The Fish and Wildlife Service has issued a list of changes to its rules for trade in wild animals and plants pursuant to recently agreed amendments to the appendices of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.

As a result, any specimens of the species listed below that are imported into, or exported from, the U.S. on or after Feb. 23 will require the applicable CITES documentation. The FWS adds that the import, export, or re-export of shipments of these species that are accompanied by CITES documents reflecting a pre-Feb. 23 listing status, or that lack CITES documents because no listing was previously in effect, must be completed by midnight (local time at the point of import/export) on Feb. 22.

CITES Appendix I includes species threatened with extinction in which trade is generally prohibited. Appendix II includes (a) species not necessarily threatened with extinction but in which trade is strictly controlled to prevent them from becoming so and (b) species that must be subject to regulation so that trade in other CITES-listed species may be brought under effective control. Appendix III contains species that are protected in at least one country that has asked CITES parties for assistance in controlling trade.

Species Added to Appendix I 

- Tiliqua adelaidensis (Adelaide scrub skink) 

- Kinosternon cora (Cora mud turtle) 

- Kinosternon vogti (Vallarta mud turtle) 

Species Added to Appendix II 

- Copsychus malabaricus (white-rumped shama) 

- Physignathus cocincinus (Chinese water dragon) 

- Cyrtodactylus jeyporensis (Jeypore Indian gecko, Jeypore ground gecko, Patinghe Indian gecko) 

- Tarentola chazaliae (helmet-head gecko) 

- Phrynosoma spp. (horned lizards) 

- Chelus fimbriata (matamata)

- Chelydra serpentine (common snapping turtle) 

- Macrochelys temminckii (alligator snapping turtle) 

- Graptemys barbouri (Barbour’s map turtle) 

- Graptemys ernsti (Escambia map turtle) 

- Graptemys gibbonsi (Pascagoula map turtle) 

- Graptemys pearlensis (Pearl river turtle) 

- Graptemys puchra (Alabama map turtle) 

- Rhinoclemmys spp. (neotropical wood turtles) 

- Claudius angustatus (narrow-bridge musk turtle) 

- Kinosternon spp. (mud turtles) (except species included in Appendix I) 

- Staurotypus salvinii (Chiapas giant musk turtle) 

- Staurotypus triporcatus (Mexican giant musk turtle) 

- Sternotherus spp. (musk turtles) 

- Apalone spp. (soft-shell turtles) (except subspecies included in Appendix I) 

- Centrolenidae spp. (glass frogs)

- Agalychnis lemur (lemur leaf frog) –zero annual export quota for wild-taken specimens traded for commercial purposes 

- Laotriton laoensis (Laos warty newt) –zero annual export quota for wild-taken specimens traded for commercial purposes 

- Carcharhinidae spp. (requiem sharks) –effective Nov. 25, 2013

- Sphyrnidae spp. (hammerhead sharks) 

- Potamotrygon albimaculata (Itaituba river stingray) 

- Potamotrygon henlei (big-tooth river stingray) 

- Potamotrygon jabuti (Pearl river stingray) 

- Potamotrygon leopoldi (white-blotch river stingray) 

- Potamotrygon marquesi 

- Potamotrygon signata (Parnaiba river stingray) 

- Potamotrygon wallacei (cururu) 

- Rhinobatidae spp. (guitarfish) 

- Hypancistrus zebra (zebra pleco) –zero annual export quota for wild-taken specimens traded for commercial purposes 

- Thelenota spp. (redfish sea cucumbers) – effective May 25, 2024

- Handroanthus spp., Roseodendron spp., Tabebuia spp. (poui, trumpet trees) (logs, sawn wood, veneer sheets, plywood, and transformed wood) – effective Nov. 25, 2024

- Rhodiola spp. (roseroot) (all parts and derivatives except seeds and pollen and finished products packaged and ready for retail trade) 

- Afzelia spp. (logs, sawn wood, veneer sheets, plywood, and transformed wood) – only African populations

- Dipteryx spp. (logs, sawn wood, veneer sheets, plywood, and transformed wood) – effective Nov. 25, 2014

- Pterocarpus spp. (logs, sawn wood, veneer sheets, plywood, and transformed wood) – only African populations

- Khaya spp. (logs, sawn wood, veneer sheets, plywood, and transformed wood) – only African populations

Species Moved from Appendix I to Appendix II 

- Cerathotherium simum simum (Southern white rhinoceros) – population of Namibia, solely to allow international trade in live animals for in-situ conservation only, and only within the natural and historical range (all other specimens remain in Appendix I)

- Cynomys mexicanus (Mexican prairie dog)

- Branta canadensis leucopareia (Aleutian Canada goose) 

- Phoebastria albatrus (short-tailed albatross)

- Caiman latirostris (broad-snouted caiman) – population of Brazil, subject to zero annual export quota for wild specimens traded for commercial purposes

- Crocodylus porosus (saltwater crocodile) – population of Palawan islands, Philippines, subject to zero annual export quota for wild specimens traded for commercial purposes

- Chilabothrus inornatus (Puerto Rican boa)

Species Moved from Appendix II to Appendix I 

- Pycnonotus zeylanicus (straw-headed bulbul) – effective Nov. 25, 2023

- Batagur kachuga (red-crowned roofed turtle) 

- Cuora galbinifrons (Indochinese box turtle) 

- Nilssonia leithii (Leith’s softshell turtle)

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