Exotic pet laws in Pennsylvania

58 Pa. Code § 137.1(a)(1); § 137.31(a)

Lawfully acquired bobcats ... may be imported or possessed, or both, by licensed propagators specifically for propagation for fur farming purposes. ... Bobcats imported under this exception and their progeny may not be sold or transferred for wildlife pet purposes or released into the wild.

The Felidae line bans every cat but the house cat and then writes one bobcat exception, for fur-farm propagation, with an express bar on transfer "for wildlife pet purposes". The bobcat is also a Pennsylvania native, so § 137.31(a) closes the wild-caught route, and it is not on the 34 Pa.C.S. § 2961 list of exotic wildlife that the possession permit serves.

How this rule works: The Game Commission's actual prohibited list, and the document most Pennsylvania exotic pet questions turn on rather than the § 2961 definition. Eleven categories, of which three matter most here: all Felidae except house cats, the monk parakeet by name, and a catch-all barring possession of any wildlife held in captivity or captive bred in another state or nation.

Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.

58 Pa. Code §§ 79.3(h), 79.10(a)

Woodland box turtle ( Terrapene carolina carolina ) | No open season | 0 | 0

Pennsylvania's native box turtle is the woodland box turtle, and the table gives it no open season and a daily and possession limit of zero, so it cannot lawfully be taken here. The other route is closed too: § 79.10(a) makes it unlawful to transport or import into or within Pennsylvania a native species from another jurisdiction, and § 79.10(b) makes it unlawful to receive one, so an out-of-state breeder is not an answer either. A Terrapene that is not Pennsylvania native, such as the ornate box turtle, falls outside Chapter 79 altogether, but the eastern box turtle people usually mean is barred both ways.

Existing owners: A one-time permit under § 79.4 let anyone already holding an animal on January 1, 2007 keep it for the rest of its life, but applications closed on June 30, 2007 and no ongoing permit route replaced it.

How this rule works: Official Pennsylvania Code text; the catch-all 'native species not listed' line sets a 1-per-day/1-in-possession limit, and companion §79.4 requires a permit for continued possession regardless of the animal's origin.

Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.

58 Pa. Code § 137.1(a)(7), (d)

(7) The order Primates. All families of nonhuman primates.

Every nonhuman primate is on the Game Commission's prohibited list. The import and transfer permits in § 137.1(d) and (e) go only to menagerie, exotic wildlife, dealer and propagation permittees, and primates are not among the animals 34 Pa.C.S. § 2961 names as exotic wildlife, so the exotic wildlife possession permit does not reach them either. Zoos and circuses are exempt; a pet keeper is not.

How this rule works: The Game Commission's actual prohibited list, and the document most Pennsylvania exotic pet questions turn on rather than the § 2961 definition. Eleven categories, of which three matter most here: all Felidae except house cats, the monk parakeet by name, and a catch-all barring possession of any wildlife held in captivity or captive bred in another state or nation.

Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.

58 Pa. Code § 137.1(a)(7), (d)

(7) The order Primates. All families of nonhuman primates.

The order Primates is on the prohibited list whole. The permits that let a listed animal in go to menageries, dealers and propagators, and zoos and circuses are exempt, so there is no pet route.

How this rule works: The Game Commission's actual prohibited list, and the document most Pennsylvania exotic pet questions turn on rather than the § 2961 definition. Eleven categories, of which three matter most here: all Felidae except house cats, the monk parakeet by name, and a catch-all barring possession of any wildlife held in captivity or captive bred in another state or nation.

Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.

58 Pa. Code §§ 137.1(a)(10), (11), 137.31(a)

It is unlawful for a person to possess live wildlife taken from a wild state within this Commonwealth

The gray squirrel is a Pennsylvania game animal, and both routes into a home are closed, as for the flying squirrel. § 137.31(a) bars keeping one taken from the wild here, its only exception being a permit to hold foxes for urine collection, and § 137.1(a)(11) bars one held captive or captive bred in another state.

How this rule works: The Game Commission's actual prohibited list, and the document most Pennsylvania exotic pet questions turn on rather than the § 2961 definition. Eleven categories, of which three matter most here: all Felidae except house cats, the monk parakeet by name, and a catch-all barring possession of any wildlife held in captivity or captive bred in another state or nation.

Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.

58 Pa. Code §§ 137.1(a)(10), (11), 137.31(a)

It is unlawful for a person to possess live wildlife taken from a wild state within this Commonwealth

The southern flying squirrel is a Pennsylvania native wild mammal, so it is wildlife under 34 Pa.C.S. § 102 and both routes into a home are closed. Taking one here is barred by § 137.31(a), whose only exception is a permit to hold up to five foxes for urine collection. Buying one from out of state is barred by § 137.1(a)(11), which prohibits possessing wildlife captive bred in another state, and § 137.1(a)(10) covers wildlife taken alive from the wild. Unlike the small exotic mammals, this one does not rest on an agency reading of an open-ended definition. A native squirrel is squarely what the Game Code was written for.

How this rule works: The Game Commission's actual prohibited list, and the document most Pennsylvania exotic pet questions turn on rather than the § 2961 definition. Eleven categories, of which three matter most here: all Felidae except house cats, the monk parakeet by name, and a catch-all barring possession of any wildlife held in captivity or captive bred in another state or nation.

Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.

34 Pa.C.S. § 2961

all bears, coyotes, lions, tigers, leopards, jaguars, cheetahs, cougars, wolves and any crossbreed of these animals which have similar characteristics in appearance or features

No hedgehog appears in the definition, or anything resembling one. The ban is the Game Commission's reading of includes, but is not limited to. House co-sponsorship memo 44994, filed by Rep. David Zimmerman in January 2025 to legalize hedgehogs and sugar gliders, describes it the same way: they are banned through the Commission's regulations and their interpretation of Title 34. Versions of that bill have been introduced every session since 2017 without passing. The current one is HB 692 of the 2025-2026 session. Checked 2026-09-22: referred to the House Game and Fisheries Committee on February 21, 2025, not reported out, and not passed by either chamber.

How this rule works: The definition names bears, coyotes, lions, tigers, leopards, jaguars, cheetahs, cougars, wolves and their crossbreeds, and none of the animals in this dataset. The entire prohibition rests on four words earlier in the sentence, includes, but is not limited to, which the Game Commission reads as reaching small exotic mammals. That is an agency interpretation of a definition rather than anything a legislature wrote about these species, which is why bills to reverse it keep being introduced.

Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.

58 Pa. Code § 137.1(a)(9)

The Monk Parakeet, Myiopsitts monachus , sometimes referred to as the Quaker Parakeet or Gray-headed Parakeet.

Named outright, which makes this one of the few Pennsylvania exotic pet answers that needs no interpretation at all: import, possession, sale, offering for sale and release are each unlawful. The scientific name is misspelled in the official text, which prints Myiopsitts for Myiopsitta. This is the only parrot Pennsylvania designates, and the designation is what brings the species inside the Game Code, since 34 Pa.C.S. § 102 otherwise limits wild birds to federally listed migratory birds and game birds.

How this rule works: The Game Commission's actual prohibited list, and the document most Pennsylvania exotic pet questions turn on rather than the § 2961 definition. Eleven categories, of which three matter most here: all Felidae except house cats, the monk parakeet by name, and a catch-all barring possession of any wildlife held in captivity or captive bred in another state or nation.

Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.

58 Pa. Code §§ 137.1(a)(4), (10), (11), 137.31(a)

In the family Procyonidae. All species of raccoons.

Named on the Game Commission's prohibited list, and the raccoon is a Pennsylvania native, so both other doors are shut as well: § 137.31(a) bars keeping one taken from the wild here and § 137.1(a)(11) bars one captive bred in another state. The import and transfer permits in § 137.1(d) and (e) go only to menagerie, exotic wildlife, dealer and propagation permittees, and the raccoon is not exotic wildlife under 34 Pa.C.S. § 2961, so no pet route exists.

How this rule works: The Game Commission's actual prohibited list, and the document most Pennsylvania exotic pet questions turn on rather than the § 2961 definition. Eleven categories, of which three matter most here: all Felidae except house cats, the monk parakeet by name, and a catch-all barring possession of any wildlife held in captivity or captive bred in another state or nation.

Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.

58 Pa. Code § 137.1(a)(2); § 137.31(a)

In the family Canidae. Species and subspecies of the coyote, the red and gray fox and a full-blooded wolf or crossbreed thereof not licensed by the Department of Agriculture. Lawfully acquired coyotes and red or gray foxes may be imported or possessed, or both, by licensed propagators specifically for propagation for fur farming purposes. Coyotes and red and gray foxes imported under this exception and their progeny may not be sold or transferred for wildlife pet purposes or released into the wild.

The red fox is named, and the one exception is fur farming by a licensed propagator, whose animals and their progeny "may not be sold or transferred for wildlife pet purposes". The only other fox permit, in § 137.31(a)(1), lets a trapper hold five wild foxes for urine collection until the end of the season and then requires them to be euthanized.

How this rule works: The Game Commission's actual prohibited list, and the document most Pennsylvania exotic pet questions turn on rather than the § 2961 definition. Eleven categories, of which three matter most here: all Felidae except house cats, the monk parakeet by name, and a catch-all barring possession of any wildlife held in captivity or captive bred in another state or nation.

Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.

58 Pa. Code § 137.1(a)(7), (d)

(7) The order Primates. All families of nonhuman primates.

Lemurs are nonhuman primates and the order is on the prohibited list whole. The import permits go to menagerie, dealer and propagation permittees and zoos are exempt, so there is no pet 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).

How this rule works: The Game Commission's actual prohibited list, and the document most Pennsylvania exotic pet questions turn on rather than the § 2961 definition. Eleven categories, of which three matter most here: all Felidae except house cats, the monk parakeet by name, and a catch-all barring possession of any wildlife held in captivity or captive bred in another state or nation.

Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.

58 Pa. Code § 137.1(a)(7), (d)

(7) The order Primates. All families of nonhuman primates.

The order Primates is on the prohibited list whole, and the permits that let a listed animal in go to menageries, dealers and propagators. No pet route.

How this rule works: The Game Commission's actual prohibited list, and the document most Pennsylvania exotic pet questions turn on rather than the § 2961 definition. Eleven categories, of which three matter most here: all Felidae except house cats, the monk parakeet by name, and a catch-all barring possession of any wildlife held in captivity or captive bred in another state or nation.

Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.

58 Pa. Code § 137.1(a)(6)

In the family Mustelidae. All species of the skunks.

Every skunk is on the prohibited list, filed under Mustelidae on the older taxonomy, and that is the line the ferret cell shows is the only mustelid entry. The skunk is a native here, so § 137.31(a) and § 137.1(a)(11) close the wild-caught and out-of-state routes too. Descenting does not change the answer.

How this rule works: The Game Commission's actual prohibited list, and the document most Pennsylvania exotic pet questions turn on rather than the § 2961 definition. Eleven categories, of which three matter most here: all Felidae except house cats, the monk parakeet by name, and a catch-all barring possession of any wildlife held in captivity or captive bred in another state or nation.

Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.

34 Pa.C.S. § 2961

all bears, coyotes, lions, tigers, leopards, jaguars, cheetahs, cougars, wolves and any crossbreed of these animals which have similar characteristics in appearance or features

Same agency interpretation as the hedgehog, and the same bill covers both. A marsupial has nothing in common with any animal the definition names. That bill is HB 692 of the 2025-2026 session, an Act amending Title 34 in permits relating to wildlife, further providing for definitions. Checked 2026-09-22: referred to the House Game and Fisheries Committee on February 21, 2025, and not reported out of it since. It has not passed either chamber, so the ban stands.

How this rule works: The definition names bears, coyotes, lions, tigers, leopards, jaguars, cheetahs, cougars, wolves and their crossbreeds, and none of the animals in this dataset. The entire prohibition rests on four words earlier in the sentence, includes, but is not limited to, which the Game Commission reads as reaching small exotic mammals. That is an agency interpretation of a definition rather than anything a legislature wrote about these species, which is why bills to reverse it keep being introduced.

Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.

58 Pa. Code §§ 137.1(a)(10), (11), 137.31(a)

It is unlawful for a person to possess live wildlife taken from a wild state within this Commonwealth

The opossum is a native wild mammal and so wildlife under 34 Pa.C.S. § 102. Taking one into captivity here is barred by § 137.31(a), and § 137.1(a)(11) bars one held captive or captive bred in another state. Licensed wildlife rehabilitators hold opossums under their own permits, which is not a pet route.

How this rule works: The Game Commission's actual prohibited list, and the document most Pennsylvania exotic pet questions turn on rather than the § 2961 definition. Eleven categories, of which three matter most here: all Felidae except house cats, the monk parakeet by name, and a catch-all barring possession of any wildlife held in captivity or captive bred in another state or nation.

Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.

58 Pa. Code §§ 137.1(a)(10), (11), 137.31(a), 137.35

It is unlawful for a person to possess live wildlife taken from a wild state within this Commonwealth

The white-tailed deer is Pennsylvania's principal game animal, and both doors are shut: § 137.31(a) bars keeping one taken from the wild and § 137.1(a)(11) bars one captive bred in another state. Captive deer farming is a separate, agricultural scheme: § 137.35, the chronic wasting disease rule, says it does not extend to captive cervids held under the Domestic Animal Law, 3 Pa.C.S. Chapter 23, and the Commission will issue no new permit to possess or transport live cervids inside a disease management area. A farmed herd is not a pet route.

How this rule works: The Game Commission's actual prohibited list, and the document most Pennsylvania exotic pet questions turn on rather than the § 2961 definition. Eleven categories, of which three matter most here: all Felidae except house cats, the monk parakeet by name, and a catch-all barring possession of any wildlife held in captivity or captive bred in another state or nation.

Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.

58 Pa. Code § 137.1(a)(3), (d)(2); Ch. 147 Subchapter N

In the family Ursidae. All species of the bears.

Every bear is prohibited, and bears are the first animal named in the 34 Pa.C.S. § 2961 definition of exotic wildlife, so the exotic wildlife possession permit is the only route. It needs a separate permit per animal and two years of documented hands-on experience at a recognized facility, the shape the serval cell records as a facility permit rather than a pet one. A black bear taken from the wild in Pennsylvania is barred outright by § 137.31(a).

How this rule works: The Game Commission's actual prohibited list, and the document most Pennsylvania exotic pet questions turn on rather than the § 2961 definition. Eleven categories, of which three matter most here: all Felidae except house cats, the monk parakeet by name, and a catch-all barring possession of any wildlife held in captivity or captive bred in another state or nation.

Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.

58 Pa. Code § 137.1(a)(1), (a)(8)

In the family Felidae . Species and subspecies, except species which are commonly called house cats which may be possessed but not released into the wild.

Same answer as the serval. The whole felid family is prohibited and the route out is the exotic wildlife possession permit under 34 Pa.C.S. § 2963 and 58 Pa. Code Ch. 147 Subchapter N, which is written around facilities: one permit per animal, and two years of documented hands-on work with the species at a recognized facility before a first application. The Canada lynx is also federally threatened in the lower 48, and § 137.1(a)(8) separately reaches any animal the Department of the Interior lists as threatened.

How this rule works: The Game Commission's actual prohibited list, and the document most Pennsylvania exotic pet questions turn on rather than the § 2961 definition. Eleven categories, of which three matter most here: all Felidae except house cats, the monk parakeet by name, and a catch-all barring possession of any wildlife held in captivity or captive bred in another state or nation.

Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.

58 Pa. Code § 137.1(a)(1); 34 Pa.C.S. § 2961; Ch. 147 Subchapter N

In the family Felidae . Species and subspecies, except species which are commonly called house cats which may be possessed but not released into the wild.

Every cat but the house cat is prohibited, and cougars are named in the § 2961 definition of exotic wildlife, so the exotic wildlife possession permit is the route: one permit per animal and two years of documented hands-on experience at a recognized facility. 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: The Game Commission's actual prohibited list, and the document most Pennsylvania exotic pet questions turn on rather than the § 2961 definition. Eleven categories, of which three matter most here: all Felidae except house cats, the monk parakeet by name, and a catch-all barring possession of any wildlife held in captivity or captive bred in another state or nation.

Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.

58 Pa. Code § 137.1(a)(1); 34 Pa.C.S. § 2961; Ch. 147 Subchapter N

In the family Felidae . Species and subspecies, except species which are commonly called house cats which may be possessed but not released into the wild.

Every cat but the house cat is prohibited, and lions are named in the § 2961 definition of exotic wildlife, so the exotic wildlife possession permit is the route: one permit per animal and two years of documented hands-on experience at a recognized facility. 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: The Game Commission's actual prohibited list, and the document most Pennsylvania exotic pet questions turn on rather than the § 2961 definition. Eleven categories, of which three matter most here: all Felidae except house cats, the monk parakeet by name, and a catch-all barring possession of any wildlife held in captivity or captive bred in another state or nation.

Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.

58 Pa. Code § 137.1(a)(1)

In the family Felidae . Species and subspecies, except species which are commonly called house cats which may be possessed but not released into the wild.

The Felidae line is a whole-family prohibition with one exception, house cats, and a serval is not a house cat. The route out is the exotic wildlife possession permit under 34 Pa.C.S. § 2963 and 58 Pa. Code Ch. 147 Subchapter N, and it is written around facilities rather than pet homes: a separate permit for each animal, and a new applicant must document two years of hands-on work with the species at a recognized or approved facility, with a letter of reference from its owner or manager. The 2005 Joint State Government Commission report on exotic wildlife in Pennsylvania lists the serval among the lesser cats given minimum cage specifications, which confirms the Commission treats it as exotic wildlife rather than leaving it to the catch-all.

How this rule works: The Game Commission's actual prohibited list, and the document most Pennsylvania exotic pet questions turn on rather than the § 2961 definition. Eleven categories, of which three matter most here: all Felidae except house cats, the monk parakeet by name, and a catch-all barring possession of any wildlife held in captivity or captive bred in another state or nation.

Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.

58 Pa. Code § 137.1(a)(1); 34 Pa.C.S. § 2961; Ch. 147 Subchapter N

In the family Felidae . Species and subspecies, except species which are commonly called house cats which may be possessed but not released into the wild.

Every cat but the house cat is prohibited, and tigers are named in the 34 Pa.C.S. § 2961 definition of exotic wildlife, so the exotic wildlife possession permit is the route. It is written for facilities rather than homes: a separate permit for each animal, and a new applicant must document two years of hands-on work with the species at a recognized or approved facility, with a letter of reference. 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: The Game Commission's actual prohibited list, and the document most Pennsylvania exotic pet questions turn on rather than the § 2961 definition. Eleven categories, of which three matter most here: all Felidae except house cats, the monk parakeet by name, and a catch-all barring possession of any wildlife held in captivity or captive bred in another state or nation.

Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.

58 Pa. Code §§ 79.3(h), 79.9, 79.10(a)

Native species not listed in this subsection | No closed season | 1 | 1

Corrected from legal. The common garter snake is Pennsylvania native and is not tabled by name, so the catch-all line caps possession at one animal. Two further rules bind that the previous entry missed. § 79.10(a) makes it unlawful to transport or import a native species into Pennsylvania from another jurisdiction, so an out-of-state garter snake is not an option, and § 79.9 bars selling or buying a reptile taken from Pennsylvania and its progeny. The designated color morphs at § 79.12 are the exception, exempt from the possession limit and sellable by registered propagators. Note that two Pennsylvania gartersnakes, the short-headed gartersnake and the eastern ribbonsnake, are tabled separately at zero.

How this rule works: Official Pennsylvania Code text; the catch-all 'native species not listed' line sets a 1-per-day/1-in-possession limit, and companion §79.4 requires a permit for continued possession regardless of the animal's origin.

Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.

58 Pa. Code §§ 79.3(h), 79.10(a)

Eastern Hog-nosed Snake ( Heterodon platirhinos ) | No open season | 0 | 0

The condition is which hognose. The eastern hognose is Pennsylvania native, gets no open season and a zero limit, and cannot be imported from another jurisdiction under § 79.10(a), so it can be neither taken nor bought. The western hognose, Heterodon nasicus, which is what the pet trade almost always sells, is not on the Commission's native species list and so falls outside Chapter 79 entirely. Nearly every hognose in a Pennsylvania shop is lawful and the one in the field is not.

How this rule works: Official Pennsylvania Code text; the catch-all 'native species not listed' line sets a 1-per-day/1-in-possession limit, and companion §79.4 requires a permit for continued possession regardless of the animal's origin.

Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.

58 Pa. Code §§ 79.3(h), 79.9, 79.10(a)

Native species not listed in this subsection | No closed season | 1 | 1

Note corrected. The one-per-species cap is right, but the previous entry read § 79.4 as a general permit requirement for continued possession regardless of origin. That section is a one-time grandfather permit for animals already held on January 1, 2007, and its application window closed on June 30, 2007. The rules that actually bind a milk snake today are § 79.10(a), which makes importing a native species from another jurisdiction unlawful, and § 79.9, which bars selling or buying a reptile taken from Pennsylvania and its progeny. Designated color morphs are exempt under § 79.12, which is how most captive-bred milk snakes are lawfully sold here.

How this rule works: Official Pennsylvania Code text; the catch-all 'native species not listed' line sets a 1-per-day/1-in-possession limit, and companion §79.4 requires a permit for continued possession regardless of the animal's origin.

Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.

58 Pa. Code §§ 79.3(h), 79.5, 79.10(a)

Common snapping turtle ( Chelydra serpentina ) | July 1 to October 31 | 15 | 30

The only turtle in the table with a real open season, and personal possession of up to 30 needs no permit. Three conditions bind. The animal has to be taken in season, taking requires a fishing license, and § 79.5 requires an annual permit before anyone may take, catch, kill or possess snapping turtles for sale, barter or trade. Then § 79.10(a) bars importing a native species from another jurisdiction, so a Pennsylvania snapping turtle has to come from your own lawful take rather than a seller in another state.

How this rule works: Official Pennsylvania Code text; the catch-all 'native species not listed' line sets a 1-per-day/1-in-possession limit, and companion §79.4 requires a permit for continued possession regardless of the animal's origin.

Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.

58 Pa. Code §§ 79.3(h), 79.10(a)

Native species not listed in this subsection | No closed season | 1 | 1

Ambystoma tigrinum sits on the Fish and Boat Commission's own native species list even though it is considered extirpated here, because § 79.1 defines a native species by whether it occurs historically in Pennsylvania rather than whether it still does. It is not tabled by name, so the catch-all line applies and the limit is one animal, and § 79.10(a) bars importing a native species from another jurisdiction. Check what you are actually buying, because most pet-trade tiger salamanders are the barred tiger salamander, Ambystoma mavortium, a western species absent from Pennsylvania's native list and therefore outside Chapter 79.

How this rule works: Official Pennsylvania Code text; the catch-all 'native species not listed' line sets a 1-per-day/1-in-possession limit, and companion §79.4 requires a permit for continued possession regardless of the animal's origin.

Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.

58 Pa. Code § 137.1(a)(2)

In the family Canidae. Species and subspecies of the coyote, the red and gray fox and a full-blooded wolf or crossbreed thereof not licensed by the Department of Agriculture.

The prohibition reaches a wolf crossbreed "not licensed by the Department of Agriculture", which is the agency that runs Pennsylvania's dog licensing, so a wolfdog carrying that license is outside the Game Commission list and one without it is not. No generation or percentage is written. The opening of § 137.1(a) also reaches any crossbreed "similar in appearance" to a listed animal, and 34 Pa.C.S. § 2961 counts wolf crossbreeds with similar features as exotic wildlife, so a high-content animal that reads as a wolf is where the Commission would be most likely to look past the license. The Dog Law's own definition was not read.

How this rule works: The Game Commission's actual prohibited list, and the document most Pennsylvania exotic pet questions turn on rather than the § 2961 definition. Eleven categories, of which three matter most here: all Felidae except house cats, the monk parakeet by name, and a catch-all barring possession of any wildlife held in captivity or captive bred in another state or nation.

Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.

58 Pa. Code § 137.1(a)(2), (11)

In the family Canidae. Species and subspecies of the coyote, the red and gray fox and a full-blooded wolf or crossbreed thereof not licensed by the Department of Agriculture.

Same answer as the fennec fox. The Canidae line reaches only the coyote, the red fox, the gray fox and the wolf, and the arctic fox is none of them. What arguably reaches it is the § 137.1(a)(11) catch-all for wildlife captive bred in another state, which rests on an agency reading of 34 Pa.C.S. § 102 rather than on text naming the animal.

How this rule works: The Game Commission's actual prohibited list, and the document most Pennsylvania exotic pet questions turn on rather than the § 2961 definition. Eleven categories, of which three matter most here: all Felidae except house cats, the monk parakeet by name, and a catch-all barring possession of any wildlife held in captivity or captive bred in another state or nation.

Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.

58 Pa. Code § 137.1(a)(6), (8), (11)

In the family Mustelidae. All species of the skunks.

The only mustelid line on the list reaches skunks, so an otter is not named. It is not listed by the Department of the Interior as threatened or endangered, so § 137.1(a)(8) misses it as well, and the answer turns on the same § 137.1(a)(11) catch-all for out-of-state captive-bred wildlife that the fennec fox does. CITES Appendix I since 2019 bars commercial international trade but is not a Pennsylvania rule.

How this rule works: The Game Commission's actual prohibited list, and the document most Pennsylvania exotic pet questions turn on rather than the § 2961 definition. Eleven categories, of which three matter most here: all Felidae except house cats, the monk parakeet by name, and a catch-all barring possession of any wildlife held in captivity or captive bred in another state or nation.

Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.

58 Pa. Code § 137.1(a)(1)

In the family Felidae . Species and subspecies, except species which are commonly called house cats which may be possessed but not released into the wild.

Genuinely unresolved, and the ambiguity is structural. The Bengal is a cross between the domestic cat and the Asian leopard cat, so it sits on both sides of this line at once: the opening sentence of § 137.1(a) prohibits a crossbreed or hybrid of the listed animals which are similar in appearance, while the Felidae line exempts species commonly called house cats. Nothing in the regulation names a filial generation, a percentage of wild ancestry, or the Bengal itself, so an early generation animal and a late generation one get the same silent text. Rendered gray rather than guessed.

How this rule works: The Game Commission's actual prohibited list, and the document most Pennsylvania exotic pet questions turn on rather than the § 2961 definition. Eleven categories, of which three matter most here: all Felidae except house cats, the monk parakeet by name, and a catch-all barring possession of any wildlife held in captivity or captive bred in another state or nation.

Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.

58 Pa. Code § 137.1(a)(11); 34 Pa.C.S. §§ 102, 2961

Game or wild held captive . Game or wildlife held in captivity or captive bred in another state or nation.

No Pennsylvania text names a wallaby or any macropod. What arguably reaches it is the catch-all barring wildlife captive bred in another state, read with 34 Pa.C.S. § 102, under which every mammal but livestock is a wild animal, and the Game Commission's reading of the open-ended exotic wildlife definition, which is how it bars the sugar glider, another marsupial. Recorded unclear rather than banned because no text names the animal, the same answer the capybara and kinkajou get.

How this rule works: The Game Commission's actual prohibited list, and the document most Pennsylvania exotic pet questions turn on rather than the § 2961 definition. Eleven categories, of which three matter most here: all Felidae except house cats, the monk parakeet by name, and a catch-all barring possession of any wildlife held in captivity or captive bred in another state or nation.

Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.

58 Pa. Code § 137.1(a)(11)

Game or wild held captive . Game or wildlife held in captivity or captive bred in another state or nation.

The capybara is named nowhere in Pennsylvania law. What arguably reaches it is this catch-all, which bars possessing wildlife captive bred in another state, read together with 34 Pa.C.S. § 102, where wild animals means every mammal except horses, cattle, sheep, goats and pigs. That is the same reading the Game Commission uses to ban hedgehogs and sugar gliders, and it is an agency interpretation of a definition rather than a rule anyone wrote about this species. Recorded unclear rather than banned because no text names the animal.

How this rule works: The Game Commission's actual prohibited list, and the document most Pennsylvania exotic pet questions turn on rather than the § 2961 definition. Eleven categories, of which three matter most here: all Felidae except house cats, the monk parakeet by name, and a catch-all barring possession of any wildlife held in captivity or captive bred in another state or nation.

Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.

58 Pa. Code § 137.1(a)(11)

Game or wild held captive . Game or wildlife held in captivity or captive bred in another state or nation.

The degu is named nowhere in Pennsylvania law. What arguably reaches it is this catch-all, which bars possessing wildlife captive bred in another state, read together with 34 Pa.C.S. § 102, where wild animals means every mammal except horses, cattle, sheep, goats and pigs. That is the same reading the Game Commission uses to ban hedgehogs and sugar gliders, and it is an agency interpretation of a definition rather than a rule anyone wrote about this species. Recorded unclear rather than banned because no text names the animal.

How this rule works: The Game Commission's actual prohibited list, and the document most Pennsylvania exotic pet questions turn on rather than the § 2961 definition. Eleven categories, of which three matter most here: all Felidae except house cats, the monk parakeet by name, and a catch-all barring possession of any wildlife held in captivity or captive bred in another state or nation.

Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.

58 Pa. Code § 137.1(a)(2), (11)

In the family Canidae . Species and subspecies of the coyote, the red and gray fox and a full-blooded wolf or crossbreed thereof not licensed by the Department of Agriculture.

The Canidae line is species-specific and reaches only the coyote, the red fox, the gray fox and the wolf. The fennec fox is none of them. What arguably reaches it instead is the catch-all at § 137.1(a)(11) barring possession of wildlife captive bred in another state, since 34 Pa.C.S. § 102 makes every mammal but livestock a wild animal. Same agency interpretation that bans hedgehogs and sugar gliders, and no Pennsylvania text names the fennec fox, so this is recorded unclear rather than banned.

How this rule works: The Game Commission's actual prohibited list, and the document most Pennsylvania exotic pet questions turn on rather than the § 2961 definition. Eleven categories, of which three matter most here: all Felidae except house cats, the monk parakeet by name, and a catch-all barring possession of any wildlife held in captivity or captive bred in another state or nation.

Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.

58 Pa. Code § 137.1(a)(4), (11)

In the family Procyonidae. All species of raccoons.

The Procyonidae line names the family and then limits itself to raccoons, so it does not reach the kinkajou by its words. What arguably does is the catch-all at § 137.1(a)(11), barring possession of wildlife captive bred in another state, read with 34 Pa.C.S. § 102, which makes every mammal but livestock a wild animal. That is the same agency reading the fennec fox cell turns on, and no Pennsylvania text names the kinkajou, so it is recorded unclear rather than banned.

How this rule works: The Game Commission's actual prohibited list, and the document most Pennsylvania exotic pet questions turn on rather than the § 2961 definition. Eleven categories, of which three matter most here: all Felidae except house cats, the monk parakeet by name, and a catch-all barring possession of any wildlife held in captivity or captive bred in another state or nation.

Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.

58 Pa. Code § 137.1(a)(11)

Game or wild held captive . Game or wildlife held in captivity or captive bred in another state or nation.

The prairie dog is named nowhere in Pennsylvania law. What arguably reaches it is this catch-all, which bars possessing wildlife captive bred in another state, read together with 34 Pa.C.S. § 102, where wild animals means every mammal except horses, cattle, sheep, goats and pigs. That is the same reading the Game Commission uses to ban hedgehogs and sugar gliders, and it is an agency interpretation of a definition rather than a rule anyone wrote about this species. Recorded unclear rather than banned because no text names the animal.

How this rule works: The Game Commission's actual prohibited list, and the document most Pennsylvania exotic pet questions turn on rather than the § 2961 definition. Eleven categories, of which three matter most here: all Felidae except house cats, the monk parakeet by name, and a catch-all barring possession of any wildlife held in captivity or captive bred in another state or nation.

Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.

58 Pa. Code § 137.1(a)(1)

it is unlawful for a person to import, possess, sell, offer for sale or release within this Commonwealth the following wild animals or wild birds or the eggs of the birds or a crossbreed or hybrid of the wild animals or wild birds, which are similar in appearance: (1) In the family Felidae . Species and subspecies, except species which are commonly called house cats which may be possessed but not released into the wild.

The same structural problem as the Bengal, and the Savannah sits nearer the wrong side of it. The opening sentence reaches a crossbreed or hybrid of a listed animal "which are similar in appearance", and the Felidae line lists every species and subspecies, the serval among them; against that, the line excepts "species which are commonly called house cats". A Savannah is bred as a house cat, and an early-generation animal is also the cat most likely to look like a serval. The regulation gives no filial generation, no registry route and no test of what similar in appearance means, and no Game Commission statement on the breed was found. Rendered gray rather than guessed.

How this rule works: The Game Commission's actual prohibited list, and the document most Pennsylvania exotic pet questions turn on rather than the § 2961 definition. Eleven categories, of which three matter most here: all Felidae except house cats, the monk parakeet by name, and a catch-all barring possession of any wildlife held in captivity or captive bred in another state or nation.

Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.

58 Pa. Code § 137.1(a)(11); 34 Pa.C.S. §§ 102, 2961

Game or wild held captive . Game or wildlife held in captivity or captive bred in another state or nation.

No Pennsylvania text names a sloth. What arguably reaches it is the catch-all barring wildlife captive bred in another state, read with the § 102 definition that makes every mammal but livestock a wild animal, which is the reading the Game Commission uses against hedgehogs and sugar gliders. Recorded unclear rather than banned because no text names the animal.

How this rule works: The Game Commission's actual prohibited list, and the document most Pennsylvania exotic pet questions turn on rather than the § 2961 definition. Eleven categories, of which three matter most here: all Felidae except house cats, the monk parakeet by name, and a catch-all barring possession of any wildlife held in captivity or captive bred in another state or nation.

Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.

58 Pa. Code § 137.1(a)(4), (11)

In the family Procyonidae. All species of raccoons.

Same position as the kinkajou. The coati is a procyonid but not a raccoon, so the family line, which reaches only "species of raccoons", misses it, and the answer turns on the § 137.1(a)(11) catch-all for wildlife captive bred in another state. No Pennsylvania text names the coati.

How this rule works: The Game Commission's actual prohibited list, and the document most Pennsylvania exotic pet questions turn on rather than the § 2961 definition. Eleven categories, of which three matter most here: all Felidae except house cats, the monk parakeet by name, and a catch-all barring possession of any wildlife held in captivity or captive bred in another state or nation.

Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.