Hobbies And Interests
Permit Required for Collection and Possession
A person must obtain a hunting or fishing license to collect venomous snakes and other wildlife species from the wild. License holders must be at least 17 years old. Indiana prohibits the collection of endangered species or snakes in state parks. Generally, a person may not possess a venomous snake without a permit, which is separate from the license for collecting snakes in the wild. The sale of a venomous snake is prohibited.
Scientific Purposes Permit
Indiana law allows venomous snakes to be collected and possessed for scientific purposes. The applicant must have a bachelor's degree involving snakes or be pursuing such a degree. The applicant must be affiliated with a school, college, governmental agency or nonprofit organization involved with the scientific research or education.
Confinement
A snake at least six feet long must be enclosed in a perimeter that is twice the snake's length. The perimeter for snakes less than six feet must be at least one and one-half times the snake's length. Outdoor cages or pits must have concrete or masonry floors at least two inches thick, a "venomous" or "poisonous" label, and either four-foot high walls or a completely covered roof with closed-mesh wire, per Title 312 of the Indiana Administrative Code. The walls must be at least six inches thick. Indoor cages must be closed tightly, be fronted with acrylic or plate glass of at least one-quarter inch thickness and be constructed of one of six types of material.
Release
A person must obtain a permit to release a venomous snake unless the snake has not been enclosed with any other animal, is held in captivity for 30 days or less and is released where it was captured.