CITES and international shipments

What is CITES?

CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) is an international treaty signed by 183 countries that regulates international trade in wild animals and plants. For reptile keepers, it matters whenever you buy, sell, or move animals across international borders. CITES does not regulate domestic (within-country) trade — that's handled by national law — but it applies the moment an animal crosses a national border.

The three appendices

CITES divides regulated species into three appendices based on their conservation status:

• Appendix I — species threatened with extinction. Commercial international trade is prohibited. Examples: Burmese python (wild populations), Siamese crocodile. Captive-bred Appendix I specimens can be traded with special non-commercial permits.
• Appendix II — species not currently threatened but where trade must be controlled to prevent threatening. This covers the majority of commonly traded reptiles, including ball pythons, boas, chameleons, many tortoises and turtles, and monitor lizards. An export permit from the country of origin is required.
• Appendix III — species protected in at least one country that has requested CITES cooperation. Less common in the reptile trade. A certificate of origin is required.

What you need for Appendix II species

For captive-bred Appendix II specimens, you typically need: an export permit from the country of origin's CITES Management Authority, and an import permit or import declaration from the destination country (requirements vary). In the EU, an Article 10 certificate may also be required for commercial transactions of Appendix II species born in the EU. Permits must accompany the animal in transit.

Captive bred vs wild caught matters for CITES

CITES permits are easier to obtain for captive-bred specimens than for wild-caught ones. Captive breeding operations that produce Appendix I or II species at scale need to register with their national CITES authority as a captive breeding operation. Individual keepers selling a few captive-bred animals may still need permits depending on the species and country.

Herpify and CITES

Herpify supports buying and selling within countries (domestic transactions). Cross-border listings are possible but sellers are required to confirm they have or will obtain the required CITES permits before completing any international sale. Listing a CITES Appendix I species for commercial international sale without permits is not permitted on Herpify and will result in listing removal and potential account action.

Where to check appendix listings

The official CITES species database is at species.cites.org. You can search by common name, scientific name, or family. Always check the scientific name — common names can refer to multiple species with different appendix listings. Your country's CITES Management Authority is the official source for permit requirements.