Herptile Regulations
All native herptiles (herps) are considered protected and have some level of protection. An overview of state regulations related to amphibians and reptiles can be found in Wisconsin's Amphibian and Reptile Regulations.
For any planned land-disturbing activities, an Endangered Resources Review should be conducted before beginning the project to ensure that there will not be any impacts on rare species and that planned activities are in compliance with Wisconsin’s Endangered Species Law (s. 29.604 Wis. Stats.), as well as other laws about rare species.
Activity periods
If your Endangered Resources Review has required or recommended timing restrictions, please use the table below to help with your follow-up actions.
| Species | Spring Activity (2025) |
|---|---|
| Blanchard’s cricket frog | Blanchard’s cricket frogs are now active. |
| Blanding's turtle | Blanding’s turtles are now active. |
| Butler’s gartersnake | Butler’s gartersnakes are now active. |
| Eastern massasauga rattlesnake | Eastern massasaugas rattlesnakes are now active. |
| Eastern ribbonsnake | Eastern ribbonsnakes are now active. |
| Ornate box turtle | Ornate box turtles are now active. |
| Queensnake | Queensnakes are now active. |
| Slender glass lizard | Slender glass lizards are now active. |
| Timber rattlesnake | Timber rattlesnakes are now active. |
| Western ribbonsnake | Western ribbonsnakes are now active. |
| Wood turtle | Wood turtles are now active. |