In a departure from the usual, Hamilton's Animal Control in Ontario Canada, has relaxed some of their reptile bans, while keeping others in place.

Hamilton’s animal control staff has loosened their initial guidelines, and will allow residents to own anacondas, pythons, and non-poisonous tarantulas.

Under the proposed harmonized animal control bylaw recommendations councillors will be debating at their Jan. 12 special planning committee meeting, animal control staff will also allow people to own iguanas, except the dangerous Iguana iguana, non-venomous snakes under three meters long, and non-venomous lizards under two meters in length.

Other changes to the bylaw, which were made after a public meeting last November, include removing the number of pigeons a person owned from the original 40, and allowing people to own raptors in urban areas.

Also now allowed are three species of tarantula (the Chilean Rose, Mexican Red-knee and Pink-Toed) because of their more docile natures.

It's not what we've come to expect, but does give home that local laws can be changed for the better.

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Photo courtesy of Desiree Wong