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The Exotic Animal Pet: Best Guides and Tips

These exotic Animal pets require extra care and careful consideration of animal laws. Learn more about some of nature’s most unique pets.

Exotic Animal Pets LIST

Exotic Animal Pets: Costa Rican zebra tarantula

Exotic Animal Pet costa rican zebra tarantula
costa rican zebra tarantula
  • Species name: Aphonopelma Simani
  • Temperature: 70 – 85 degrees Fahrenheit; 75% – 80% humidity
  • Temperature: Gentle but hardy
  • Color pattern: Black with white stripes on legs
  • Life span: 15-20 years (female); 5 years (male)

The Costa Rican zebra tarantula, also known as Aphonopelma seimannii, is a species of tarantula that can be found in the tropical rainforests and dry forests of Central America, including in Costa Rica.

Exotic Animal Pet: fire belly newt

fire belly newt
fire belly newt

The Costa Rican zebra tarantula, also known as Aphonopelma seimannii, is a species of tarantula that can be found in the tropical rainforests and dry forests of Central America, including Costa Rica.

Tarantula Guide: Contains a care sheet for the Costa Rican Zebra Tarantula
The Spruce Pets: Contains information on how to care for a pet Costa Rican Zebra Tarantula, including substrate and how to change it

Topflight Dubia: Contains a care guide for the Zebra Knee Tarantula, including information on its venom, how to handle it, and how to protect it from injury.

The Costa Rican Zebra Tarantula, also known as the Striped-Knee Tarantula, is a New World species of tarantula native to Central America. Here are some facts about this spider:

Appearance
The Costa Rican Zebra Tarantula is usually black with white stripes near its leg joints, but it can also be brown. It has a tough exoskeleton and thick hairs on its legs.

Size
Females can grow to about 5-6 inches in leg span, while males are usually smaller.

Habitat
The Costa Rican zebra tarantula lives in a variety of environments, including tropical rainforests, deciduous forests, and dry scrubland. It prefers to live in burrows or under rocks or fallen logs.

Diet
In the wild, the Costa Rican zebra tarantula eats a variety of insects, such as grasshoppers and cockroaches. In captivity, it eats crickets.

Venom
The venom of the Costa Rican zebra tarantula is not considered clinically significant, but the pain is similar to that of a bee or wasp sting. It also has itchy hairs that can cause rashes and other skin irritations if kicked on the target.

Temperament
The Costa Rican zebra tarantula is a very skittish and fast runner. It can fly and take off without warning if startled.

Exotic Animal Pet: armadillo

 armadillo
cute armadillo

Armadillos are native to Central and South America, with the exception of the nine-banded armadillo, which is also found in the United States.

  • Temperature: Armadillos have a body temperature of 33–36 °C (91–97 °F). This limited amount of body hair may be the reason why armadillos have a lower body temperature than other mammals. Most armadillos have a body temperature that ranges from 86–95 degrees.
  • Life span:12 – 15 years
  • Mass: Giant armadillo: 19 – 33 kg, Nine-banded armadillo: 2.5 – 6.5 kg
  • Collective noun: roll
  • Size: The average length of an armadillo is about 75 cm (30 inches), including its tail.

Exotic Animal Pet: iguana

iguana
iguana

Iguanas are native to the tropical regions of Central and South America, Mexico, and the Caribbean. They are a genus of herbivorous lizards that live in a variety of habitats, including tropical rainforests, lowland forests, and coastal swamps.

  • Temperature: Iguanas are ectotherms, meaning they rely on external heat sources to regulate their body temperature. The ideal temperature for an iguana’s habitat is Daytime: Temperatures around 85–90°F with a basking spot of 95–105 °F Nighttime: 75–80°F
  • Life span: Between 15 and 20 years
  • Size:1.2 to 1.7 meters (3.9 to 5.6 feet) in length from head to tail.
  • Length: Green Iguana: 30 – 42 cm, Marine Iguana: 60 – 100 cm, Blue Iguana: 51 – 76 cm.

Exotic Animal Pet: pet fox

pet fox
pet fox

These foxes are native to the plains of Africa. In the wild, they are primarily an insectivorous species with termites and dung beetles making up 80% of their natural diet.

As pets, they can be fed meat and vegetables. These foxes have been kept indoors by their owners.

Foxes can come from a variety of sources, including the exotic pet trade, laboratory experiments, and ancient burial sites:
Exotic pet trade
The swift fox is a small species of fox that is sometimes available in the exotic pet trade. They are known for being affectionate, less energetic than the fennec fox, and easier to train to use a litter box.

Laboratory experiments
The domesticated silver fox is the result of an experiment in Novosibirsk, Russia, that demonstrated the power of selective breeding to transform species. In this experiment, only the most docile foxes were allowed to reproduce in each generation.
Ancient burial sites
Researchers have found fox bones in ancient burial sites, suggesting that foxes were valuable companions for hunter-gatherer groups. For example, at the Cañada Seca burial site in central Argentina, researchers discovered a fox that was likely a companion to the hunter-gatherer community that inhabited the site.

The fox’s diet was similar to that of the person in the tomb, suggesting that the fox was a valuable companion. In the U.S., only 15 states allow private individuals to keep foxes as pets, and not all species of fox are allowed.

  • Life span: The fennec fox mainly eats insects, small mammals, and birds. It has a lifespan of up to 14 years in captivity and about 10 years in the wild.
  • Size: The fennec fox is the smallest of the canids and is typically 14-16 inches long, with the tail adding 7-12 inches.

Exotic Animal Pet: Potbellied Pigs

Potbellied Pigs
Potbellied Pigs

Pot-bellied pigs are native to Southeast Asia, primarily the Nam Dinh province of Vietnam. They were developed in Vietnam in the 1960s and imported to the United States in the 1980s.

Vietnamese Pot-bellied

Country of originVietnam
DistributionRed River Delta
UseMeat
Characteristics
Weight Male:Average: 50 kg (110 lb) Female: Average: 48 kg (105 lb)

Exotic Animal Pet: skunk

skunk
skunk

Skunks are native to the Western Hemisphere and are found in North and South America

Skunks, (family Mephitidae), are black and white mammals, found primarily in the Western Hemisphere, that use extremely well-developed scent glands to release noxious odors in defense. The term skunk, however, refers to more than just the well-known striped skunk (Mephitis mephitis).

Skunks are known for their distinctive odor and black bodies with white stripes. They are nocturnal and non-aggressive, and their main defense is their spray. Skunks are beneficial to farmers and gardeners because they eat many agricultural and garden pests.

Spotted Skunk

The smallest species of skunk, it has white spots on its black fur. The spotted skunk is found in the eastern United States, from Pennsylvania to Florida and west to northern Mexico.

Hooded Skunk
Also known as the hog-nosed skunk, this skunk has a hood-like pattern of fur on its back. Hooded skunks are found in the southwestern United States, Honduras, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Costa Rica, and Mexico. They have softer fur and longer tails than the striped skunk.

American Hog-nosed Skunk
The largest skunk in North America, it has a broad, white stripe from its head to its tail. It is found in Central and North America, but is mainly found in the southwestern region of the United States.
Andean Skunk
Native to the Andes region of South America, this skunk has a long, sleek body and a prominent white stripe that runs from its head to its tail.

Striped Skunk
The common skunk in North America, is found in southern Canada, the United States, and northern Mexico. Striped skunks are polygamous omnivores with few natural predators.
All skunks are black and white, which serves as a warning color. They also have large anal glands that can secrete a foul-smelling substance.

Exotic Animal Pet: sugar glider

sugar glider
sugar glider

Sugar gliders (Patorus breviceps) are native to Australia, Indonesia, and New Guinea. They are small, nocturnal marsupials that live in the forests of these countries, mainly in eucalyptus and acacia trees.

The sugar glider (Patorus breviceps) is now found only in eastern Australia along the coast of the Great Dividing Range. The savannah glider (Patorus arial) is found throughout northern Australia, and the Croft’s glider (Patorus notatus) is found in eastern and northern Australia.

Sugar gliders are highly social and live in small colonies or family groups of up to seven adults and their young. They are capable of gliding up to 45 meters (148.5 ft.) and are known to catch moths in flight.

Sugar gliders get their name from the distinctive flaps that connect their front legs to their hind legs, which allow them to glide. They eat mainly fruits and vegetables, but also occasionally eat insects, rodents, nuts, and other small mammals.

There are several types of sugar gliders, including Petaurus breviceps, Krefft’s glider (Petaurus notatus), and Savannah glider (Petaurus aerial):
Petaurus breviceps: Previously thought to be a single species, recent research has shown that there are actually three genetically distinct species of sugar gliders.

Krefft’s glider (Petaurus notatus): Found in eastern Australia and Tasmania.
Savannah glider (Petaurus arial): Native to northern Australia.
Biak glider (Petaurus biacensis): A subspecies of Petaurus breviceps reclassified as a separate species in 2020.

FAQ

What is the best exotic animal pet?

15 Best Small Exotic Pets for Apartment Living
Rabbits. Did you know that there are about 50 breeds of rabbits that people can adopt? …
Ferrets. Ferrets are very playful, quiet pets that will spend most of their day sleeping while you are gone. …
Mice. …
Mice. …
Hamsters. …
Guinea Pigs. …
Leopard Geckos. …
Bearded Dragons.

Which animal is exotic?

What are some examples of exotic animals? Some exotic animals that are kept as pets or in zoos in the United States are the serval, a large cat; the discus, a fish; the pygmy goat, a mammal; and the axolotl, an amphibian.

What makes a pet exotic?

An exotic pet is a pet that is relatively rare or unusual to keep, or is generally considered a wild species rather than a domesticated pet. The definition varies across culture, location, and time—as animals become firmly established in the world of animal fancy, they may no longer be considered exotic.

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