Keeping certain exotic animals as pets is legal in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, according to the Parish's animal ordinances. Though owning an exotic pet is illegal in most of Louisiana, Jefferson Parish allows residents to keep certain exotic animals as pets, provided certain requirements are met.
Maybe you've always wanted to own an exotic cat or snake, or you're wondering whether it's lawful for your neighbor to have that Wallaby in his backyard in Jefferson Parish. Fortunately for your curiosity, Jefferson Parish, LA, has an exotic animal ordinance that allows, restricts, or prohibits ownership of certain types of animals. In this article, you will discover some exotic animals that are legal or illegal to keep as pets in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana.
Legal Exotic Pets in Jefferson Parish, LA
1. African serval cat
A permit is required to keep a Serval cat as a pet in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana. As a wild cat native to Africa, the Serval cat or Leptailurus serval typically grow up to 83 cm long, 24 inches tall, and weighs up to 40 pounds, with males being sturdier than females. By all accounts, Servals can be kept as exotic pets. However, they are very expensive and need large, fully enclosed outdoor spaces to play and a diet consisting of raw meat.
Acquiring a Serval from a reputable breeder in the United States will cost you from $3,000 to $10,000 and more. The average life expectancy of the Serval cat is 20 years in human care and about 10 years in the wild. See "Serval Legal States."
2. Savannah cat
If the Serval cat is too wild for you, perhaps its hybrid will be suitable. The Savannah cat is an offspring of the Serval cat and a domestic cat, which makes the Savannah cat 50% wild. You need to obtain a permit before owning a pet Savannah cat in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana. There are up to eight filial generations of Savannah cats, including the F1 Savannah, F2 Savannah, F3 Savannah, and up to eight.
The F1 Savannah cat is an offspring of a Serval cat and a house cat, the F2 Savannah cat is an offspring of an F1 Savannah cat and a house cat, while the F3 Savannah cat is an offspring of an F2 Savannah cat and a house cat, and so on. F4 Savannah cats are considered to be 10% wild, much like domestic cats. The Savannah is the most expensive cat in the United States. Acquiring a Savannah Cat from a reputable breeder in Louisiana will cost between $1,500 and $10,000, depending on the filial generation.
3. Nonvenomous Snakes
Keeping an exotic nonvenomous snake as a pet is legal in Jefferson Parish, LA. The Parish Code lists Burmese pythons and Reticulated pythons as exotic snakes that require a permit to keep as pets. However, these two species of pythons are not recommended to keep as pets because they can grow very large and have the ability to coil around a person and suffocate them.
The Reticulated python is the world's longest snake, while the Burmese python is among the largest snakes on Earth. As such, they need to be handled with great care. Another option for you is the African ball python, which does not require a permit to keep as a pet in Jefferson Parish. As the smallest of the African pythons, the ball python's maximum length is 182 cm.
4. Wallaby
You need to obtain a permit from Jefferson Protection and Animal Welfare Services before keeping a Wallaby as a pet. As members of the kangaroo clan, Wallabies come in many species, including brush wallabies, rock wallabies, and shrub wallabies. Hand-raised and human-socialized Wallabies make the best pets. On average, Wallabies live between eleven and fourteen years.
5. Exotic Birds
The following exotic birds are legal to keep as pets without a permit in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana: Parakeets, cockatiels, finches, lovebirds, African grey parrots, cockatoos and other parrots. By all accounts, the cockatiel is the ideal choice for first-time parrot owners.
6. Ferret
Ferrets are legal to keep as pets without a permit everywhere in Louisiana. In fact, Louisiana law requires that all ferrets 3 months of age be vaccinated against rabies by a licensed veterinarian. There are different types of ferrets, but sable ferrets are the most common species kept as household pets.
7. Small Rodents
Jefferson Parish lists Rabbits, Guinea pigs, Gerbils, Rats, and Mice as rodents that are legal to keep as pets without a permit. The Mini Rex, Holland Lop, Dutch Lop, and Dwarf Hotot are one of the most popular rabbit breeds kept as pets in the United States. Among the many Gerbil species, Mongolian gerbils are the most common species kept as pets in the country.
8. Exotic reptiles
Jefferson Parish lists crocodiles and venomous snakes as reptiles that are illegal to keep as pets. The Parish also lists the Gila monster as an exotic reptile legal to keep as a pet with a permit. Exotic reptiles such as iguanas and bearded dragons do not require a permit to keep as pets in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana.
Illegal Pets in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana
Under the Jefferson Parish animal ordinance, the following wild and exotic animals are illegal to keep as pets: Lions, tigers, cheetahs, bears, bats, crocodiles, venomous snakes, snow leopards, old and new world primates, eagles, owls, hawks, otters, kangaroos, chipmunks, coyotes, hybrid coyotes, wolves, hybrid wolves, opossums, and raccoons.
