Help! salamanders crossing the border

I am planning on picking up a couple of salamanders in Canada (someone is giving them away), and will have to cross back over into Michigan with them. (They are tiger salamanders, not anything endangered or protected in the area.)
I am afraid that when I declare them at the border as a pet that I picked up, they may give me trouble (maybe a fee), or worse yet, confiscate them! I would hate for that to happen to them. I looked up on the US customs website about animals/pets, etc., but they werent too specific. Does anyone know anything about this??

well, my mother sometimes gets exotic fish in canada. You have to have a written bill of sale or letter saying that these were captive bred/reared, and some kind of certification that the animal is healthy. You also need some kind of form from the USFDA, and then stand in line till a USFDA inspector looks at the animal and asks you a buttload of questions (not like your average FDA inspector is going to know what a healthy A. tigrum looks like, let alone if it's healthy).

Check the USFDA and/or Fish&Wildlife websites. They probably have more details.

Actually, Clarence, they say nothing helpful. I was at one time trying to start a business doing this, and even bought all the permits. It turned out to be just too much of a hassle. Eastern tigers (A. mavortium) are protected in ontario, to the best of my knowlege (feel free to correct me) and you need a specific permit to keep them captive. Without this permit, you cant take them across the border.

However, if you're feeling lucky, smuggle. Not that I am condoning anything illegal.

Print out a wildlife declaration form 3-177 (http://www.le.fws.gov/pdffiles/3-177-1.pdf). Your purpose code will be P (for personal use) and your port of entry will be DE (for detroit). Further instructions for completing the form can be found here http://www.le.fws.gov/pdffiles/3-177ins.pdf

best of luck

Thanks both for all the info, and the form too, thats a lot of help.
I definitely dont want to smuggle, because of the risk that they could confiscate them, and then who knows what their fate will be.
As of right now, I am guessing from the info of the person who has them that they are not eastern tigers. For one, they got them from a pet shop out there a while back, and I seriously doubt that they were selling an animal that is protected in that region. (I actually thought that they no longer exist in Ontario at all.) Anyway, the owner says that she believes they are blotched, which is what I have been looking for. She is going to send me photos before I actually go through with anything.

I find it kind of frustrating that it is so difficult to get a simple pet like this from Canada to the US. This website has people shipping things to and from countries all over the world; I would think you cant get easier for us than with Canada. Oh well. I guess I would rather have them be overprotective to keep the protected animals safe and diseased animals out.

Kaysie, have you personally done this before?

Mike, I did mean A. tigrinium. I think it is protected, but am not 100% on that. I am doing some asking around and should know by tomorrow. However, if he has A. mavortium, it shouldn't be a problem. Mind you, the FWS inspectors really know nothing unless it's obvious. The lady I first spoke to didn't even know what a salamander was. She kept asking if they were salmon.

Mark, I've never brought animals back to the US, but have taken them to Canada on numerous occasions (which is SO much easier, Canada will let anything in!). If you are bringing back less than 7, you should be okay. Any more than that and they require an import/export license (which is $85, plus a $55 inspection EVERY time you take animals across the border!). If you think it's hard to get animals in from canada, try importing from Europe!

Feel free to ask as many questions as you want. I've got a stack of paperwork on the processes and the laws and regulations you have to follow.

Where abouts do you live, anyway?

I live in Utica (Macomb county). Just north of Detroit.

By the way, I think that I if I do this, I would use the Port Huron bridge. Probably less traffic, and maybe less chance of a hassle.

My ex lives in Macomb township, I drove through Utica all the time. I'm not sure about how the customs agents are on the bridge. I imagine that they're not as busy, so they have more time on their hands to check on things... Best of luck.

this raises a question for you Kaysie: after school, I'm looking to move to Canada (BC specifically). Now, I've heard that certain species were not allowed in CA, specifically Axolotls. Where could I find the Canadian laws referring to proscribed species?

Ambystoma dumerilii and Ambystoma mexicanum are on the CITES list in appendice II.
You can navigate this site and get some info.http://www.cites.org/eng/disc/species.shtml

You can also check the Canada page for some contacts.http://www.cites.org/common/directy/e_directy.html

Tony beat me to it. You can have them, but you're not allowed to import/export them without an i/e license and a CITES II permit (HARD to get).