Exotic animals: which ones you can keep and which are banned
Some species that used to be sold in shops cannot be kept today. What the invasive species catalogue says and what the «positive list» is.
Invasive alien species
Species in the Spanish Catalogue of Invasive Alien Species cannot be kept, transported or sold alive (Real Decreto 630/2013, the Royal Decree on invasive species, art. 7). They are animals that, if they escape or are released, harm native species.
Some that were kept as pets and are in the catalogue: the red-eared slider (Trachemys scripta), the monk parakeet, the rose-ringed parakeet and the African pygmy hedgehog, among others. If you already had one before it was added, ask your autonomous community what you need to do.
Never release them
Releasing a companion animal into the wild is banned (Ley 7/2023, the Animal Welfare Act, art. 27.g) and, with an invasive species, it also does a lot of harm. If you cannot keep looking after it, ask a shelter or your autonomous community for help.
The «positive list»
Ley 7/2023 provides for a list of the animals that may be kept as companion animals. Until it is approved, the invasive species catalogue, species protection (CITES) and each community's rules apply. Before buying a reptile, a bird or a small exotic mammal, ask whether it is legal and ask for the papers showing where it comes from.