The commissioner may make regulations governing the tanning, curing and mounting of all species of wild birds, wild quadrupeds, reptiles and amphibians, including the issuance of permits therefor. All applications for such a permit shall contain such information, in writing, as the commissioner requires. Any person who possesses any such bird, quadruped, reptile or amphibian for any such purpose unless so authorized by the commissioner shall be fined not less than fifty dollars or more than one hundred dollars, and any such bird, quadruped, reptile or amphibian shall be seized by any representative of the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection and shall be disposed of as shall be determined by the commissioner.
Citation: C.G.S.A. § 26-59.
No person shall buy, sell or exchange, or have in possession with intent to sell or exchange, any wild or game bird, wild quadruped, reptile or amphibian, alive or dead, or parts thereof, including plumage of any such bird, except as provided in this chapter, provided any game bird, wild quadruped, reptile or amphibian, alive or dead, or parts thereof, not including plumage of any such bird, legally taken and legally transported into this state from any other state or country which does not prohibit the sale or exportation of such bird, wild quadruped, reptile or amphibian, may be bought or sold in this state at any time of the year under such regulations as may be made by the commissioner. The commissioner may make regulations governing the importation, transportation, purchase, sale or exchange of wild or game bird plumage. Any wild or game bird, wild quadruped, reptile or amphibian, alive or dead, or parts thereof, including plumage of such birds, possessed contrary to any of the provisions of this section or any regulation made by the commissioner, shall be seized by any representative of the department; and the commissioner or his authorized agent shall make disposition of the same by sale or destruction or by gift to any educational institution, museum, zoological park or any other suitable place where in the opinion of the commissioner an educational purpose will be served. The provisions of this section shall not prohibit the possession, sale or exchange of heads, hides or pelts of legally acquired deer and fur-bearing animals or the possession and mounting of legally acquired game birds, wild quadrupeds, reptiles and amphibians. Each wild or game bird, wild quadruped, reptile or amphibian, or part thereof, or each lot or package of wild or game bird plumage, possessed contrary to any provision of this section or any regulation issued by the commissioner, shall constitute a separate offense. Said commissioner may make regulations authorizing the importation, exportation, possession, sale and exchange of legally acquired, protected and unprotected species of live wild birds, live wild quadrupeds, reptiles and amphibians under such conditions as said commissioner shall determine. Said commissioner may order any such bird, quadruped, reptile or amphibian impounded for such period, at such place and in such manner as is determined by the commissioner, to allow examination to determine if such bird, quadruped, reptile or amphibian is diseased or infected with parasites, and the commissioner is authorized to order the destruction of such bird, quadruped, reptile or amphibian when in his opinion such action would be advisable in the public interest. Any person who violates any provision of this section or any regulation or order issued by the commissioner under this section shall be guilty of a class C misdemeanor. The provisions of this section shall not apply to snapping turtles.
Citation: C.G.S.A. § 26-78.
No person shall transport within the state or transport out of the state any fish, bird, mammal, reptile, amphibian or invertebrate for which a closed season is provided without a permit from the commissioner, except as provided in this section. The commissioner may issue a permit to any person to transport within the state or to transport out of the state any fish, bird, mammal, reptile, amphibian or invertebrate protected under the provisions of this chapter under such regulations as the commissioner may prescribe. No fish, bird, mammal, reptile, amphibian or invertebrate shall be transported out of the state unless each unit, package or container is conspicuously tagged or labeled, and such tag or label contains in legible writing the full name and address of the person legally authorized to transport out of the state such fish, bird, mammal, reptile, amphibian or invertebrate. Any such fish, bird, mammal, reptile, amphibian or invertebrate received by any person or by any common carrier within the state, addressed for shipment to any point without the state and not having such tag or label conspicuously attached shall be prima facie evidence of a violation of the provisions of this section. A permit shall not be required to transport within the state or to transport out of the state any fish, bird, mammal, reptile, amphibian or invertebrate which has been legally taken, bred, propagated or possessed by a person to whom a license, registration or permit has been issued under the provisions of this chapter authorizing the taking, breeding, propagating or possessing of fish, birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians or invertebrates, and no permit shall be required to transport within the state or to transport out of the state any fish, bird, mammal, reptile, amphibian or invertebrate that has been legally taken or acquired by a person exempt from license requirements under the provisions of this chapter. Any person who violates any provision of this section shall be guilty of a class D misdemeanor.
Citation: C.G.S.A. § 26-57.
...(b) Any such fish, bird, mammal, reptile, amphibian or invertebrate illegally imported into the state or illegally possessed therein may be seized by any representative of the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection and may be relocated or disposed of as determined by the commissioner. The Department of Energy and Environmental Protection shall issue a bill to the owner or person in illegal possession of such animal for all costs of seizure, care, maintenance, relocation or disposal for such animal.
(c) Except as provided in subsection (e) of this section, any person who violates any provision of this section or any regulation adopted by the commissioner pursuant to this section shall be assessed a civil penalty not to exceed one thousand dollars, to be fixed by the court, for each offense. Each violation shall be a separate and distinct offense. In the case of a continuing violation, each day's continuance thereof shall be deemed to be a separate and distinct offense. The Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection may request the Attorney General to institute an action in Superior Court to recover such civil penalty and any amounts owed pursuant to a bill issued in accordance with subsection (b) of this section and for an order providing such equitable and injunctive relief as the court deems appropriate.
(d) Any person who wilfully violates any provision of this section or any regulation adopted by the commissioner pursuant to this section shall be guilty of a class C misdemeanor.
(e) Any person who imports, introduces into this state, possesses or liberates live fish or aquatic nuisance invertebrates, in violation of the provisions of this section or any regulation adopted pursuant to this section, shall have committed an infraction and be fined not more than eighty-five dollars. The importation, possession or liberation of each live fish or aquatic nuisance invertebrate shall be a separate and distinct offense. In the event of a continuing violation, each day of continuance shall be a separate and distinct offense.
Citation: C.G.S.A. § 26-55.
Any person who uses any animal, reptile or bird for the purpose of soliciting any alms, collection, contribution, subscription, donation or payment of money, or uses any animal or bird as a prize or award in the operation of any game or device, or exhibits any wild animal in connection with any business for the purpose of attracting trade upon any street, highway or public park or at any fair, exhibition or place of amusement, recreation or entertainment, or owns, keeps or has in his custody any animal, reptile or bird for any such purpose, shall be guilty of a class D misdemeanor, but no provision of this section shall be construed so as to apply to the exhibition of any animal, reptile or bird by any educational institution or in a zoological garden or in connection with any theatrical exhibition or circus or to the use of any animal in a cow-chip raffle.
Citation: C.G.S.A. § 53-250.
Any bird, quadruped, reptile or amphibian, or part thereof, illegally taken or possessed, or any bird, quadruped, reptile or amphibian illegally used in the pursuit of any bird, quadruped, reptile or amphibian, shall be seized by the commissioner, any representative of the commissioner or any conservation officer, and the commissioner may, at his discretion, sell or otherwise dispose of the same. The proceeds of any such sale shall be paid to the State Treasurer to be credited to the General Fund.
Citation: C.G.S.A. § 26-80.
The possession limit for game birds, wild quadrupeds, reptiles and amphibians, during the open or closed season, shall not exceed the season limits provided by statute or by regulations made by the commissioner. Possession on the annual opening day of the open season shall be limited to the daily bag limit for any species of game bird, wild quadruped, reptile or amphibian. Possession in storage of such species on each succeeding day shall not exceed the accumulated daily bag limit for one person for any species. Possession of such species, except in storage, shall not exceed the daily bag limit for any species. The provisions of this section shall not affect possession limits established for migratory game birds by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, licensed game and fur breeders or persons authorized to possess game birds, wild quadrupeds, reptiles or amphibians by the commissioner. Each game bird, wild quadruped, reptile or amphibian or part thereof, possessed contrary to the provisions of this section or any regulation issued by the commissioner, shall constitute a separate offense. Any person who violates any provision of this section or any regulation made by the commissioner relating to possession limits shall (1) for a first offense, be fined not more than two hundred fifty dollars, and (2) for any subsequent offense, be guilty of a class D misdemeanor.
Citation: C.G.S.A. § 26-76.
(a) No person while in a motor vehicle, snowmobile or all-terrain vehicle or by aid or use of any light or lights carried thereon or attached thereto shall hunt or take any wild bird, wild quadruped or reptile or amphibian regulated by the commissioner under this chapter. The provisions of this section shall not affect the statutes relating to jacklighting for deer.
(b) The provisions of this section shall not apply to any person who operates or is in an all-terrain vehicle and who is a paraplegic, or who is suffering from the loss of or the loss of the use of both lower extremities, provided such person has a valid hunting license issued pursuant to this chapter and has received a permit to be issued by the Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection upon documentary proof that such person is a paraplegic. Such person shall not shoot or have in his possession or under his control a loaded rifle, shotgun or muzzleloader while such vehicle is in motion or such vehicle is on a public highway.
(c) Any person who violates any provision of this section shall be guilty of a class D misdemeanor.
Citation: C.G.S.A. § 26-74.
Any weapon, article or implement, capable of being used for the purpose of taking, catching or holding any fish, crustacean, wild or game bird, wild or game quadruped, reptile or amphibian, which is abandoned, discarded or thrown away in an attempt to destroy or conceal evidence or to prevent apprehension, may be seized and taken into possession by any conservation officer. If the owner or person having custody of any such article at the time it is abandoned, discarded or thrown away fails to claim such article within one year after it comes into the possession of such officer, such article shall be forfeited to the state and may be retained for use by the commissioner, may be sold at public auction or may be destroyed at the discretion of said commissioner. The proceeds from such sales shall be paid to the State Treasurer to be credited to the General Fund.
Citation: C.G.S.A. § 26-23.
(a) As used in this section, “turtle” means any reptile commonly known as turtles, tortoises or terrapins but shall not include a turtle used solely for agricultural, scientific or educational purposes.
(b) No turtle with a carapace length of less than four inches or with viable turtle eggs may be sold in this state.
(c) No person may sell a live turtle with a carapace length of four inches or greater unless (1) a caution notice is posted by the person selling turtles which warns that the transmission of salmonella disease by turtles is possible; (2) at the time of the sale of the turtle, the seller furnishes the buyer with a copy of the caution notice and information obtained from a veterinarian regarding the proper care and feeding for the species of turtle which is being sold; (3) the buyer signs a form stating that he has read the notice provided if the buyer is less than sixteen years of age, such form shall be signed by a parent or guardian; (4) the turtle is not a species identified by the Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection as endangered, threatened or of special concern in regulations adopted under section 26-306; and (5) the seller receives, and retains on file for inspection by the Commissioner of Agriculture, written verification that such turtle was bred at a licensed commercial fish farm or commercial aquaculture facility and was not collected from the wild.
(d) Any person who violates any provision of this section or section 19a-102b shall be fined not more than one hundred dollars. The Commissioner of Agriculture may suspend the pet shop license of any pet shop, as defined in section 22-327, which violates any provision of this section or section 19a-102b.
(e) On or before October 1, 1996, the Commissioner of Public Health shall evaluate the public health effect of the sale of turtles in this state and shall submit a report of his findings to the General Assembly...
Citation: C.G.S.A. § 19a-102a.