A long-standing ban on ferrets as pets was upheld today in New York City.

Across the river here in New Jersey, however, you can not only have a ferret with a permit, you can have a potentially-lethal boa constrictor - no permit required, according to state regulations.

But there are plenty of animals and wildlife that are banned from being pets - from the tiny dormouse to Gambian giant-pouched rats. The reasons vary, from being a venomous danger to the owners and neighbors, to posing a threat to agriculture or the ecosystem.

Scroll through the gallery above to see a few of the furry, scaly and slithery critters which are banned in New Jersey.

Experts say ferrets make good pets - but even they pose too big a commitment to some hopeful owners.

"People get them for Christmas, but then by February, they realize, 'What have I got myself into?'" said Vincent Ascolese, an animal-control officer with Bergen County Humane Enforcement.

Most pet stores abide by the state's illegal pet list, Ascolese said. But that doesn't mean that Craigslist shoppers don't come across the species they want, the officer said.

"Spring is here - now is the time when we'll start to see and hear a lot of different things in peoples' homes," said Ascolese.

Seth Augenstein can be reached at saugenstein@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @SethAugenstein. Find NJ.com on Facebook.