# What small exotic pet should I get?



## Pickled Peter (Sep 11, 2009)

Hi,
Im a student living in halls at the moment and I am looking for an exotic pet that would be suitable to keep inconspicuously in my room. The perfect pet for me would meet the following criteria minimum smell, intelligent, relatively quite, and small (able to fit in a 10-15 gallon tank or similar sized enclosure). In addition I am looking for pet mammals or birds as i would like an animal that I can form a proper bond with unlike as with reptiles and insects. Does any one out there know of an animal that meets this criteria please help me


----------



## Kloster (Sep 11, 2009)

A pet mammal or bird wont fit your requirements unless theyre dead.
Reptiles on the other hand...

For a 10-15 gal. Id recommend a corn snake or a leopard gecko although im not sure what the enclosure reqs. are for those critters. I could be waaay off.


----------



## zonbonzovi (Sep 11, 2009)

If you're anywhere near NY, Mayor Bloomberg is now charging the homeless rent- I'm sure that with proper feeding & housing there are homeless folks that would be glad to pe your "pet".  Definitely a possibility for forming a bond


----------



## zonbonzovi (Sep 11, 2009)

Oh- scratch that- they wouldn't fit inside of 10-15 gallon tank without a big shoehorn.  How 'bout a terrestrial pygmy chameleon?


----------



## Pickled Peter (Sep 11, 2009)

I already have a milk snake which i keep in my room at my student halls the snake is cool i like it a lot. Iv kept many reptiles i just thought that I would like an exotic animal that i could bond with a bit more, which wouldn't make my room stink or disturb me or my flatmates to much. At the moment I am keeping my milk snake in a tank measuring 18ins x 12ins x 7ins. I'm not too good at knowing tank measurements. I  want an animal which needs an enclosure no larger than twice the size of the snakes tank.


----------



## pouchedrat (Sep 11, 2009)

a same sex pair of spiny mice?  or if you want something that'd fit in a 5 gallon, pygmy mice?  How exotic are we talking?

Anyway, spiny mice have almost no odor whatsoever as long as you keep up with changing the bedding (it's a desert species) especially when compared to normal mice, hamsters, gerbils, rats, etc.  

I used to breed spiny mice and ran a website, had pics of them in an issue of Exotics DVM magazine as well, but after my kid was born I let the last of my guys live out their lives and pass on.  I kept cream, satin coat, white spot, and the wild agouti color.   They need a higher protein than domestic mice do, and do REALLY poorly on seeds or high sugar foods like fruit.  They can suffer from diabetes and become extremely obese if fed the normal seed mouse food you see everywhere.   They also need to be kept in same sex colonies or pairs, they can suffer mental problems when kept by themselves (I had a mother I seperated from her mate, they mate for life, and she barbered all her fur off, as well as her babies' fur and chewed off their tails as well).

Some common problems besides diabetes and mental issues, if they don't recieve enough protein they can sometimes resort to eating their tails off.  This also seems to be a learned trait.  I had a single tank of males who were all related, that all chewed their tails off.  Also NEVER pick them up by their tails because they break off REALLY easily.  

I keep focusing on the negatives, but some positives!  They're HIGHLY intelligent, and IF handled from a young age, and handled daily, they can form great bonds with their owners.  2 can be kept in a 15-20L tank fine.  10 gallon's ok too but that's a bare minimum.  However, if you don't handle them regularly, they'll revert to being wild and will bite you.  They also do NOT follow the walls if one escapes and is wild.  I learned that the hard way, their eyesight's pretty darn good and they'll go running out straight into the middle of the floor, and can run up curtains really fast.  

I guess one issue is their intelligence, they do need a lot of mental stimulation.  A bored spiny will self-mutilate, as well as jump circles in their cage no matter how big it is.   A properly socialized spiny mouse will sit on your shoulder or in your shirt pocket, readily grab food from your fingers and even groom your fingers.  FINDING a breeder who handle their spinies from day one, however, is an issue.  I used to do it, but it's not something many do. 

two of my spinies, deceased now.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_kkhBQ2Vos


OK, the ONLY other thing I can think of, MIGHT be a short-tailed opossum.  I kept the one I had in a larger wire cage than most people do, but others keep them in 10 gallon tanks.  They need to be kept by themselves.  My little boy lived for 4 years, would hang out in my shirt pocket all the time.  But he DID have a slight odor to him and sometimes he'd have an accident on you and didn't seem to learn not to like rats normally do.


----------



## Scorpendra (Sep 11, 2009)

what was wrong with your other thread?


----------



## rvtjonny (Sep 11, 2009)

how about a sugar glider?   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sugar_gliders


----------



## Obelisk (Sep 12, 2009)

Maybe you'd like what this guy keeps: 

http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/showthread.php?t=163026


----------



## Kloster (Sep 12, 2009)

I think sugar gliders require huge cage requirements.
I was thinking a beardie but they take a lot of space and need a lot of attention AND its a reptile.


----------



## Drachenjager (Sep 12, 2009)

Pickled Peter said:


> Hi,
> Im a student living in halls at the moment and I am looking for an exotic pet that would be suitable to keep inconspicuously in my room. The perfect pet for me would meet the following criteria minimum smell, intelligent, relatively quite, and small (able to fit in a 10-15 gallon tank or similar sized enclosure). In addition I am looking for pet mammals or birds as i would like an animal that I can form a proper bond with unlike as with reptiles and insects. Does any one out there know of an animal that meets this criteria please help me


a freshman brunette girl that wears glasses and pigtails
umm you saying thats just me?


----------



## Tim Benzedrine (Sep 12, 2009)

pouchedrat said:


> They can suffer from diabetes and become extremely obese if fed the normal seed mouse food you see everywhere.   They also need to be kept in same sex colonies or pairs, they can suffer mental problems when kept by themselves (I had a mother I seperated from her mate, they mate for life, and she barbered all her fur off, as well as her babies' fur and chewed off their tails as well).
> 
> Some common problems besides diabetes and mental issues, if they don't recieve enough protein they can sometimes resort to eating their tails off.  This also seems to be a learned trait.  I had a single tank of males who were all related, that all chewed their tails off.  Also NEVER pick them up by their tails because they break off REALLY easily.
> 
> ...


Well, I know that if *I* were looking for an over-weight, pychopathic, cannibalistic hyper-intelligent diabetic rodent who is fragile and prone to infanticide and self mutilation, and also happens to be a master of evasion, a spiny mouse would be just what I was looking for! I mean all they lack for being the perfect pet is the ability to kill you by shooting you with laser beams from their eyes!


----------



## ErinKelley (Sep 12, 2009)

^^^LOL!^^^ This is so true


----------



## GartenSpinnen (Sep 13, 2009)

You could go with a mouse, possibly some type of dwarf opossum, hamster, gerbil, etc. 

 Guess what... there is not a lot of small bird or mammals that will fit in these small of enclosures. Especially birds! These higher animals need much more space. Even gerbils and hamsters should be housed in a 20g+, a mouse or possibly some type of dwarf opossum might be ok in a 15g.


There is a lot more options as far as reptiles and amphibians. You can form a bond with reptiles and amphibians just as well as you can a dog, cat, etc. Crested gecko would be ok in a 15 g high setup, as well would a tree frog, anole, etc. You might be able to get a gold fish in a 15 g.... and a betta would be very happy in your 15 g


----------



## Elytra and Antenna (Sep 13, 2009)

I'd suggest some rhinoceros beetles or ferocious water bugs. They'll bond with you more than a smelly, biting mouse. A ferocious water bug will learn you're it's source for food, the mice will just hide from you and urinate in your hands.


----------



## jbm150 (Sep 13, 2009)

What about a bearded dragon?  To be honest, I know nothing of them and their housing requirements but they're small, very calm, and fairly entertaining.


----------



## Kloster (Sep 13, 2009)

Theyre housing requirements(beardies) and feeding requirements are a <expletive> def. not what hes looking for.


----------



## jbm150 (Sep 13, 2009)

LOL  my fault, I'll slink back off to the tarantula sections now


----------



## pouchedrat (Sep 13, 2009)

Tim Benzedrine said:


> Well, I know that if *I* were looking for an over-weight, pychopathic, cannibalistic hyper-intelligent diabetic rodent who is fragile and prone to infanticide and self mutilation, and also happens to be a master of evasion, a spiny mouse would be just what I was looking for! I mean all they lack for being the perfect pet is the ability to kill you by shooting you with laser beams from their eyes!



I know, they were awesome pets!  The best part though, when they had babies they usually had two, fully formed, fur eyes ears and nibbling on solid foods and scooting around babies.  As opposed to 20+ 

I like my pets wild and psychotic.

/edit-  DEFINITELY NOT a sugar glider, though!  TRUST me.  They need minimum a 3 foot tall cage, and when they get upset and distressed, they'll self mutilate as well.   They require a LOT of special care.  I had a male/female pair once, and their water bottle had a leak in it unfortunately.  They'll die of dehydration within 24 hours, and by the time I noticed the leak, it was too late.. I saved one, but the other passed away that night.  The boy who survived did horribly, went downhill, and eventually began self-mutilating.   I'm sure it was because he was by himself and his partner died.  

Males also have a whole lot of scent glands and musk, so they have an odor to them.  They also can not be litter box trained like rodents can, so they'll just poo anywhere, and the sides of their cages get coated with urine so it needs a whipe down every single day.

I'm sorry if I tend to sound negative with animal descriptions.  I usually focus on the negatives so people don't rush into an exotic.  Pretty much all mammal pets need one hell of a lot more attention paid to them than reptiles or invertebrates, where they just need the occasional misting/cleaning/etc and all they really need is a proper setup.   Things like sugar gliders and such, you have to handle regularly, bond with them, make specialized diets for them, provide mental stimulation, etc.    

I know a short tailed opossum is a fairly easy pet (although they're musky smelling).  They live around 4 years and will sit in your pocket curled up.  They LOVE insects, but they mostly will not eat hard kibble foods and prefer soft foods and baby foods over everything else.  Back when I had my boy, we had reports of some STO's even starving to death because they downright refused solid foods.   Once again, STO's cannot be litter box trained like most rodents can, though, although most of the time they DO pick one corner of their cage to use, but they'll still have the accidents outside of it.  I kept mine in a 2ft. square wire cage with fleece pockets and a bird nest for him to sleep in, but some people keep them in 10 gallon tanks.  If it's kept in something that small though, give it a wire mesh wheel or solid wheel to run in (nothing slotted obviously) for SOME excercize.


----------



## dtknow (Sep 13, 2009)

I'd get a crestie or some other kind of amphibian(maybe a spanish ribbed newt a single one would be an excellent dorm pet). Honestly any of those small, hyperactive, warm blooded thingies are not going to bond with you much more than what I just suggested. They are just warm reptiles after all...LOL


----------



## reverendsterlin (Sep 14, 2009)

kind of surprised no one has suggested a hedgehog


----------



## Goomba (Sep 14, 2009)

15 gallons? How about.... Get 3 5 gallon tanks, and 3 small/medium sized tarantula species.  
Otherwise, get a frog. Ornate Horned Frog, or a Pyxie if you can squeeze in a 20 gallon.


----------



## whitewolf (Sep 14, 2009)

reverendsterlin said:


> kind of surprised no one has suggested a hedgehog


I didn't even think of that. We had one in a tank. It wasn't very nice but I've seen some sweet ones out there.


----------



## ravenruby (Sep 14, 2009)

I'm quite partial to mice!  Get a pair of females though, the smell is much less significant than the males. If you get a silent wheel for their cage, they make virtually no noise, and their little tank can be shoved quickly under a bed or in a closet during room checks.  

I've keep mice for years and find them to be an absolute delight!


----------



## ragnew (Sep 15, 2009)

I vote for the Short Tailed Opossum too!

I've got one currently and I've had her for about a year now. Her name is Zeeboo (gotta post some new pics of her). I keep her in a 20 Gallon Tall aquarium, with Carefresh bedding as her substrate. For her decor, I tried to go the natural route and rigged her up with several pieces of drift wood and quite a few hiding areas as well. She absolutely loves burrowing through the Carefresh and getting her own tunnels built!

To this day she's only had one accident while I was holding her. While she's out cruising around on me I can tell when she needs to go to the bathroom. She actually make her way toward the cage. Once there, she does her duty (in one corner kind of like Leopard Geckos do) and the immediately begs to be handled again. I handle her everyday if I can.

My STO totally LOVES the hard kibble. I give her a mixture of Eukanuba's Chicken / Rice cat food, and Mazuris Ferret food. I tried the food that's marketed for STO, and she wouldn't touch it. She'll get about 15 large crickets on a weekly basis, and once a month she'll get a pinkie mouse as a suppliment as well. When she was first with me she loved different baby foods, but as she's grown she's strayed from them. Now all she wants is the kibble and live food.

As far as the odor goes, well, she's not too terribly noticeable. I'm sure if you've had any kind of pet that has an odor you'll be just fine. I actually can't smell her unless I'm trying to.

Here's a link to a site that gave me a bunch of info when I first got her....

www.knowyoursto.com

They're great little critters and I hope you dig yours if you decide on one.


----------

