What Qualifies as an Exotic Pet?

Exotic pets can be any animal that is not commonly kept, but that can be tamed and maintained by an owner. It can be as simple as a tarantula or as complex as an alligator that requires a permit to be an owner. In a nutshell, you can easily get a lot of different exotic pets if someone is looking for them. An exotic pet is a pet that is relatively rare or unusual to keep, or that is generally considered a wild species rather than a domesticated pet. The definition of what qualifies as an exotic pet varies by culture, location, and over time.

As animals become firmly established in the world of animal fantasy, they may no longer be considered exotic. According to some defense groups, such as REXANO (Responsible Exotic Animal Ownership), the ownership of exotic pets and private zoos can be both ethical and beneficial to wildlife.

Exotic animals

preserve their unpredictable wild nature, and some are physically capable of maiming or killing their owners. The sugar glider is one example of an exotic pet that is popular around the world and is sometimes considered a pet pocket-sized. The Public Administration has reviewed the current statutes on sterling and exotic animals and recommends that these respective statutes be repealed to create a new regulation on responsible pet ownership. Many exotic species live in very special conditions and require environments in which temperature, humidity, etc.

are carefully controlled. Sometimes, any unique or wild-looking pet (including common domestic animals such as ferrets and rats) is considered an exotic pet. When examples are provided within a category, the examples are animals that are relatively often kept as captive pets at home within that category (although animals such as goldfish, mice, and parakeets may not actually be considered very exotic).The USDA issues permits to keep and breed certain exotic species, whether caught in the wild or farmed. REXANO states that captive breeding of exotic pets in zoos has saved many animals from extinction by providing them with a supply of animals raised in captivity to reduce pressures on wild populations, thus helping to conserve them in their natural environments. If you own an exotic pet, you should look for a veterinarian who has a special interest in that particular species and who has the right equipment to diagnose and treat it.

However, information on the care and captive breeding of many commonly raised exotic amphibians, reptiles, birds and small mammals is widely available in literature, animal enthusiast groups, and Internet websites and discussion forums. Keeping up with everything that's available for each species has become difficult, so many general practitioners may recommend you to a veterinarian who has more experience handling your particular exotic pet. Since great financial help is usually needed to exhibit rare, hard-to-acquire and expensive to maintain exotic animals in a living and active state, private zoos are sometimes seen as a status symbol that upper-class people can use to illustrate their power and wealth. Injuries to humans can be relatively common when dealing with exotic pets, but it is rare for deaths due to the possession of these animals to be reported annually.