Not Your Average Pet

Ferrets are considered hypoallergenic and might be ideal pets for those who favor furry pets, rather than scaly ones, but suffer from allergies.

If you see a gecko shedding one evening by morning you might notice there no skin left around in their enclosure. Well this is because most geckos, like crested geckos and leopard geckos, eat their shed!

Parrots are one of the more common exotic pets. As much as they are loved, any bird owner will tell you that they wish they could potty train them. Birds will go where they please. But did you know there are bird diapers? They are called Flight Suits! And many parrot owners have found this to be the solution to their bird bathroom dilemma.

As Bearded Dragon hatchlings develop they need lots of protein and mostly eat insects. Though as they grow older their intake of vegetables and fruits increase.

Adult bearded dragons are commonly fed mice and even smaller lizards. Not the most appealing meal but I would still try it.

Chameleons don’t match their backgrounds exactly. Yes, they can change the pigment of their individual scales. And yes, this is helpful when hiding from predators, but they will never fully match their surroundings. In addition the changing of colors is more for communication. When chameleons become angry or territorial they become yellow or red as a signal of anger toward others.

A study done early this year shows that chameleon tongues may be more powerful than we humans once thought. The smaller chameleon species are thought to be even stronger! The Natal Midlands Dwarf Chameleon can fire its tongue at 41,000 watts of power per kilogram of muscle involved. The reason for the extra power in the smaller lizards is the higher metabolism in small chameleons compared to large ones – meaning smaller chameleons have a larger need for more food and better accuracy when catching food.

A Russian experiment on domestication has created the newest exotic pet, domestic foxes. Fennec foxes, Gray foxes, Arctic foxes, Red foxes, and even Silver foxes now have deactivated versions. But buyer beware, as with most exotic pets legality depends on location and special care is required.

Domestic foxes will spend most of their day in large, specially and secure designed pens. They like to have their alone time and many owners are glad because foxes have a smell that unfortunately hasn’t been bred out. Nice to air out your living room by letting your fox play in their outside pen.

Another forest animal that can be found in living rooms is the domestic skunk. At a young age veterinarians can remove the skunks ability to spray that foul smell. Skunks can be litter trained and will seek out their person’s attention and affection. But they have their issues like any pet. Some have been known to steal items from around the house. The only thing I find unappealing is that skunks like dog food and I don’t share.