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Some animals sold commercially are considered exotic wildlife. The Division of Wildlife has created a category of species called Unregulated Wildlife. These are species that are legal to own, import, or sell. You do not need a license from the Division of Wildlife to have one of these species. You must, however, comply with all other federal, state, and local laws dealing with importation, disease, and other issues.

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These are the non-mammal species that are legal to own in Colorado:

• All tropical and subtropical birds, including parrots, in the order Passeriformes.
• All tropical and subtropical fishes, including common gold fish and koi.
• All tropical and non-native subtropical frogs, toads, snakes, and lizards. All venomous snakes require a license and proof of commercial use.
• All marine vertebrates and invertebrates, except anadromous and catadromous species.  
• All tropical and non-native subtropical turtles. Caimens are legal. Alligators and crocodiles require a license.

Up to four individuals of each of the following species and/or subspecies of reptiles and amphibians may be taken annually and held in captivity, provided that no more than 12 in the aggregate may be possessed at any time.

Common Name	Genus/Species
Plains spadefoot	Spea bombifrons
Woodhouse's toad	Bufo woodhousii
Western chorus frog	Pseudacris triseriata
Painted turtle	Chrysemys picta
Western box turtle	Terrapena ornata
Sagebrush lizard	Sceloporus undulatus
Tree lizard	Urosaurus ornatus
Side-blotched lizard	Uta stansburiana
Prairie & Plateau lizards	Sceloporus undulatus
Bullsnake	Pituophus catenifer
Western terrestrial garter snake	Thamnophis elegans
Plains garter snake	Thamnophis radix
Lesser earless lizard	Holbrookia maculata
Western whiptail	Cnemidophorus tigris
Racer	Coluber constrictor
Western hognose snake	Heterodon nasicus

Next: Legal Mammals