The harvest of non-game wildlife (including turtles, frogs, snakes, salamanders, and lizards) is subject to specific rules and regulations. A commercial fishing license is not the proper license for the take of turtles, frogs, salamanders, or snakes.

Regulated Non-Game Wildlife

Turtle in leaf litter in Upper Sardis WMAThe harvest of non-game wildlife (including turtles, frogs, snakes, salamanders, and lizards) is regulated by rules on:

  • Endangered Species 
  • Non-Game Species in Need of Management
  • Turtle and Tortoise Eggs
  • Mussels

See rules and regulations for non-game wildlife.

Turtle & Tortoise Eggs

The harvest, possession, shipment, sale, and transport of turtle or tortoise eggs of any species is prohibited (40 MISS Admin. Code Part 5 Rule 2.2).

Non-Game Species in Need of Management

Summary of 40 MISS Admin Code Part 5 Rule 2.3 on Non-Game Species in Need of Management:

  • Either a Resident Sportsman's License, Resident All Game Hunting and Freshwater Fishing License, Small Game Hunting and Freshwater Fishing License, or a Non-Resident All Game Hunting License is required for the possession of non-game species for personal use.
  • Non-game wildlife or their parts taken from wild Mississippi populations may not be bought, possessed, transported, exported, sold, offered for sale, shipped, bartered, or exhibited for commercial purposes.
  • A person can possess no more than 20 non-game reptiles, or 20 non-game amphibians, or 4 bluenose shiners, with no more than 4 being the same species (not including bull frogs, alligators, and alligator snapping turtles).

Mussels

All Mississippi waters are closed to the commercial harvest of mussels (40 MISS Admin. Code Part 3 Rule 3.3).

Turtles

Alligator Snapping Turtles

A person can only possess and harvest one (1) alligator snapping turtle with a minimum top shell length (carapace) of 24 inches or greater per license year.

Common Snapping Turtles, Smooth Soft-Shell Turtles, and Spiny Soft-Shell Turtles

A person can only harvest one (1) turtle of the three species listed above per day.

A person may possess and harvest from the wild no more than four (4) turtles of the three species listed above per license year.

All Other Non-Game Turtles

A person may possess and harvest from the wild no more than 10 other non-game turtles per license year. No more than four (4) can be of the same species or subspecies.

It is illegal to harvest turtles between April 1 and June 30. See the list of endangered species for amphibians and reptiles that cannot be taken.