Is it harder to find newts than it was 10-15 years ago?

Hello, Caudata Community!

I am trying to return to raising newts after a long hiatus. 10-15 years ago, I could buy red efts (notophthalmus viridescens viridescens) at a local pet shop here in Arizona, which is how I started. I also managed to get both broken-striped newts (notophthalmus viridescens dorsalis) and peninsula newts (notophthalmus viridescens piaropicola) through people on this site. Now I’m having a really hard time finding newts, much less n.v. anything. I am hoping to get back into this hobby with n.v.v. red efts again. Some of the pet stores I called that actually knew what a red eft / Eastern newt is said they haven’t had any in stock for years. Is this some kind of lasting effect from that interstate transport ban that was apparently in effect a couple of years ago? Is it just bad luck?

Thanks!

Newt Onion Laws

If you are looking Eastern newts, they illiegal to own without a permit in many places. They are a native species here in Illinois and 20+ other states. In the past most were wild collected. They can be ordered online but you need to check local laws.

That’s surprising. Do you know of any resources where I can find species restrictions? For example, I couldn’t find anything about notophthalmus viridescens being restricted from ownership in its native-range states like Illinois. On the other hand, I can assure you I live well outside the range of any of the four subspecies of the Eastern newt.

Newt Onion Laws