163 Neb. Admin. Code, ch. 4, § 010 - Nongame Species In Need Of Conservation

The following regulations are prescribed by the Game and Parks Commission, State of Nebraska in accordance with Neb. Rev. Stat. §§ 37-301, 37-314, 37-4,105, 37-4,106, 37-546 through 37-549, 37-701, and 37-801 through 37-810. For purposes of these regulations, unless context otherwise requires, the definitions found in Chapter 37, sections 202 through 247 of the Game Law, are used. These regulations are effective following enactment by the Commission, approval by the Attorney General and Governor, and when five days have elapsed since filing with the Secretary of State.

010.01 Mammals

White-tailed jackrabbit - Lepus townsendii

Black-tailed jackrabbit - Lepus californicus

010.01A Jackrabbit Hunting Seasons

010.01A1 Open Season: September 1 through the last day in February.

010.01A2 Area Open: That area of Nebraska lying west of line extending from the South Dakota-Nebraska border south along U.S. Highway 81 to the Nebraska-Kansas border, except Federal or State Sanctuaries, unless otherwise authorized.

010.01A3 Hours Open Each Day: 30 minutes before sunrise to sunset.

010.01A4 Daily Bag Limit: Four (4).

010.01A5 Possession limit at any time during or after the fourth day: Sixteen (16).

010.02 Reptile and Amphibian Species in Need of Conservation -The following reptile and amphibian species shall be considered nongame species in need of conservation. It shall be unlawful for any person to take, possess, transport, export, process, sell or offer for sale, or ship nongame wildlife in need of conservation unless authorized to do so by the Commission under the authority of a scientific collection permit.

Species with no take:

Smallmouth Salamander	Ambystoma texanum
American Toad	Anaxyrus americanus
Great Plains Narrowmouth Toad	Gastrophryne olivacea
Five-lined Skink	Plestiodon fasciatus
Great Plains Skink	Plestiodon obsoletus
Sagebrush Lizard	Sceloporus graciosus
Western Slender Glass Lizard	Ophisaurus attenuatus
Mountain Short-horned Lizard	Phrynosoma hernandesi
Western Worm Snake	Carphophis vermis
Timber Rattlesnake	Crotalus horridus
Prairie Kingsnake	Lampropeltis calligaster
Speckled Kingsnake	Lampropeltis holbrooki
Eastern Glossy Snake	Arizona elegans
Smooth Green Snake	Liochlorophis vernalis
Graham's Crayfish Snake	Regina grahamii
Plains Blackhead Snake	Tantilla nigriceps
Western Ribbon Snake	Thamnophis proximus
Redbelly Snake	Storeria occipitomaculata
Copperhead	Agkistrodon contortrix
Terrestrial Garter Snake	Thamnophis elegans
Blanding's Turtle	Emydoidea blandingii
Diamondback Water Snake	Nerodia rhombifer

010.03 Regulated Taking of Reptiles and Amphibians - The provisions of 010.03 apply to all species and subspecies of reptiles and amphibians native to Nebraska except those legally designated as Game species, Nongame Species in Need of Conservation, and Threatened or Endangered species. It shall be unlawful for any person to take, possess, transport, export, process, sell or offer for sale, or ship any reptile or amphibian species defined in this section except as provided in 010.03A. No exception to these prohibitions will be provided for export unless granted by the Commission for scientific research or education, or as may be specifically allowed in Commission regulations governing bait dealers or fish dealers as authorized in 37-4,105 and 37-4,106.

010.03A Exceptions - The following exceptions are provided to the prohibitions outlined in 010.03.

010.03A1 In-state transport, possession, processing, sale or offer of sale of the following species will be permitted in accordance with 37-4,105 and 37-4,106, and the regulations defined for bait and baitfish species in Chapter 2, Fisheries Regulations.

Bait Species:

Plains Leopard Frog	Lithobates blairi
Northern Leopard Frog	Lithobates pipiens

010.03A2 For those individual specimens or parts thereof legally obtained by purchase or consignment from outside of Nebraska, sale, offer of sale and associated transport, possession or processing will be permitted without regard to limits or numbers for the species listed below in 010.03A3 and 010.03A4, provided that such authority shall be contingent upon a person=s ability to provide proof of legal acquisition including bill of sale or consignment.

010.03A3 Take of individuals from the wild within Nebraska and associated in-state transport, possession, or processing will be permitted with a bag and possession limit of ten (10) individuals per species, or products derived from ten (10) individuals per species.

Species with Take Up to 10 Individuals:

Blanchard's Cricket Frog	Acris blanchardi
Boreal Chorus Frog	Pseudacris maculata
Great Plains Toad	Anaxyrus cognatus
Woodhouse's Toad	Anaxyrus woodhousii
Plains Spadefoot	Spea bombifrons
Six-lined Racerunner	Aspidoscelis sexlineata
Prairie Lizard	Sceloporus consobrinus
Eastern Racer	Coluber constrictor
Prairie Rattlesnake	Crotalus viridis
Ringneck Snake	Diadophis punctatus
Northern Water Snake	Nerodia sipedon
Bullsnake	Pituophis catenifer
Plains Garter Snake	Thamnophis radix
Common Garter Snake	Thamnophis sirtalis
Northern Painted Turtle	Chrysemys picta
False Map Turtle	Graptemys pseudogeographica

010.03A4 Take of individuals from the wild in Nebraska, and associated in-state transport, possession, or processing will be permitted for the following species with a bag and possession limit of three (3) individuals per species, or products derived from three (3) individuals per species.

Species with Take Up to 3 Individuals:

Cope's Gray Treefrog	Hyla chrysoscelis
Gray Treefrog	Hyla versicolr
Northern Prairie Skink	Plestiodon septentrionalis
Many-lined Skink	Plestiodon multivirgatus
Lesser Earless Lizard	Holbrookia maculata
Great Plains Rat Snake	Pantherophis emoryi
Western Rat Snake	Scotophis obsoletus
Western Fox Snake	Mintonius vulpinus
Western Hognose Snake	Heterodon nasicus
Eastern Hognose Snake	Heterodon platirhinos
Milk Snake	Lampropeltis triangulum
Coachwhip	Masticophis flagellum
Brown Snake	Storeria dekayi
Lined Snake	Tropidoclonion lineatum
Yellow Mud Turtle	Kinosternon flavescens
Ornate Box Turtle	Terrapene ornata
Smooth Softshell	Apalone mutica
Spiny Softshell	Apalone spinifera
Slider	Trachemys scripta

010.03A5 Pertaining to the species identified in 010.03, the Commission may permit any act otherwise prohibited by these regulations by issuing a scientific collectors permit for scientific purposes or to enhance the propagation and survival of the affected species.

010.04 Release of Reptiles and Amphibians - It shall be unlawful to release into the wild any live reptile or amphibian after such animal has been transported from one location to another over a distance exceeding 100 yards without the authorization of the Commission.

Notes

163 Neb. Admin. Code, ch. 4, § 010

Amended effective 10/31/2017 Amended effective 1/29/2018 Amended effective 3/17/2025