Section 885.10  Definitions

"Act" means the Herptile-Herps Act [510 ILCS 68].

"Code" means the Fish and Aquatic Life Code [515 ILCS 5].

"Commercialize" means to sell, offer for sale, barter, trade or otherwise assign a commercial value to a herptile protected under this Part.

"Department" means the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.

"Educational Program" means a program of organized instruction or study for providing education intended to meet a public need.

"Herpetoculture" means the breeding, hatching, propagation, or raising of indigenous or native herptiles in captivity.

"Herptile" means any amphibian or reptile taxon and includes any species, hybrid, or intergrade thereof.

"Herptile Special Use Permit" means the permit issued by the Department under Section 10-15 of the Act and Sections 885.120, 885.140 and 885.150 of this Part that authorizes use of special use herptiles for programs of a bonafide educational purpose.

"HETP" means the Herptile Endangered Threatened Propagation Permit described in Section 885.103.

"HSCP" means the Herptile Scientific Collection Permit described in Section 885.50.

"Hybrid" means the offspring of two herptiles of different breeds, varieties, species, or genera.

"Indigenous" or "Native Taxa" means those amphibians and reptiles to the subspecies level (where applicable) that can be found naturally in this State.

"Individual" means a natural person.

"Intergrade" means the offspring of two herptiles of different subspecies.

"Limited Entry Special Use Herptile Permit" or "Limited Entry Permit" means a Herpetoculture Permit or Special Use Herptile Permit issued to a nonresident of Illinois allowing that person to bring specified herptiles into Illinois for a limited period not to exceed 30 days.

"Listed" means a species that is listed as endangered or threatened, either at the State level or the federal level.

"Medically Significant" means a venomous or poisonous species whose venom or toxin can cause death or serious illness or injury in humans that may require emergency room care or the immediate care of a physician.  These species are categorized as being "medically significant" or "medically important".

"Morphological Variation" means the form and structure of a herptile or any part of a herptile.  "Morphological variation" includes the outward appearance, structure, shape, color, pattern and size of a herptile.

"Non-listed" means a species that is not endangered or threatened.

"Owner" means an individual who has a legal right to the possession of a herptile.

"Person" means any individual, partnership, corporation, organization, trade or professional association, firm, limited liability company, joint venture or group.

"Possession Limit" means the maximum number or amount of herptiles either alive or dead that can be lawfully held or possessed by one person at any time.

"Possessor" means any person who possesses, keeps, harbors, brings into the State, cares for, acts as custodian for, has in his or her custody or control or holds a property right to a herptile.

"Propagation" means the act or process of maintaining any herptile in its natural environment or in a controlled environment that intentionally or unintentionally results in the production of eggs or offspring from the parent stock.  "Propagation" includes the attempt to produce eggs or offspring from the parent stock.

"Ranavirus" means any group of viruses in the family Iridoviridae that are highly infectious and often lethal to aquatic and terrestrial cold-blooded wildlife.  Ranaviruses can cause mass die-offs, especially in aquatic populations.  These viruses are found nearly worldwide and can infect any species of fish, amphibian or reptile.

"Resident" means a person who in good faith makes application for any license or permit and verifies by statement that he or she has maintained his or her permanent abode in this State for a period of at least 30 consecutive days immediately preceding the person's application, and who does not maintain permanent abode or claim residency in another state for the purposes of obtaining any of the same or similar licenses or permits under the Act.  A person's permanent abode is his or her fixed and permanent dwelling place, as distinguished from a temporary or transient place of residence.  Domiciliary intent is required to establish that the person is maintaining his or her permanent abode in this State.  Evidence of domiciliary intent includes, but is not limited to, the location where the person votes, pays personal income tax, or obtains a driver's license.  Any person qualifying as a resident under this definition who is on active duty in the Armed Forces shall be considered a resident of Illinois during his or her period of military duty.

"Special Use Herptile" means any taxon of amphibian or reptile (including, but not limited to crocodilians, Komodo dragons, crocodile monitor lizards, or venomous species) for which a Special Use Herptile Permit is required to acquire and possess.

"Take" means possess, collect, catch, detain, hunt, shoot, pursue, lure, kill, destroy, capture, gig or spear, trap or ensnare or harass, or an attempt to do so.

"Taxon" or the plural "Taxa" means a taxonomic category such as a genus, species or subspecies.

"Transport" or "Ship" means to convey by parcel post, express, freight, baggage or shipment by common carrier of any description; by automobile, motorcycle or other vehicle of any kind; by water or aircraft of any kind; or by any other means of transportation.  [510 ILCS 68/1-15]

"Voucher Herptile" means an actual herptile specimen deposited into a museum or scientific institution collection as proof of its existence in the locality at which it was collected.

(Source:  Amended at 49 Ill. Reg. 10413, effective July 31, 2025)