NATIONAL OVERVIEW OF REGULATIONS TO CONSERVE AMPHIBIANS AND REPTILES

We compiled a national overview of the regulations of all 50 state wildlife agencies for amphibian and reptile (excluding threatened or endangered species) conservation. A key contact from each state agency was interviewed by telephone. Interviews consisted of 11 questions, each concerning existing regulations that controlled the commercialization and collection of amphibians and reptiles. The tendency to regulate commercialization was related to regulation of collection, but neither commercialization nor collection were related to the number of amphibian and reptile species in each state. Species-specific commercialization and collection regulations were identified. The regulatory strategies of some states may be creating pressure on their amphibians and reptiles. Amphibian and reptile species numbers within states did not adequately explain a state's regulatory strategy.