Exotic Pets: Sugar Gliders

Sugar gliders are marsupials belonging to Indonesia, Australia and New Guinea. They are small gliding possums and weight up to three to five oz. They have a silky fur of the color pearl grey with patches of colors cream and black. The black color is usually on their ears and end of the tail. They are named sugar gliders as a result of they’re able to glide because of the patagium or the skin membrane which connects first toe of the hind foot with the fifth finger of the forelimb, on either side. They expand them to create an aerodynamic airplane to glide from one tree to another.

Sugar gliders have the habit of nibbling on each other, and this shouldn’t be confused with biting. They nibble to do many things like testing food, to point out affection, force, groom, etc. Babies initially are taught by biting. When they are angered, they get aggressive and chunk really hard. So, new owners should be alert until the pets becomes familiar and stops biting. Care should be taken that this biting shouldn’t turn into a habit. Incase, if it turns into an everyday habits, the animal should be held firmly when it bites, so that it can’t move and gets uninterested in crabbing. Although this takes a long time the pet will eventually get over its natural instinct. The animal must submit to the owner and it shouldn’t be given the feeling it has won. He must also be released very slowly; otherwise it would chunk again and flee. Also, they can be fed with some food, to appreciate their discipline after they start learning. In addition they become comfy with humans, once they eat in front of them. Often female sugar gliders are robust to tame, especially those which come directly from the wild.

Sugar gliders come from a very rough environment. They are principally searching animals. So they should be provided with a rich environment so that they donÂ’t get disturbed mentally. The cage should be very big so that they can leap freely. Small cages hinder the health of the animal. They are also very energetic and wish exercise. Their cage should be geared up with toys like exercise wheels with a diameter of eleven inches. They are also very inquisitive animals, so new things like cardboard boxes, should be introduced in their cage every so often to stop boredom. The food can also be placed in different places to keep them on their heels. Food can also be hidden in branch holes, which they can dig out.

The cage of sugar gliders should be cleaned every week to ensure their hygiene. The urine should be spot cleaned as the ammonia in it can be very harmful to the respiratory system of sugar gilders. Also the moisture can encourage the growth of harmful fungus. If the cage isnÂ’t cleaned for a long time, not only will the occupants turn into sick but in addition the house might be filled with odor. Some precautions should be taken while cleaning the cage and also it should be sprayed with disinfectant so as to kill the germs and bacteria.

Sugar gliders are habituated to living in groups. That is the reason why they are by no means stored alone as pets, as this can adversely affect their health. It additionally requires consideration from humans round it. They cling onto one another when they sleep, so as to keep warm. They convey with each other by squeaking, crabbing, chirping and barking. They have an excellent memory and can retain a grudge in opposition to a human after receiving hurt from him, even when it was brought on by accident.

Females have the ability to beget offspring every seven to ten months. They offer delivery to a child sugar glider after sixteen days of pregnancy, which normally weighs solely 0.2 grams. After the birth, the baby shifts to the motherÂ’s pouch, where it stays for seventy days and feeds on milk from the nipples. Each the mother and father have equal participation of citing their offspring.

Exotic Pets: Tigers

Tigers are felines which are extremely widespread among pet lovers who have immense passion for exotic animals. At the identical time they are also probably the most dangerous of all the exotic pets. In the first place, it is really tough to get a permit for them to be kept as pets. And even if the owner gets the permit, they have to face other issues like finance, duty, threats, and regulatory issues so much so that even the local inspector drops by once in a while to inspect the animal and the dwelling situations offered by the owner. Although owing a tiger sounds impressive but it is more like building castle on clouds.

Potential owners shouldnÂ’t get turned down, but they should very well understand the challenges they have to undergo during the whole process. They should work as a volunteer at a zoo which has adult tigers to know in depth about what they are going to do.

Cubs usually like to cuddle and sleep with humans around. They can be fed with milk bottles like a human baby. They need to be taken out for a walk, frequently. They gainedÂ’t complain if the owners keep other pets along with them. Tigers prefer to play wild games around the house. They attack a bit of furniture multiple occasions and drag them from one corner to other, because of their wild instincts of hunting. They will get companionship and would get pleasure from taking part in with each other, inside the house as well as outside. Downside arises only when the tiger outgrows other pets, as they start biting and attacking the weaker one. They should not only be moved out of the house, but also will require a much bigger cage, if a smaller cage was built earlier. The expense for building a larger cage can be huge. Once they grow, they need to be shifted to a cage which is no less than eighty-seven feet long and thirty-toes tall. A small swimming pool should also be built for them, which they can enjoy in the scorching sun.

But after they grow, they turn into very heavy and the owner finds it difficult to take it outdoors for a walk as he will find it impossible to manage the leash with the animalÂ’s weight on it. The animals will then begin to miss out the freedom and will typically get aggressive and start roaring a lot. To keep them occupied, the owner can place things strategically, so that the animal gets involved in the activity of sniffing out things and food. They can be given toys to play with, but they wonÂ’t last for long and should be replaced by new ones frequently. They even throw the toys exterior their cage, which the owner should get it back for him to play again. When the owner leaves the house, even for a while, the animals should be securely tied within the cage. There are probabilities that they will break open and attack humans in the neighborhood.

After the passage of eighteen months, tigers shed their baby enamel and grow four inches canines. ThatÂ’s when most of the owners freak out as a result of although till then that they had tamed the animal, but the wild predator will always dwell in the animal. The owners no longer go inside the cage to feed the animal, and even if they do, they carry a pepper spray along with them. Special protective measures must be taken to ensure the protection of individuals not only in the house, but round the home as well.

One of the vital hectic elements is cage keeping. There are possibilities of algae growth which requires lot of scrubbing and water. The previous hay should be thrown out, which makes actually large pile and not to overlook animal waste. The water in the swimming pools also needs to be replaced often. As they’re fed with complete animals, the stays accumulate which ought to be cleaned as they will begin decaying. Particularly during the summers, maggots develop rapidly if even one cage cleansing schedule is missed.

Exotic Pets: Snakes

Snakes are limbless, cold-blooded and scaly reptiles belonging to the order of Squamata. Conserving snakes as pets may be straightforward only if their requirements are understood deeply. Their needs are completely different from other reptiles. House owners must also understand that some of them grow very giant and might grow to be dangerous with the passage of time. There are different types of snakes available for pet homeowners with totally different preferences. Every snake has a different food regimen and need totally different environment to live in. Snakes, which are stored as exotic pets, range from frequent garter snake to pythons. Snakes generally also cross forty years of age; so potential house owners should be aware of this fact and be able to make lifetime commitment before thinking of holding snakes as pets.

Snakes can easily escape from their ownerÂ’s custody. They all the time look out for enclosures, which can let them out of the captivity. The owners have to be extremely careful in this regard and in addition should build an escape proof enclosure. Snakes are carnivores. They do not eat vegetation at all. The favorite food for snakes is rats and mice. Greater snakes are fed with squirrel, rabbits and other small mammals. Some species even eat insects and fishes. As the snakes eat small animals, it is advisable to kill the prey before it is given to the snake. If this job is left to the snake, it could be risk to its life.

Normally snakes that have been bred in captivity are a wonderful alternative as pets. Wild snakes carry lots of diseases and parasites with them, get really stressed out with the transportation and are very troublesome to be tamed. King snakes, ball pythons and corn snakes are fashionable choices. Their food regimen and environmental needs arenÂ’t as sophisticated as other species of snakes. They are also small in measurement, but the king snakes can typically grow up to seven feet. Ball pythons have eating issues. They wish to feed on a live prey as an alternative of pre-killed prey. Also, they generally stop eating food for months together. Ball pythons that have been bred in captivity have lesser eating issues. And before buying a ball snake, the owner can take a look at whether the reptile eats a dead prey readily or not.

The more difficult snakes that are kept, as pets are red-tailed boas, water snakes, Burmese pythons, and any other pythons and wild snakes. The most dangerous of them are Burmese pythons. They will completely swallow a human being. So it is recommended to have folks around while feeding the reptile. Burmese pythons are very strong snakes. They grow more than twenty toes and weigh greater than two hundred pounds. Even crimson-tailed boas develop up to ten ft and weigh more than fifty ponds. They’re additionally troublesome to be managed by one person. All these species demand proper temperatures and humidity of their environment.

Reticulated pythons and anacondas are extremely dangerous exotic pets. Some strictly recommend against retaining them as pets. One other variety that’s fatal is venomous snakes. They not solely are a menace to the owner and his family members but additionally to folks in the neighborhood, if it escapes.

Snakes are also bred for his or her skin, which is used to make belts, bags, footwear, etc. They’re additionally eaten as a delicacy in many countries and even in Western America. In lots of the Asian international locations, the snake’s meat and blood is consumed for medicinal purposes.

Exotic Pets: Stick Insect

Stick insects belong to Phasmatodean Family. Other insects that also belong to the same family are leaf insects, ghost insects, and walking sticks. There are almost two thousand and eight hundred species inside the Phasmatodean family. The striking feature of this family is that the species have a body structure, which helps them to camouflage with the surroundings. Stick insects belong to areas having tropical climates and some of them have wings. Stick insects that are saved as pets can grow four inches and might live up to one year.

Among all the insects, which are kept as pets, stick insects are probably the most desirable. Some of the favorites are Indian stick insects; Vietnamese thorny stick insects and pink winged flying stick insects. They are desirable as a result of they are low-maintenance and their unique appearance. Their surroundings in captivity should be much like that of their native surrounding. The temperature and humidity should match almost exactly with their original habitat.

Also the food resources provided to them should be close to the foliage available to them in their natural habitat. Blueberries are among the most favorable foods of stick insects. Aside from that, they can be given raspberry, ivy, oak, privet, oak and hawthorn. These insects might be stored in a vivarium or circular jar, which has some holes on the top. The length of the jar should be three times that of the insect and it should be tall in height. The holes shouldnÂ’t be so big that the insect can escape from it. To be further careful, a net will be placed over the holes, to completely stop them from escaping. The vivarium could be filled with ivy, bramble and privet.

The temperature throughout the jar should be maintained around seventy to seventy-five degree Fahrenheit. At night time the temperatures may be lowered to sixties. The humidity inside the vivarium should be moderate. Stick insects are very fragile insects and should be handled with additional care. A lined water container can also be placed and the insect should be allowed to drink from it only under invigilation, as the animal can fall and drown in it.

Stick insects shed skin typically, which they eat. When the insect shed for the sixth time, it indicates that the insect has reached sexual maturity. The entire Indian stick insects are female as they reproduce by parthenogenesis or the eggs are laid and they do not need fertilization by a male. Homeowners that are interested in breeding can spray water on the eggs and wait till they hatch. After eggs are hatched, offspring can be managed with the help of paintbrushes. Generally the tail has some remains of the egg, which can be gently disregarded with the help of the paintbrush. Also, care have to be taken to to not depart swimming pools of water as there can be a probability of bugs drowning in them and dying. And house owners that arenÂ’t excited by breeding ought to completely destroy the eggs by boiling, burning, or crushing them.

These bugs shouldn’t be overlooked within the wild, from captivity. Since they do not belong to the environment, there is a possibility that they will harm the ecosystem by reproducing younger ones. Insects, which dwell in environments other than their natural habitats are referred to as pests. In United States, Indian strolling stick insects are speculated to be plant pest. A particular permit is required to import them.

Exotic Pets: Tortoise

Tortoises are turtles, which live on land and belong to the reptile family of the order Testudines. They too have shell like sea turtles. The top part of the shell is called carapace and the bottom aspect is named plastron. They have both exoskeleton and endoskeleton. They are active during the day and are very shy animals.

They are very fascinating animals, but their dietary habits are totally different than others. Totally different species have a different diet. They eat huge amounts of food and the calcium and phosphorous stability should be maintained in their diets. The tortoises are also temperature sensitive. Normally it is a good idea to bring the tortoise indoors at night. And when the weather is cold, they should be stored inside totally. But this can be a big drawback if the tortoises are big in size. Some species also hibernate during winter. This can be really stressful for the animal as well as the owners. The homeowners should provide the pet with special provision for hibernation otherwise the pet will undergo with stress.

A pen might be constructed in the yard, where the tortoise can live. The pen should be really strong and the fences should be buried deep as some of the tortoises have fascination of digging. They are also very robust reptiles. They can easily break weaker walls. Also some tortoises are good climbers, so the pen must also be provided with a roof. The roof also saves the tortoise from other dangers such as dog bite, hen attack, etc. The owner must check out for possible threat to the pet, also inside the pen itself. Some crops might be harmful if the tortoise feeds on them. So vegetation that are edible only should be planted or saved in the den.

They should also be provided with water, but the water body should be shallow, so that the tortoise wonÂ’t drown in it. Other things which are sharp or which will be chewed and not digested by animal shouldnÂ’t be stored in the pen. Steps must also be avoided throughout the pen, as a result of while they are climbing they will trip and fall over their back, which is very deadly for them.

Some species grow really big, so this factor also needs to be considered while building the pen. In fact, this factor should be thought-about when buying itself. Different species grow to different sizes; have totally different dietary habits, living conditions, and temperature adaptability. Beginners should actually go for a captive bred, as they are less troublesome than the ones that come directly from the wild. Also when tortoises are captured from the wild and transported, there are possibilities that they will fall unwell or even die due to high ranges of stress. Also such forms of animals carry a variety of parasites, which will be dangerous for the owner as well. When the potential owner thinks of shopping for a tortoise, it should get it completely examined for parasites and other illnesses from a vet.

Tortoises favor to stay alone. They shouldn’t be blended with different pets and no two male tortoises should be kept collectively as they can fight and injure one another very seriously. Tortoises have a very long lifespan. They’ll dwell as much as hundred years. There will be chance of the pet outliving the owner, so the proprietor should have all the pieces planned and may make a lifetime commitment.