limited to, lion, leopard, cheetah, jaguar, ocelot, jaguarundi cat, puma, lynx and bobcat) except Bengal cat pursuant to section 26-40a of the Connecticut General Statutes; (B) A member within the family Canidae (including, but not limited to, wolf and coyote); (C) A member within the family Ursidae ...; or (D) A member within the family Hominidae ...

Connecticut draws its canid line by family, the same way it draws its cat line, so the fennec fox sits in Category One with the wolf and the coyote. Most states that ban a serval leave the fennec fox alone, because their cat rules are family-wide and their canid rules are species-specific; Connecticut and Oregon are the two on this map that write both by family. The regulation carries one grandfather clause and it is not this one: a primate under 35 pounds at maturity lawfully held on or before October 1, 2003, may be kept on registration, and nothing similar is written for any other category.

How this rule works: Connecticut's official eRegulations text, served as a PDF. This is the operative rule for every animal on this map, and it sorts wild animals into four categories. Category One (four mammal families) and Category Two (a long specific list) may be possessed only by institutions; Category Three, which is Connecticut's own native species, bars import and export but not possession; Category Four, the state endangered, threatened and special concern species, needs a permit. An animal in none of the four is not restricted by this section. The definitions in subsection (a) do more work than the lists: 'wild animal' reaches invertebrates, and 'domestic animal' is defined in a way that takes the pet rabbit and the ferret out of the scheme entirely.

Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.

§ 26-55-6(a)(3)(B)(xxv), (b)(3)

A member within the order Rodentia, except for guinea pig (Cavia porcellus), gerbil (Meriones unguiculatus), chinchilla (Chinchilla lanigera), rat (Rattus norvegicus), mouse (Mus musculus), hamster (Mesocricetus auratus), dwarf hamster (genera Phodopus and Cricetulus), Patagonia mara (Dolichotis patagonum) and American beaver (Castor canadensis)

Connecticut regulates rodents the opposite way round from most states: rather than naming the ones it bars, it puts the whole order Rodentia in Category Two and then excepts nine, the guinea pig, gerbil, chinchilla, rat, mouse, hamster, dwarf hamsters, Patagonian mara and American beaver. No squirrel is among them. Connecticut has its own native southern flying squirrel, which would otherwise be a Category Three native species; the rodent entry takes precedence, because Category Three is defined as applying only to an animal that is not already Category One, Two or Four. Subsection (b)(3) allows possession of a Category Two animal only by a vet treating it, a municipal park, zoo, marine mammal park, aquarium, nature center, museum, exhibitor, laboratory or research facility. There is no private permit.

How this rule works: Connecticut's official eRegulations text, served as a PDF. This is the operative rule for every animal on this map, and it sorts wild animals into four categories. Category One (four mammal families) and Category Two (a long specific list) may be possessed only by institutions; Category Three, which is Connecticut's own native species, bars import and export but not possession; Category Four, the state endangered, threatened and special concern species, needs a permit. An animal in none of the four is not restricted by this section. The definitions in subsection (a) do more work than the lists: 'wild animal' reaches invertebrates, and 'domestic animal' is defined in a way that takes the pet rabbit and the ferret out of the scheme entirely.

Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.

§ 26-55-6(a)(3)(B)(xxxii), (b)(3)

(xxxii) Green or common anaconda (Eunectus murinus), yellow anaconda (Eunectus notaeus) and Bolivian anaconda (Eunectus beniensis),

Named in Category Two, with the genus misspelled "Eunectus"; the definition applies "notwithstanding changes in taxonomic nomenclature". Category Two (i) also reaches federally injurious species. Subsection (b)(3) allows a Category Two animal only to a treating vet, municipal parks, zoos, aquaria, nature centers, museums, exhibitors, laboratories and research facilities, so there is no private route. 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: Connecticut's official eRegulations text, served as a PDF. This is the operative rule for every animal on this map, and it sorts wild animals into four categories. Category One (four mammal families) and Category Two (a long specific list) may be possessed only by institutions; Category Three, which is Connecticut's own native species, bars import and export but not possession; Category Four, the state endangered, threatened and special concern species, needs a permit. An animal in none of the four is not restricted by this section. The definitions in subsection (a) do more work than the lists: 'wild animal' reaches invertebrates, and 'domestic animal' is defined in a way that takes the pet rabbit and the ferret out of the scheme entirely.

Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.

§ 26-55-6(a)(3)(B)(xxi), (b)(3)

(xxi) A member within the family Procyonidae (including, but not limited to, common raccoon),

The kinkajou is a procyonid, and Category Two takes the whole family. Subsection (b)(3) allows a Category Two animal only to a treating veterinarian, a municipal park, zoo, marine mammal park, aquarium, nature center, museum, exhibitor, laboratory or research facility, so there is no private route.

How this rule works: Connecticut's official eRegulations text, served as a PDF. This is the operative rule for every animal on this map, and it sorts wild animals into four categories. Category One (four mammal families) and Category Two (a long specific list) may be possessed only by institutions; Category Three, which is Connecticut's own native species, bars import and export but not possession; Category Four, the state endangered, threatened and special concern species, needs a permit. An animal in none of the four is not restricted by this section. The definitions in subsection (a) do more work than the lists: 'wild animal' reaches invertebrates, and 'domestic animal' is defined in a way that takes the pet rabbit and the ferret out of the scheme entirely.

Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.

§ 26-55-6(a)(2)(A), (b)(1)

(A) A member within the family Felidae (including, but not limited to, lion, leopard, cheetah, jaguar, ocelot, jaguarundi cat, puma, lynx and bobcat) except Bengal cat pursuant to section 26-40a of the Connecticut General Statutes;

The lion is the first example the Category One felid entry gives. Subsection (b)(1) allows a Category One animal only to municipal parks, zoos, public nonprofit aquaria, nature centers, museums and USDA-registered exhibitors, laboratories and research facilities, so there is no private route. 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 lion 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.

How this rule works: Connecticut's official eRegulations text, served as a PDF. This is the operative rule for every animal on this map, and it sorts wild animals into four categories. Category One (four mammal families) and Category Two (a long specific list) may be possessed only by institutions; Category Three, which is Connecticut's own native species, bars import and export but not possession; Category Four, the state endangered, threatened and special concern species, needs a permit. An animal in none of the four is not restricted by this section. The definitions in subsection (a) do more work than the lists: 'wild animal' reaches invertebrates, and 'domestic animal' is defined in a way that takes the pet rabbit and the ferret out of the scheme entirely.

Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.

§ 26-55-6(a)(3)(B)(xxxv), (b)(3)

Nile monitor (Varanus niloticus), water monitor (Varanus salvator), black-throated monitor (Varanus a. ionidesi), white-throated monitor (Varanus a. albigularis) or crocodile monitor (Varanus salvadorii)

Connecticut names five monitors and the Nile monitor is the first of them. Read the list to the species: the two albigularis subspecies named are the black-throated and white-throated monitors, which are a different species from the savannah monitor, so Varanus exanthematicus is not caught and neither is the ackie. Subsection (b)(3) allows possession of a Category Two animal only by a vet treating it, a municipal park, zoo, marine mammal park, aquarium, nature center, museum, exhibitor, laboratory or research facility. There is no private permit.

How this rule works: Connecticut's official eRegulations text, served as a PDF. This is the operative rule for every animal on this map, and it sorts wild animals into four categories. Category One (four mammal families) and Category Two (a long specific list) may be possessed only by institutions; Category Three, which is Connecticut's own native species, bars import and export but not possession; Category Four, the state endangered, threatened and special concern species, needs a permit. An animal in none of the four is not restricted by this section. The definitions in subsection (a) do more work than the lists: 'wild animal' reaches invertebrates, and 'domestic animal' is defined in a way that takes the pet rabbit and the ferret out of the scheme entirely.

Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.

§ 26-55-6(a)(3)(B)(xxv), (b)(3)

A member within the order Rodentia, except for guinea pig (Cavia porcellus), gerbil (Meriones unguiculatus), chinchilla (Chinchilla lanigera), rat (Rattus norvegicus), mouse (Mus musculus), hamster (Mesocricetus auratus), dwarf hamster (genera Phodopus and Cricetulus), Patagonia mara (Dolichotis patagonum) and American beaver (Castor canadensis)

Connecticut regulates rodents the opposite way round from most states: rather than naming the ones it bars, it puts the whole order Rodentia in Category Two and then excepts nine, the guinea pig, gerbil, chinchilla, rat, mouse, hamster, dwarf hamsters, Patagonian mara and American beaver. The prairie dog is not among them. This entry previously read as unrestricted on the strength of § 26-40a, which lists four mammal families and reaches no rodent; that is true of the statute and beside the point, because the regulation is where a rodent question is answered here. Subsection (b)(3) allows possession of a Category Two animal only by a vet treating it, a municipal park, zoo, marine mammal park, aquarium, nature center, museum, exhibitor, laboratory or research facility. There is no private permit.

How this rule works: Connecticut's official eRegulations text, served as a PDF. This is the operative rule for every animal on this map, and it sorts wild animals into four categories. Category One (four mammal families) and Category Two (a long specific list) may be possessed only by institutions; Category Three, which is Connecticut's own native species, bars import and export but not possession; Category Four, the state endangered, threatened and special concern species, needs a permit. An animal in none of the four is not restricted by this section. The definitions in subsection (a) do more work than the lists: 'wild animal' reaches invertebrates, and 'domestic animal' is defined in a way that takes the pet rabbit and the ferret out of the scheme entirely.

Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.

§ 26-55-6(a)(3)(B)(xxvii), (b)(3)

Monk parakeet (Myiopsitta monachus)

Connecticut names the monk parakeet by species in Category Two, and it is the only psittacine anywhere in the regulation. Every other parrot falls outside all four categories and is unrestricted, so this is a single-species rule sitting in the middle of an otherwise untouched order. Subsection (b)(3) allows possession of a Category Two animal only by a vet treating it, a municipal park, zoo, marine mammal park, aquarium, nature center, museum, exhibitor, laboratory or research facility. There is no private permit.

How this rule works: Connecticut's official eRegulations text, served as a PDF. This is the operative rule for every animal on this map, and it sorts wild animals into four categories. Category One (four mammal families) and Category Two (a long specific list) may be possessed only by institutions; Category Three, which is Connecticut's own native species, bars import and export but not possession; Category Four, the state endangered, threatened and special concern species, needs a permit. An animal in none of the four is not restricted by this section. The definitions in subsection (a) do more work than the lists: 'wild animal' reaches invertebrates, and 'domestic animal' is defined in a way that takes the pet rabbit and the ferret out of the scheme entirely.

Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.

§ 26-55-6(a)(3)(B)(xxi), (b)(3)

(xxi) A member within the family Procyonidae (including, but not limited to, common raccoon),

The common raccoon is the example the rule gives for the whole procyonid family in Category Two. It is a Connecticut native, but Category Three, the natives tier that bars only import and export, applies only to an animal that is not already in Category One or Two. Subsection (b)(3) allows a Category Two animal only to a treating veterinarian, a municipal park, zoo, marine mammal park, aquarium, nature center, museum, exhibitor, laboratory or research facility, so there is no private route.

How this rule works: Connecticut's official eRegulations text, served as a PDF. This is the operative rule for every animal on this map, and it sorts wild animals into four categories. Category One (four mammal families) and Category Two (a long specific list) may be possessed only by institutions; Category Three, which is Connecticut's own native species, bars import and export but not possession; Category Four, the state endangered, threatened and special concern species, needs a permit. An animal in none of the four is not restricted by this section. The definitions in subsection (a) do more work than the lists: 'wild animal' reaches invertebrates, and 'domestic animal' is defined in a way that takes the pet rabbit and the ferret out of the scheme entirely.

Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.

§ 26-55-6(a)(3)(B)(xxx), (b)(3)

(xxx) A member within the family Viperidae (including, but not limited to, copperhead, rattlesnake, cottonmouth, adder, viper, pit viper and night adder),

Connecticut names the rattlesnake in the Viperidae entry of Category Two. Because Category Two comes first, the state's own timber rattlesnake gets no help from the native tiers. Subsection (b)(3) allows a Category Two animal only to a treating vet, municipal parks, zoos, aquaria, nature centers, museums, exhibitors, laboratories and research facilities, so there is no private route.

How this rule works: Connecticut's official eRegulations text, served as a PDF. This is the operative rule for every animal on this map, and it sorts wild animals into four categories. Category One (four mammal families) and Category Two (a long specific list) may be possessed only by institutions; Category Three, which is Connecticut's own native species, bars import and export but not possession; Category Four, the state endangered, threatened and special concern species, needs a permit. An animal in none of the four is not restricted by this section. The definitions in subsection (a) do more work than the lists: 'wild animal' reaches invertebrates, and 'domestic animal' is defined in a way that takes the pet rabbit and the ferret out of the scheme entirely.

Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.

§ 26-55-6(a)(2)(B), (b)(1)

"Category One Wild Animal" means, notwithstanding changes in taxonomic nomenclature, any wild animal, gamete or hybrid of any of the following: (A) A member within the family Felidae (including, but not limited to, lion, leopard, cheetah, jaguar, ocelot, jaguarundi cat, puma, lynx and bobcat) except Bengal cat pursuant to section 26-40a of the Connecticut General Statutes; (B) A member within the family Canidae (including, but not limited to, wolf and coyote); (C) A member within the family Ursidae (including, but not limited to, black bear, grizzly bear and brown bear); or (D) A member within the family Hominidae ...

Every canid is Category One, so the red fox sits with the wolf and the coyote whatever its origin. Subsection (b)(1) allows a Category One animal only to a municipal park, zoo, public nonprofit aquarium, nature center, museum, or a USDA-licensed exhibitor, laboratory or research facility, so there is no private route.

How this rule works: Connecticut's official eRegulations text, served as a PDF. This is the operative rule for every animal on this map, and it sorts wild animals into four categories. Category One (four mammal families) and Category Two (a long specific list) may be possessed only by institutions; Category Three, which is Connecticut's own native species, bars import and export but not possession; Category Four, the state endangered, threatened and special concern species, needs a permit. An animal in none of the four is not restricted by this section. The definitions in subsection (a) do more work than the lists: 'wild animal' reaches invertebrates, and 'domestic animal' is defined in a way that takes the pet rabbit and the ferret out of the scheme entirely.

Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.

§ 26-55-6(a)(3)(B)(xxxi), (b)(3)

(xxxi) Northern African python (Python sebae), Southern African python (Python natalensis), reticulated python (Python reticulates) and amethystine python (Morelia amethistina),

Named in Category Two, misspelled "Python reticulates", and the definition opens "notwithstanding changes in taxonomic nomenclature", so neither the typo nor the move to Malayopython helps. Category Two (i) also reaches federally injurious species. Subsection (b)(3) allows a Category Two animal only to a treating vet, municipal parks, zoos, aquaria, nature centers, museums, exhibitors, laboratories and research facilities, so there is no private route. 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: Connecticut's official eRegulations text, served as a PDF. This is the operative rule for every animal on this map, and it sorts wild animals into four categories. Category One (four mammal families) and Category Two (a long specific list) may be possessed only by institutions; Category Three, which is Connecticut's own native species, bars import and export but not possession; Category Four, the state endangered, threatened and special concern species, needs a permit. An animal in none of the four is not restricted by this section. The definitions in subsection (a) do more work than the lists: 'wild animal' reaches invertebrates, and 'domestic animal' is defined in a way that takes the pet rabbit and the ferret out of the scheme entirely.

Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.

§ 26-55-6(a)(3)(B)(iii), (b)(3)

(iii) A member within the order Primate (including, but not limited to, capuchin, macaque, lemur and marmoset),

Connecticut names the lemur among the primate examples in Category Two. Subsection (b)(3) allows a Category Two animal only to a treating vet, municipal parks, zoos, aquaria, nature centers, museums, exhibitors, laboratories and research facilities, so there is no private route. Lemur catta is on CITES Appendix I, which bars commercial international trade, so a pet lemur here can only come from captive breeding inside the country, and the whole family Lemuridae is listed endangered under the Endangered Species Act (50 CFR 17.11).

Existing owners: A primate weighing less than 35 pounds at maturity and legally possessed in Connecticut on or before October 1, 2003, may be kept by that person if registered with the department under § 26-55-6(c), with no breeding or release.

How this rule works: Connecticut's official eRegulations text, served as a PDF. This is the operative rule for every animal on this map, and it sorts wild animals into four categories. Category One (four mammal families) and Category Two (a long specific list) may be possessed only by institutions; Category Three, which is Connecticut's own native species, bars import and export but not possession; Category Four, the state endangered, threatened and special concern species, needs a permit. An animal in none of the four is not restricted by this section. The definitions in subsection (a) do more work than the lists: 'wild animal' reaches invertebrates, and 'domestic animal' is defined in a way that takes the pet rabbit and the ferret out of the scheme entirely.

Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.

§ 26-55-6(a)(2)(A), (b)(1)

"Category One Wild Animal" means, notwithstanding changes in taxonomic nomenclature, any wild animal, gamete or hybrid of any of the following: (A) A member within the family Felidae (including, but not limited to, lion, leopard, cheetah, jaguar, ocelot, jaguarundi cat, puma, lynx and bobcat) except Bengal cat pursuant to section 26-40a of the Connecticut General Statutes;

Connecticut is where the Bengal and the Savannah come apart most sharply. Category One is any wild animal "or hybrid" of a member of Felidae, and the only cat carved out is the Bengal, by name. A Savannah is a hybrid of a felid, the serval, and is not the cat the exception names, so it is a Category One animal, and (b)(1) lets only municipal parks, zoos, public nonprofit aquariums, nature centers, museums and licensed exhibitors, laboratories and research facilities hold one. No generation line and no private route.

How this rule works: Connecticut's official eRegulations text, served as a PDF. This is the operative rule for every animal on this map, and it sorts wild animals into four categories. Category One (four mammal families) and Category Two (a long specific list) may be possessed only by institutions; Category Three, which is Connecticut's own native species, bars import and export but not possession; Category Four, the state endangered, threatened and special concern species, needs a permit. An animal in none of the four is not restricted by this section. The definitions in subsection (a) do more work than the lists: 'wild animal' reaches invertebrates, and 'domestic animal' is defined in a way that takes the pet rabbit and the ferret out of the scheme entirely.

Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.

§ 26-55-6(a)(2)(A), (b)(1)

"Category One Wild Animal" means, notwithstanding changes in taxonomic nomenclature, any wild animal, gamete or hybrid of any of the following: (A) A member within the family Felidae (including, but not limited to, lion, leopard, cheetah, jaguar, ocelot, jaguarundi cat, puma, lynx and bobcat) except Bengal cat pursuant to section 26-40a of the Connecticut General Statutes; (B) A member within the family Canidae (including, but not limited to, wolf and coyote); (C) A member within the family Ursidae ...; or (D) A member within the family Hominidae ...

Connecticut names Felidae as a family and lists nine examples, and the serval is caught by the family rather than by name. Subsection (b)(1) then allows possession only by a municipal park, zoo, public nonprofit aquarium, nature center, museum, or a USDA-licensed exhibitor, laboratory or research facility, so there is no private route at all rather than a permit that is hard to get. The regulation carries one grandfather clause and it is not this one: a primate under 35 pounds at maturity lawfully held on or before October 1, 2003, may be kept on registration, and nothing similar is written for any other category.

How this rule works: Connecticut's official eRegulations text, served as a PDF. This is the operative rule for every animal on this map, and it sorts wild animals into four categories. Category One (four mammal families) and Category Two (a long specific list) may be possessed only by institutions; Category Three, which is Connecticut's own native species, bars import and export but not possession; Category Four, the state endangered, threatened and special concern species, needs a permit. An animal in none of the four is not restricted by this section. The definitions in subsection (a) do more work than the lists: 'wild animal' reaches invertebrates, and 'domestic animal' is defined in a way that takes the pet rabbit and the ferret out of the scheme entirely.

Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.

§ 26-55-6(a)(3)(B)(xxviii), (b)(3)

(xxviii) A member within the order Crocodylia (including, but not limited to, alligator, crocodile and caiman),

Connecticut names the caiman in the Category Two crocodilian entry. Subsection (b)(3) allows a Category Two animal only to a treating vet, municipal parks, zoos, aquaria, nature centers, museums, exhibitors, laboratories and research facilities, so there is no private route.

How this rule works: Connecticut's official eRegulations text, served as a PDF. This is the operative rule for every animal on this map, and it sorts wild animals into four categories. Category One (four mammal families) and Category Two (a long specific list) may be possessed only by institutions; Category Three, which is Connecticut's own native species, bars import and export but not possession; Category Four, the state endangered, threatened and special concern species, needs a permit. An animal in none of the four is not restricted by this section. The definitions in subsection (a) do more work than the lists: 'wild animal' reaches invertebrates, and 'domestic animal' is defined in a way that takes the pet rabbit and the ferret out of the scheme entirely.

Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.

§ 26-55-6(a)(3)(B)(iii), (b)(3)

(iii) A member within the order Primate (including, but not limited to, capuchin, macaque, lemur and marmoset),

Every primate outside the great apes, which are Category One, is Category Two. Subsection (b)(3) allows a Category Two animal only to a treating vet, municipal parks, zoos, aquaria, nature centers, museums, exhibitors, laboratories and research facilities, so there is no private route.

Existing owners: A primate weighing less than 35 pounds at maturity and legally possessed in Connecticut on or before October 1, 2003, may be kept by that person if registered with the department under § 26-55-6(c), with no breeding or release.

How this rule works: Connecticut's official eRegulations text, served as a PDF. This is the operative rule for every animal on this map, and it sorts wild animals into four categories. Category One (four mammal families) and Category Two (a long specific list) may be possessed only by institutions; Category Three, which is Connecticut's own native species, bars import and export but not possession; Category Four, the state endangered, threatened and special concern species, needs a permit. An animal in none of the four is not restricted by this section. The definitions in subsection (a) do more work than the lists: 'wild animal' reaches invertebrates, and 'domestic animal' is defined in a way that takes the pet rabbit and the ferret out of the scheme entirely.

Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.

§ 26-55-6(a)(3)(B)(xx), (b)(3)

(xx) A member within the family Mephitidae (including, but not limited to, striped skunk),

The striped skunk is the rule's own example, under the current family name, and the clause applies "notwithstanding changes in taxonomic nomenclature". Subsection (b)(3) allows a Category Two animal only to a treating veterinarian, a municipal park, zoo, marine mammal park, aquarium, nature center, museum, exhibitor, laboratory or research facility, so there is no private route.

How this rule works: Connecticut's official eRegulations text, served as a PDF. This is the operative rule for every animal on this map, and it sorts wild animals into four categories. Category One (four mammal families) and Category Two (a long specific list) may be possessed only by institutions; Category Three, which is Connecticut's own native species, bars import and export but not possession; Category Four, the state endangered, threatened and special concern species, needs a permit. An animal in none of the four is not restricted by this section. The definitions in subsection (a) do more work than the lists: 'wild animal' reaches invertebrates, and 'domestic animal' is defined in a way that takes the pet rabbit and the ferret out of the scheme entirely.

Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.

§ 26-55-6(a)(2)(A), (b)(1)

(A) A member within the family Felidae (including, but not limited to, lion, leopard, cheetah, jaguar, ocelot, jaguarundi cat, puma, lynx and bobcat) except Bengal cat pursuant to section 26-40a of the Connecticut General Statutes;

Every felid but the Bengal cat is Category One. Subsection (b)(1) allows a Category One animal only to municipal parks, zoos, public nonprofit aquaria, nature centers, museums and USDA-registered exhibitors, laboratories and research facilities, so there is no private route. 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 tiger 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.

How this rule works: Connecticut's official eRegulations text, served as a PDF. This is the operative rule for every animal on this map, and it sorts wild animals into four categories. Category One (four mammal families) and Category Two (a long specific list) may be possessed only by institutions; Category Three, which is Connecticut's own native species, bars import and export but not possession; Category Four, the state endangered, threatened and special concern species, needs a permit. An animal in none of the four is not restricted by this section. The definitions in subsection (a) do more work than the lists: 'wild animal' reaches invertebrates, and 'domestic animal' is defined in a way that takes the pet rabbit and the ferret out of the scheme entirely.

Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.

§ 26-55-6(a)(3)(B)(xxi), (b)(3)

(xxi) A member within the family Procyonidae (including, but not limited to, common raccoon),

The coati is a procyonid, and Category Two takes the whole family. Subsection (b)(3) allows a Category Two animal only to a treating veterinarian, a municipal park, zoo, marine mammal park, aquarium, nature center, museum, exhibitor, laboratory or research facility, so there is no private route.

How this rule works: Connecticut's official eRegulations text, served as a PDF. This is the operative rule for every animal on this map, and it sorts wild animals into four categories. Category One (four mammal families) and Category Two (a long specific list) may be possessed only by institutions; Category Three, which is Connecticut's own native species, bars import and export but not possession; Category Four, the state endangered, threatened and special concern species, needs a permit. An animal in none of the four is not restricted by this section. The definitions in subsection (a) do more work than the lists: 'wild animal' reaches invertebrates, and 'domestic animal' is defined in a way that takes the pet rabbit and the ferret out of the scheme entirely.

Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.

§ 26-55-6(a)(2)(B), (a)(10), (b)(1)

"Category One Wild Animal" means, notwithstanding changes in taxonomic nomenclature, any wild animal, gamete or hybrid of any of the following: (A) A member within the family Felidae (including, but not limited to, lion, leopard, cheetah, jaguar, ocelot, jaguarundi cat, puma, lynx and bobcat) except Bengal cat pursuant to section 26-40a of the Connecticut General Statutes; (B) A member within the family Canidae (including, but not limited to, wolf and coyote); (C) A member within the family Ursidae (including, but not limited to, black bear, grizzly bear and brown bear); or (D) A member within the family Hominidae ...

Category One reaches "any wild animal, gamete or hybrid" of a canid, and (a)(10) defines a hybrid as any animal from "the combining of a gamete of a wild animal with a gamete of another species", which is a wolfdog. Connecticut wrote a hybrid exception for exactly one animal, the Bengal cat, and none for canids, and drew no generation line. Subsection (b)(1) allows a Category One animal only to a municipal park, zoo, public nonprofit aquarium, nature center, museum, or a USDA-licensed exhibitor, laboratory or research facility, so there is no private route.

How this rule works: Connecticut's official eRegulations text, served as a PDF. This is the operative rule for every animal on this map, and it sorts wild animals into four categories. Category One (four mammal families) and Category Two (a long specific list) may be possessed only by institutions; Category Three, which is Connecticut's own native species, bars import and export but not possession; Category Four, the state endangered, threatened and special concern species, needs a permit. An animal in none of the four is not restricted by this section. The definitions in subsection (a) do more work than the lists: 'wild animal' reaches invertebrates, and 'domestic animal' is defined in a way that takes the pet rabbit and the ferret out of the scheme entirely.

Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.

§ 26-55-6(a)(5), (b)(5), (d); Conn. Gen. Stat. § 26-306

Eastern Box Turtle. Terrapene carolina carolina. State Species of Special Concern ... Because of the population decline in Connecticut, the box turtle was added to the state's List of Endangered, Threatened, and Special Concern Species when it was revised in 1998.

Category Four is defined as any wild animal listed as endangered, threatened or of special concern under Conn. Gen. Stat. § 26-306, and DEEP's own fact sheet puts the eastern box turtle there. Subsection (b)(5) bars importing or possessing one without a permit, and subsection (d) makes the permit specific to the individual animal, valid for that animal's life and non-transferable. Unlike Category One and Two, this is a real permit route rather than an institutional exemption. Connecticut is not distinguishing captive-bred from wild here; the listing attaches to the species. One caveat that applies to every Connecticut turtle on this map: Conn. Gen. Stat. § 26-78 addresses turtles separately from the regulation, and its text has not yet been checked here. This entry rests on § 26-55-6, which is the comprehensive rule and mentions no turtle sale ban, and the point is flagged rather than assumed away.

How this rule works: DEEP's own species pages carry the state listing status in their header, which is what decides whether an animal is a Category Four Wild Animal under § 26-55-6. The eastern box turtle and the eastern hog-nosed snake are both State Species of Special Concern; the common snapping turtle is not listed. Fact sheet URLs follow the common name with hyphens, but not predictably: eastern-hog-nosed-snake works and eastern-hognose-snake does not.

Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.

§ 26-55-6(a)(4)(B)(iii), (b)(4)

(iii) A member within the family Mustelidae (including, but not limited to, short-tailed weasel, long-tailed weasel, mink, fisher, otter and marten),

Mustelidae is a Category Three family, and the entry is drawn by family rather than by native species, so it reaches an Asian otter as well as Connecticut's own. Category Three bars import and export except by institutions and persons authorized under the named statutes, and does not bar possession. So an animal already lawfully in the state may be kept, and one may not be brought in, which in practice is the whole of the pet trade. CITES Appendix I since 2019 governs international trade separately. Connecticut's statutes have not yet been checked here, so only the regulation is behind this.

How this rule works: Connecticut's official eRegulations text, served as a PDF. This is the operative rule for every animal on this map, and it sorts wild animals into four categories. Category One (four mammal families) and Category Two (a long specific list) may be possessed only by institutions; Category Three, which is Connecticut's own native species, bars import and export but not possession; Category Four, the state endangered, threatened and special concern species, needs a permit. An animal in none of the four is not restricted by this section. The definitions in subsection (a) do more work than the lists: 'wild animal' reaches invertebrates, and 'domestic animal' is defined in a way that takes the pet rabbit and the ferret out of the scheme entirely.

Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.

§ 26-55-6(a)(5), (b)(5); Conn. Gen. Stat. § 26-306

Eastern Hog-nosed Snake ... State Species of Special Concern

Which hognose it is decides the answer, and the split runs the opposite way from Illinois. Connecticut's own eastern hog-nosed snake, Heterodon platirhinos, is a State Species of Special Concern, which makes it a Category Four Wild Animal needing a permit to import or possess. The western hognose, H. nasicus, is the animal the pet trade sells, is not a Connecticut species, and appears in none of the four categories, so it is unrestricted. Illinois lists the western and leaves the eastern alone; Connecticut does the reverse.

How this rule works: DEEP's own species pages carry the state listing status in their header, which is what decides whether an animal is a Category Four Wild Animal under § 26-55-6. The eastern box turtle and the eastern hog-nosed snake are both State Species of Special Concern; the common snapping turtle is not listed. Fact sheet URLs follow the common name with hyphens, but not predictably: eastern-hog-nosed-snake works and eastern-hognose-snake does not.

Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.

§ 26-55-6(a)(4)(B)(i), (b)(4)

(i) A member within the family Cervidae (including, but not limited to the, white-tailed deer, elk, red deer and sika),

The white-tailed deer is named in Category Three, Connecticut's native tier, and (b)(4) bars importing or exporting a Category Three animal except by zoos and similar bodies or persons authorized under §§ 26-40, 26-54, 26-57 or 26-67e of the General Statutes. It does not bar possession. So a deer may be held only if it never crossed the state line. Taking one from the wild is a question for the hunting statutes, which have not yet been checked here, and Connecticut's chronic wasting disease rules on captive cervids were not read either.

How this rule works: Connecticut's official eRegulations text, served as a PDF. This is the operative rule for every animal on this map, and it sorts wild animals into four categories. Category One (four mammal families) and Category Two (a long specific list) may be possessed only by institutions; Category Three, which is Connecticut's own native species, bars import and export but not possession; Category Four, the state endangered, threatened and special concern species, needs a permit. An animal in none of the four is not restricted by this section. The definitions in subsection (a) do more work than the lists: 'wild animal' reaches invertebrates, and 'domestic animal' is defined in a way that takes the pet rabbit and the ferret out of the scheme entirely.

Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.

§ 26-55-6(a)(3)(B)(vi) to (xvi)

(xi) A member within the subgenus Macropus (including, but not limited to, gray kangaroo);

Connecticut lists macropods one genus or subgenus at a time: tree kangaroos, the forest wallabies, hare-wallabies, the subgenus Osphranter, the subgenus Macropus, nail-tailed and rock wallabies, the quokka, pademelons and the swamp wallaby. Bennett's wallaby belongs to neither subgenus named: it was Macropus (Notamacropus) rufogriseus and is now Notamacropus rufogriseus. Read as written, the rule names subgenera with care and leaves Notamacropus out, which would make the animal unrestricted. Read as the drafters likely meant it, "subgenus Macropus" could be taken for the old genus, and the definition applies "notwithstanding changes in taxonomic nomenclature". Recorded unclear rather than legal because the text arguably reaches the animal without naming it.

How this rule works: Connecticut's official eRegulations text, served as a PDF. This is the operative rule for every animal on this map, and it sorts wild animals into four categories. Category One (four mammal families) and Category Two (a long specific list) may be possessed only by institutions; Category Three, which is Connecticut's own native species, bars import and export but not possession; Category Four, the state endangered, threatened and special concern species, needs a permit. An animal in none of the four is not restricted by this section. The definitions in subsection (a) do more work than the lists: 'wild animal' reaches invertebrates, and 'domestic animal' is defined in a way that takes the pet rabbit and the ferret out of the scheme entirely.

Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.

§ 26-55-6(a)(2)-(5); Conn. Gen. Stat. § 26-78

"Wild animal" means any bird, mammal, reptile, amphibian, or invertebrate that is, or historically has been found, in the wild or in the wild state, and that is not otherwise a domestic animal

The regulation gives one answer and a statute in the same chapter may give another. Under § 26-55-6 the red-eared slider is in none of the four categories: the only turtles Connecticut names are its own spotted turtle and diamond-backed terrapin, both Category Three, and Trachemys appears nowhere, so the regulation does not restrict it. But Conn. Gen. Stat. § 26-78 deals with turtles separately, and it is reported to bar importing, buying, selling and exchanging red-eared sliders. That section's text has not yet been checked here. Recorded unclear rather than legal because the regulation alone is not the whole chapter, and rather than banned because the text behind that claim has not been read. Subsection (b)(6) separately bars liberating any wild animal, which is not in doubt. Reading § 26-78 is the one thing left open in Connecticut.

How this rule works: Connecticut's official eRegulations text, served as a PDF. This is the operative rule for every animal on this map, and it sorts wild animals into four categories. Category One (four mammal families) and Category Two (a long specific list) may be possessed only by institutions; Category Three, which is Connecticut's own native species, bars import and export but not possession; Category Four, the state endangered, threatened and special concern species, needs a permit. An animal in none of the four is not restricted by this section. The definitions in subsection (a) do more work than the lists: 'wild animal' reaches invertebrates, and 'domestic animal' is defined in a way that takes the pet rabbit and the ferret out of the scheme entirely.

Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.