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not-so-furry discussion => general non-furry discussion => Topic started by: Dubwolf on July 29, 2017, 02:38:35 pm
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Hello I want to know what exotic pets are good for beginners
I am really interested in snakes and maybe tarantulas
Only one issue is here I have asthma, i don't know how clever is to buy tarantulas
Iguanas/lizards are also an option :D
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Bearded dragons, leopard geckos, corn snakes/rat snakes are all good for beginners in the reptile front. And I have all three, so I can give advice xD
Crested geckos, blue tongue skinks, and uromastyx are all decent beginner lizards as well. King snakes can be a good intro to snakes.
Ball pythons, while often written as a beginner pet, can go no hunger strikes for no reason at all and need good humidity to be healthy. So I'd call them more of an intermediate. Iguanas are NOT a good beginner pet at all. They can be large and.... difficult.
Tarantulas can kick hairs as a defence mechanism, and they can be an irritant. So perhaps those are not the best idea to start with, particularly is your asthma is bad.
With any exotics though, I will say research the hell out of whatever you decide. Two of my three are adopted from neglectful owners and one has had some serious health problems from lack of knowledge.
What in particular are you looking for in a reptile? What sort of diet can you easily provide, how much space, would you prefer nocturnal or a day species? What sort of size (some reptiles can get bulky, others can get very long).
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Well i was thinking same about corn snakes and maybe Kenya sand boa those are mostly small
About king python hmm i don't know
I was even thinking to buy Pacman frog but i think my mother would freak out xD
She hates frogss
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Corn snakes are good little things. Very mild tempered, can be shy but with good handling will grow friendly, hardy, easy to feed and clean. They can get up to five foot long or so, but stay pretty slim so don't look their size. They are escape artists though.
Sand boas are also pretty hardy, but can be more elusive. They are poor climbers (so you have to take care when handling them - Don't drape them around your shoulders) and prefer to be underground a lot of the time. They're smaller than corns, but deceptively heavy, but are also pretty mellow.
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With any exotics though, I will say research the hell out of whatever you decide.
^ This! A thousand times this. Research everything you can: Eating and health requirements, Habitat requirements, etc., etc. Too many times I've read where people try keeping exotic and wild pets only to abuse and neglect them later because they didn't know how to properly care for them. :(
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Back in the 1970s we adopted a pet hermit crab and kept it in a shallow glass bowl with gravel in the bottom. We fed it table scraps and crumbs placed in a milk bottle cap. The little fellow was lacking a claw at first, but eventually grew it back. We had to get it a bigger shell too. The crab was an escape artist and would somehow climb up the glass bowl and go for a romp around the house.
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I would suggest that you find all the information online and if
there is a Zoo nearby. Talk to animal handlers. If reptiles and
insects are your interest. Ask them how to provide a habitat
and the care the creatures needs. Also be sure to see if you
have to be licensed or register an exotic animal to keep one.
Locally we had a large Python escape due to an accident. It
turned out the snake wasn't properly regsitered. So the owner
may be fined, and could loose custody of the snake.
Many times we see something or a creature
that looks like it would be interesting to have,
but sometimes they can be difficult to care for.
Your starting out right by asking questions. Good
luck, and I hope all works out for the best.
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Definitely do lots of research! I'm researching Fennec foxes because I want one so bad. I know how to care for one but the only problem is in Oregon you can't have any exotic mammals except maybe Wallabies and Wallaroos? But Foxes are not aloud, witch sucks! I think I'm going to have to talk with the mayor or governor... The governor I think. I'd also love to have a wallaby too but I don't have a big enough yard right now.
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Preying Mantids make interesting pets. They cost nothing here in the USA as the adults can sometimes be found at night time lighting where they can catch and feed on other insects. Like grasshoppers and true bugs, the mantis undergoes a gradual metamorphisis in which the young resemble the adult insect. They are somewhat friendly and may crawl onto your hand. The mantid can be left on a window screen where it may stalk flies and other insects which may enter one's home. As with most insects, the preying mantis only lives a few months. Fun Fact--An adult mantis can box a cat to a standstill.
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Sugar gliders! They're adorable!
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Yes they are, but they are not easy or beginner pets. Or even intermediate pets. They require a lot of space and specialist food. They're nocturnal (so want to be asleep when people want to be awake. Waking them during the day can mess with their hormones) but also hugely social - they can literally die from depression due to lonlieness. So you have to keep them in pairs or small groups, upping your space and food needs. They need specialist vets as they have a habit of getting into accidents in houses, and most vets are simply not trained to deal with them. They can tend to glide off things into things they shouldn't and become seriously injured. Their immune systems are not particularly great either, and as they are a more recent pet we simply don't have the years of research to know the best ways to treat them without them conking out from stress. They also tend to be bred in mills, under inhumane conditions.
I would actively discourage anyone.
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Luckily there's this website with real sugar bear experts: https://www.sugargliderinfo.org/