Victory for Snakes! PETA Push Leads to Bigger Enclosure Requirements for Slithery Coloradans

For Immediate Release:
July 11, 2025

Contact:
Nicole Perreira 202-483-7382

Following a major effort from PETA and other animal allies, new rules will take effect on July 15 that require snakes in the pet trade to be housed in enclosures large enough to enable them to fully extend their bodies. The deadline for licensees to come into compliance with this new requirement is January 1, 2027. The Colorado Department of Agriculture proposed the updates to the Pet Animal Care and Facilities Act (PACFA) regulations after PETA and the Colorado Reptile Humane Society jointly submitted a petition to the department. Along with the Animal Law Program at the University of Denver Sturm College of Law, the groups also submitted formal comments in support of a rule that provides snakes at least enough space to stretch fully, citing scientific studies showing that snakes need space to be healthy.

The amended regulations also lower the licensing thresholds for reptile and amphibian breeders so that more animals will now be protected under the PACFA.

“Snakes suffer just as much as any cat or dog would when crammed into a tiny glass box or a dark drawer where they can’t stretch out or engage in natural behaviors,” says PETA General Counsel Lori Kettler. “PETA applauds Colorado for taking this important step to help captive snakes live happier, healthier lives and urges other states to follow its lead.”

Snake mothers are fiercely protective of their eggs, and some species care for their babies for weeks after they hatch and even “babysit” other mothers’ hatchlings. Many snakes are social, living in large communities where they make friends and form cliques. Peer-reviewed studies make it clear that to be psychologically and physically healthy, snakes held in captivity must be able to fully stretch out their bodies, and that snakes who can’t stretch out feel stressed and experience various health problems, including injuries, illnesses, joint disease, constipation, and obesity.

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to abuse in any way”—points out that Every Animal Is Someone and offers free Empathy Kits for people who need a lesson in kindness. For more information, please visit PETA.org or follow PETA on X, Facebook, or Instagram.