The Largest Animals You Can Legally Own in Colorado

Exotic pets are popular in some circles, but you can't just go around capturing animals and keeping them as your own. However, one might find it interesting that there are quite a few large animals that you can legally own in Colorado.

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Check out some of the largest animals you can legally own in the Centennial State below.

Large Mammals You Can Legally Own in Colorado

It should come as no surprise that you can legally own large domesticated animals like cows, horses, and even llamas, but some of the other mammals on the list that you can legally own in Colorado are more shocking.

For example, other mammals you can legally own in Colorado include bison, zebra, alpaca, Asian Water Buffalo, camels, reindeer, and even yak.

Large Birds You Can Legally Own in Colorado

It's likely that you know someone who owns a parakeet, or maybe even a macaw, but there are much bigger birds that you can legally own in Colorado, including emu and ostriches.

Large Reptiles You Can Legally Own in Colorado

It's also legal to own some extremely large, and often frightening, reptiles in Colorado, including members of the Boidae family, also known as giant snakes, monitor lizards, bullsnakes, and tortoises.

Read More: Colorado is Home to Some of the World's Deadliest Animals

Of course, before you go out and track down a bison to keep as a pet, it's important to be aware of the many laws and restrictions when it comes to owning an exotic animal.

Check out the rules, as well as the entire list of animals you can own in Colorado, at the official website of the Colorado Department of Parks and Wildlife.