It's legal to keep an exotic, venomous snake in NC. But there are rules, and it's risky Martha Quillin, The News & Observer (Raleigh, N.C.) Jun. 30—North Carolina has statutes governing the keeping of exotic venomous snakes as pets to try to reduce the risk of injury to their owners, family members and neighbors. Dustin Smith, curator of reptiles and amphibians for the N.C. Zoological Park in Asheboro, said Article 55, "Regulation of Certain Reptiles," originally was written in the 1950s to govern "snake handling," a form of religious worship in which preachers and some members of their congregations demonstrate their faith by handling venomous snakes.