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The Most Exotic Legal (Maybe) Pets

campussqueeze.com — The range of exotic pets available in the US is astonishing. More astonishing is exactly why Joe Shmoe wants to own and care for potentially dangerous animals which also require extensive care. But nonetheless, they’re out there they love them some exotics.

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  • SilentJay74, on 11/09/2007, -12/+37***** that I want a Liger. (Mostly for it's skills and powers.)
  • BECoole, on 11/08/2007, -2/+4I wonder how many of those animals can be potty trained.
    • browwiw, on 11/08/2007, -0/+3Obviously not the wallaby. Poor indignant bastards were in diapers.
      • TrickiWoo, on 11/08/2007, -0/+1It must be some job getting a diaper on one of those things.
  • RoroCo, on 11/08/2007, -0/+12Thanks, but I will stick with my dogs. They may not be exotic, but I but need to buy meal pigs or change diapers with roo poo.
    • Roger, on 11/08/2007, -5/+2???
      • RoroCo, on 11/08/2007, -0/+4*but I don't need to buy...

        Didn't catch the error before the edit time limit
  • signal15, on 11/08/2007, -2/+12A Savannah is a cross between a Serval and an Bengal. They are much better pets. With a Serval, you will need to put metal conduit on every lamp cord in the house, and put plexi on your walls 4 feet up to prevent scratching.

    A Chausie is another interesting cat that has wild roots. With any of these, expect them to be naughty cats all the time. I had two F2 Bengals, and they were great when I was around, but destroyed the house when I was gone every day. A Chausie or Savannah will likely be more than a handful compared to the Bengals.

    I have a rug made out of a Zebra. :)
    • spaceninja, on 11/07/2007, -0/+9I think I will stick to my stupid house cat. Least all he does is knock things over on the coffee table he likes to sleep on.
    • SeriouslyButNo, on 11/07/2007, -0/+3I think the coolest of the wild cats is the Caracal. It looks like a mini mountain lion.

      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caracal

    • viniciusfontes, on 11/07/2007, -0/+3"A Savannah is a cross between a Serval and an Bengal."

      *****. It's a porn star, and it's spelled Savanna.

      /sarcasm
      • browwiw, on 11/08/2007, -0/+3Sub-genus 'sex kitten'
      • Red_Eye, on 11/08/2007, -0/+2and you wonder why you cant get any p.... sorry that was just too easy. Where is a lolcat when I need it.
  • nerdherder, on 11/08/2007, -2/+8Snapping turtles are tasty with ketchup.
  • AriaStar, on 11/08/2007, -3/+4So far the most "exotic" animal I've had is a chinchilla, though my dream pets are a pure wolf, a wallaby, and a zebra. Animals are awesome.
    • krets, on 11/07/2007, -3/+3Crazy cat lady?
    • wolfboy2883, on 11/08/2007, -0/+3A wolf would drive you crazy. They're too wild for normal pets, and you have to be strong willed to own one. If you don't take the role of alpha wolf, they will. Give 'em an inch and they think they're a ruler.
    • yojiffyskippy, on 11/08/2007, -0/+7Animals are even more awesome if they are left in the wild instead of caged up as pets.
    • mitchlourens, on 11/07/2007, -0/+2I work at a kennel, and we had a few wolves board with us for 2 days. It wasn't long before one of them got frustrated and gnawed his foot off....
    • astn, on 11/08/2007, -0/+2You really don't want a pure wolf. You want a wolf hybrid (preferably with a Shepard.) Tames them down a bit, but they still retain most of the characteristics you're looking for, and are more trainable (given the Shepard roots). And they get rid of all the bad genes a GSD brings to the table. Great dogs. Unfortunately, a lot of states ban them because they are "dangerous". A dangerous pet is a function of the owner, not the pet. (Every time we put down a "dangerous" animal, we should put down the owner, too.)
      • radiometric, on 11/08/2007, -0/+1My family had several wolf hybrids when I was young. They were part husky and part wolf. They were bred for sledding. Somehow this dog ended up in CA [not the mountains either]. In the summer time, they were a bit warm and went through water like nobody's business. Otherwise they were great. It is true that you must get them at an early age and raise them in a way that they never challenge your leadership of the pack. NEVER abuse any animal, especially one that can take down animals the size of your car, and keep all shots current.
    • Red_Eye, on 11/08/2007, -0/+2I had a chinchilla once too, I found it to be about as needy and emotionally unstable as brittney spears. At least the chin was cuter and softer...
  • empeethree, on 11/08/2007, -1/+10i will stick with my wiener dog, spork.
    • Crosshare, on 11/08/2007, -0/+7That's an awesome name for a wiener dog.
    • browwiw, on 11/08/2007, -1/+4I've always wanted to see a pat fight between two Dachshunds. yes, yes I know that dog fighting is cruel and horrible, but you have to admit that's a hilarious mental image--especially when they rear up on their hind legs and topple over again and again.
  • UnicornNinja, on 11/07/2007, -4/+66. Geisha
    They can live up to 100 years in captivity i'ms told
    • yojiffyskippy, on 11/07/2007, -0/+2Who would want a 100 year old Geisha girl?
      • browwiw, on 11/08/2007, -0/+4Probably some creepy German with a website.
    • s0nicfreak, on 11/08/2007, -0/+2Sadly, they are nearly extinct.
  • doctechnical, on 11/07/2007, -1/+3No blue-ringed octopus? Awww...
    • shortydh76, on 11/07/2007, -0/+1I thought they might mention some aquatic pets. There are quite a few that are very dangerous to handle.
  • whatthefu, on 11/07/2007, -0/+1http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a5 ... This thing looks like it's just waiting for a macro.
  • slashbot, on 11/07/2007, -1/+2I think a cat or dog should suffice for just about anyone...
  • cleric85, on 11/07/2007, -0/+3Where are all the reptiles? Poison Dart Frogs and poisonous snakes?
  • procopio, on 11/07/2007, -2/+1I much prefer the liger :D
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liger
  • Chaoticfist, on 11/07/2007, -0/+2i want a tiger, lmao take him for a walk in the dog park :)
  • agent888, on 11/08/2007, -0/+4I was actually doing research on a Fennec Fox today....they look to make very interesting exotic pets. Very pretty too.
    • wolfboy2883, on 11/07/2007, -0/+1Fennecs are hyper and crazy and not at all a good idea to keep as pets. Get yourself a jack russel terrier- same personalitybuy at least a little bit trainable.
      • khyberkitsune, on 11/08/2007, -0/+3Fennecs are plenty trainable. Most get hyper because the loud cute noises you're making are annoying it's sensitive ears. In a quiet home, fennecs are very tame, almost cat-like.

        I own two. They're adorable but a lil stinky. Both sleep beside me at night (sometimes on top of me)
        • EvilGnome, on 11/08/2007, -0/+1I have read pretty thoroughly about fennecs and they do seem like really cool pets. I am interested in getting one, and I know my state (Delaware) will allow for it. I was curious about where I could find some to play with before I make the decision. They are pretty difficult to find breeders around here.
  • centran, on 11/07/2007, -1/+10Greeeeeeaaaat!
    Now I want a Wallaby. Screw you Digg. I can't afford a wallaby but now I have to have one. Screw you Digg or rather Mattman9876 for posting this.
    • TrickiWoo, on 11/08/2007, -0/+3Remember that you'll have to save up for the Costco size box of Depends too!
  • kahrytan, on 11/07/2007, -0/+2Not all exotic animals are dangerous. For example, Kinkajou is one. They are mostly friendly.
    • bingobongony, on 11/08/2007, -0/+2mostly. It's the other times that you have to worry about.
      Siegfried and Roy's tigers were "mostly friendly" too.
    • MalenfantX, on 11/08/2007, -0/+0We had a group showing off animals at my company Christmas party last year. The Kinkajou was very cute and friendly, but the pythons got me hooked on exotics. I now breed Ball Pythons, and have 84 of them in my spare bedroom. They look scary to noobs, but are harmless as long as you're not a rodent.
  • tehsuck1, on 11/07/2007, -7/+1Was I the only one that read it "erotic?"
  • goldfishwish, on 11/07/2007, -0/+4i want an alligator snapping turtle. if it can swallow a duck whole i bet it could take out some of these annoying neighborhood children in a few bites.
    • spaceninja, on 11/07/2007, -0/+2When I was a kid (20 years ago) we were going fishing at a lake close by. The little store we stopped at to get bait and snacks for the day had a 200lb snapper. His shell was as big as a washtub. He could take your hand off in one bite. If I remember correctly they named him Larry.
      • yojiffyskippy, on 11/08/2007, -0/+4Was his owner's nickname Lefty or Righty?
  • jayhawk88, on 11/09/2007, -0/+10Alligator Snapping Turtle?? ALLIGATOR SNAPPING TURTLE???
    Why in the world would anyone want to own one of these as a pet? Do some people just really hate having toes? There isn't a nastier creature ever created. You'd be taking your digits into our own hands (so to speak) every time you got within 10 feet of it. Might as well just paste a picture of one to hang on the wall and buy a bunch of goldfish to flush down the toilet every week.
  • mikesbaker, on 11/09/2007, -1/+29Alex: You're getting a lion?
    Dante: Yeah.
    Alex: Why?
    Dante: To protect my *****.
    Alex: Never heard of a dog?
    Dante: Dude, you can get past a dog. Nobody ***** with a lion.
  • Lythium, on 11/08/2007, -1/+5Having a zebra as a pet is just asking for trouble. There's a reason they haven't been used as riding animals - they're quite vicious, and don't domesticate well. It's a pity, really - they're immune to several diseases prevalent in Africa which are lethal to horses, so they'd be a real asset for travel inland, especially where there are no roads.
    • yojiffyskippy, on 11/07/2007, -0/+1I'm calling PS on the Zebra pic.
    • isaactwito, on 11/08/2007, -0/+4Zebras kill more zookeepers than any other animal in America.
    • browwiw, on 11/07/2007, -0/+3Yeah, I've read that more zookeepers die every year from zebra bites than lions and other carnivores.
      • s0nicfreak, on 11/08/2007, -0/+2Well, that probably has something to do with the fact that you're more likely to get within biting range of a zebra than a lion...
  • 89992, on 11/08/2007, -6/+7The exotic animal market causes many of the animals involved to suffer needlessly. Don't buy exotic animals as pets.
    http://www.hsus.org/wildlife/issues_facing_wildlif ...
  • bingobongony, on 11/07/2007, -3/+4LEGALIZE IT!
    • isaactwito, on 11/07/2007, -0/+2If by that you mean pot, then yes.
  • mesoholy, on 11/07/2007, -1/+0It's so wrong!
  • coit, on 11/07/2007, -0/+1(Maybe) they are legal or (Maybe) they are pets? Or maybe to both?
    • glmory, on 11/07/2007, -0/+1maybe they are legal. The laws change from state to state...
    • heliosys, on 11/08/2007, -0/+2When you have money, any pet is legal.
  • wolfboy2883, on 11/08/2007, -2/+6Wild animals are only happy when they're free. You can't force them to go against their nature.

    Besides, wild animals are better in the wild where they can take care of themselves. My dogs and I will go visit them in the wild lands, but they wouldn't survive in our world. Better for both parties if they stay free in the wild.
    • browwiw, on 11/08/2007, -0/+4If we can get a man to do something as unnatural as sit in a cube under fluorescent lighting for 8 hours a day we can train a tiger to fetch our slippers.
  • MajorPaine, on 11/08/2007, -0/+7Sadly, 89992 is correct -- buying these (or many other exotic types) for pets from pet stores and similar sources only feeds the industry that is based around them. The wrong type of seller or store will actually sell wild-caught animals (complete with parasites and a host of other issues) without warning you.

    The other issue with exotics is truly understanding what is involved in caring for them safely (safely for you and for them) -- large cats can be especially problematic. Many suppliers do a poor job of advising/warning on this, and many buyers do not do enough research.

    Additionally many people are not aware of how hard (and expensive) it can be to procure vet care for these animals. You may be stuck dealing

    My wife and I have several exotics -- ranging from the Snapping turtles mentioned in the article to Macaws and large tortoises. All of ours are rescue animals that we have adopted or paid "re-homing" fees for.

    We are where these animals wind up after people have bought them, and discovered they are too large, expensive or difficult to care for. Some of the animals we have taken in never really belong as pets (particularly the snappers and a 12 foot Burmese Python we had for quite some time before he died of old age).

    Please think carefully before buying something like this, and if you really decide to pursue owning an exotic animal, do your research (on both the animal, and the seller). Some make truly wonderful pets, but others will never really be tame, and may make you (and the animal) miserable.
  • shannondoko, on 11/08/2007, -0/+2"Although their is a wide variety of exotic pets out there, most seem to require lots of space."

    find the typo
  • wolfboy2883, on 11/08/2007, -0/+4Oh, and for those of you wannabe reptile owners, it is no easy task. I've had several reptiles as pets throughout my childhood. Mostly turtles, a snake, and a few lizards. Turtles are fascinating creatures, but they ***** all over the place. I had a few box turtles, and we kept them in the garden - where they might as well be wild anyways. No point. The only one I kept that was petlike is the injured one I nursed back to help (before I released it in my local nature center. Don't worry, it is a native species of turtle to my home town). Snakes are cool, but also not that fun. Mine was a garter snake I caught myself. I still catch snakes every few months around here - mostly garters and the occasional black rat snake: but they're fun for a minute then set them free. They don't live long in captivity, and they're needed in the wild to keep the rodent populations under control. God put snakes in the forest for a reason - let them do their job. And lizards are just like snakes - cool, but don't live long in captivity. They need their freedom. And they ***** all over the place, so you have to clean the cage all the time. Trust me, you're better off leaving them in the wild, especially if you don't know what you're doing when it comes to caring for reptiles.

    Just get a dog. Dogs are meant to be with humans: we've evolved side by side for thousands of years and it really shows. Cats aren't bad either: just don't get a wildcat. They need to be free.
    • MalenfantX, on 11/08/2007, -0/+0I find my Ball Pythons to be a lot of fun, but they're a lot more impressive, and more beautiful, than a garter snake. They're also pretty low-maintenance, and can live up to 40 years in captivity. Unfortunately most pet shops have sickly, poorly kept specimens. Find a reputable breeder for a quality animal.
  • 1derfulWally, on 11/08/2007, -0/+5Best quote of the article:
    "...and lives approximately 35 years in captivity. Really? Who is really willing or responsible enough to care for a pet for 35 years? Christ, my parents kicked me out of the house at 18…that’s half the time."
    • BECoole, on 11/08/2007, -0/+1If it was house trained it would be OK going more than 18 yrs.
  • teCh0010, on 11/08/2007, -0/+5A Tiger is very expensive to maintain. TOM, the Bengal tiger mascot of the University of Memphis eats $6000 in raw meat a year. The booster organization pays $22,000 a year towards his care and private individuals make up the rest. If they also had to pay for the donated services like vet care and transportation for veterinarian specialists it would probably cost $40000 per year to properly care for a Bengal tiger.

    Luckily basic vet care for a big cat can be found in Memphis, but this isn't true in some areas of the country. If you need a specialist here you have to pay to transport them from Auburn or LSU.
  • karel747, on 11/08/2007, -0/+3Buried. There is not a single monkey on that list.
  • thegr8db, on 11/07/2007, -0/+1Isn't that Zebra cold??
  • Bluemandrew, on 11/07/2007, -0/+3There's an exotic reptile store near me in NH. They sell gators and crocs. They also have a big ass snapping turtle you can pay them to feed a mouse to...
    • DriftAway, on 11/10/2007, -0/+3I read 'mouse' as 'moose' and I swear to god I was about to book a flight to New Hampshire.
      • Bluemandrew, on 11/10/2007, -0/+1That would be the greatest thing ever.
  • jellygraph, on 11/08/2007, -0/+3I'm burying this because I think a pet is for life and I certainly don't want any horrible people getting the wrong idea (I've met a quite a few, and it disgusts me)
  • FreewareCityC0M, on 11/07/2007, -0/+0if you want a pet, get a cat or a dog, do not get a pet that u have keep in a cage, do not get a wild animal as a pet, wild animals are called wild for a reason u know

  • MikeThor, on 11/08/2007, -0/+1I want the damn Wallaby, just so I can name it Rocco!
    ...he could join me in my modern life...
  • jiveturkeyblues, on 11/08/2007, -0/+2animals as ***** status symbols

    so gross
  • 7717, on 11/08/2007, -0/+0The most exotic pet I have had is a shrimp. Jerry passed away all but a few weeks ago.
  • punx, on 11/08/2007, -0/+0I had an Iguana named Jeremiah. He hated my stepson and would leap six feet just to bite him. Now, my stepson brought home a nasty little chihuahua. I wish I still had that Iguana. By now, he would be big enough to eat the chihuahua. God, I hate that dog.
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