Reptiles Magazine New Restrictions Proposed On Box Turtles, Native Herps In Virginia The department is trying to close a loophole that enables individuals to keep up to five herps of a single species in their possession. May 10, 2021 An eastern box turtle. Photo by J.D. Kleopfer/Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources The Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources has proposed new restrictions on the keeping of native reptiles and amphibians, and would ban the keeping of box turtles completely, according to a report on Virginiamercury.com. While the proposal is targeted at poachers, if it becomes law, it would be illegal for anyone , child or adult to acquire a wild box turtle and take it home to keep as a pet. Larry Mendoza, former president of the Virginia Herpetological Society told Virginiamercury.com that the proposal is controversial, and he believes that a box turtle ban would push children further away from nature.