The following is a list of 25 txt files containing articles about Exotic Pets. These articles can be used as ideas for modifying articles or reposting. Some snippets of file contents have been shown under the title.
You can download all these files at once in 1 zip file for free on this page.
1. Alligator
.....
Alligators are the most dangerous of the exotic pets. It is a crocodilian, which comes from the family of Alligatoridae. The name was derived from Anglicization of a Spanish word, which was used by Spanish explorers who were settled in Florida, United States. Alligators are found mostly in America and China.
There are two species of alligators, Alligator Mississippienis or the American Alligator and Alligator Sinensis or the Chinese Alligator. The American alligator weights around eight hundred pounds and is thirteen feet long. The record for the longest alligator is of nineteen feet two inches, from Louisiana. Comparatively, the Chinese alligators are smaller in length and measure not more than seven feet in length. Alligators live for more than fifty years. The oldest living alligator was of seventy years, at the Belgrade Zoo, Serbia.
There are many features of alligators that distinguish them from crocodiles and both of them belong to different taxonomic families. Alligators have a broader snout and their eyes are located near the upper side. When light is flashed over the eyes, bigger alligators have a red glow and smaller alligators have a green glow. This can be of help, when searching for alligators in dark. When looking in daylight, it is also observed that alligators have brown eyes and crocodiles have green eyes.
.....
2. Bengal Cat
.....
Bengal cats are a hybrid variety of cats, which are very homely and friendly by nature with a very wild look. They are also very intelligent and alert. Along with being friendly, they are very good at sports. Their distinct features are markings such as spots and rosette. It has very close resemblance to the Asian Leopard Cat and from its taxonomic name was the word ‘Bengal’ derived.
Bengals have an average build. Males weigh up to fifteen pounds and females weigh up to ten pounds. The horizontal lines on the side of their face, which starts from the end of their eyes and go up to the back of their neck, are known as mascara. Their bodies have spotting which is usually rosette or some even have a marbled coat pattern. Bengals with spots, with more than one color, are the ones, which are more in demand. The color of spots varies from rust to chocolate brown to cocoa to gray and black. Their tail, hind legs and fore limbs has symmetrical stripes. Bengals cats win championships in most of the competitions held to award the most exotic pet because of their looks, intelligence and friendly nature.
Bengals are a result of years of selective crossbreeding techniques. Jean Mill of United States developed Bengals in 1970s. They are a hybrid breed created from crossing other breeds of domestic cats like American shorthair, Egyptian maus, ocicat, Abyssinian and other shorthaired pet cats. Basically, they originated by crossing small Asian Leopard cat or ALC and domestic cats. This gives them the wild and exotic look with a friendly nature. Breeders are still working all over the globe to develop more qualities in this breed. The foundation generations of the filial are the first three generations of Bengals. Most of the males of these generations didn’t have the ability to reproduce, where as the females were. After the fifth generation, they were no longer crossbred; instead breeding was done between two Bengal cats.
.....
3. Bobcat
.....
Bobcats are small cats belonging to North America. They inhabit the wood areas and deciduous forests stretching from west to southeast America and Mexico. Some even occupy parts of south Canada. They have a small body structure. Their fur is of color yellowish brown or reddish brown with black or dark brown stripes. They have noticeably long ears with black tips. Their weight ranges from twenty four to thirty five pounds.
Owners relate their pet bobcat to a tabby cat, but their requirements are far from those of a domestic cat. They demand special care and extra attention. Like Servels they also have the habit of spraying. They also are very hyper and aggressive by nature. They need to be bought up in mostly in outdoor location where they have lots of space to play, like they do in the wild. If they don’t get adequate place outside, they run around destroying things in the house. Some owners are very content with their pets, but it is recommended that potential owners should do their homework before making up their mind.
Their diet shouldn’t be like any other domestic pet. Since they are exotic pets and come from the wild, they have different nutritional requirements to be healthy. At a time, they eat a whole chicken, which should be presented with feathers intact. They can also be given fresh killed squirrel, rabbit, and beef. They do not eat much during the summers, but make up for it during the winters. They also require special medicine and vaccine doses. A normal dose of sedative given to other domestic pets while declawing can kill them. It would be good for their health if they have their claws, or if the owner has made the decision to declaw them, only the front claws should be removed. Their canines should never be removed. Otherwise, the owner has to cut the food into small bits in order to feed them, as they would not be able to eat a whole chicken without their canines.
.....
4. Bottle Feeding Exotic Cubs
.....
Cubs should stay with their mother for nearly six weeks, after which they can be separated. When cubs and kittens are separated they still need to be supplied with calcium enriched diet to help the healthy growth of bones, teeth, gums and joints. Bottle-feeding is also done so as to make a strong bond between the owner and the animal. Experts say that guests and strangers who visit the owner’s house frequently should also bottle feed the animal so as to help the animal overcome initial hesitation.
There are many compositions which be used to make a perfect bottle-feed. A cup of unflavored pedialyte or distilled water can be mixed with a quarter cup of zoologics milk powder and one ml of poli vi sol liquid baby vitamin. A teaspoon of calcium powder can also be added, along with half a teaspoon of taurine powder. Half a cup of fat free plain yogurt can also be added to make the formula concentrated. The bacterium also helps to digest the food properly, but no sugar should be used as that can lead to diarrhea. After few weeks, very small amount of plain puree chicken baby food can be added to the formula, which can be increased over time. All the ingredients can be mixed in a blender and then the mixture should be used within a day. If not used within twenty-four hours it should be discarded. Before feeding, the mixture, which has been refrigerated, can be warmed and then used. The mixture shouldn’t be stored back into the refrigerator once it has been warmed.
Care also must be taken while heating up the formula. It should never be heated up in a microwave, instead heat some water and place the bottle in the cup of water for some time. The formula temperature should be checked before feeding, otherwise if the formula is more than warm, it can hurt the animal internally. Also the animals have the habit of drinking the formula very fast, so it will be too late before realizing that the milk is really hot. The bottle should have a special nipple called the vet nipple, which is small and not round at the end. The cub should be not be laid on it’s back like how the human babies are fed as that would make the formula enter it’s lung and cause pneumonia. They should be fed in upright position or while sitting on the stomach.
.....
5. Capuchin Monkey
.....
Capuchin monkeys had their name derived from the Franciscan Capuchin whose cowl is similar to the coloration of the monkeys. They belong to the Cebinae family and Cebus genus. These monkeys are found in Central America and South America. Also known as sapajou, these species of monkeys are considered to be the most intelligent of all present species of monkeys.
The face, neck and chest of capuchins are white colored where as the rest of the body is either brown or black colored. Their body grows up to twelve to twenty two inches in height and their hairy tails are also usually the same length as the body. Their average body weight is two pounds. The males weigh more than the females. When they are held in captivity, they can live up to forty five years, but in the wild habitat they can live only for fifteen to twenty five years. They stay awake during the day and sleep at night except for the midday nap they take. During the day, they spend most of the time looking for food and at night, they sleep on the branches of the trees.
Capuchins are very social and live in a group of eight to forty males, females and their children. The area where the whole group lives together is marked with the smell of urine and intruders are not welcomed. A strong male controls the whole group and mates with the rest of the females in the group to produce offspring. Male and female capuchins smell each other to know whether the other is sexually mature or not. A female capuchin monkey has the capability of reproducing after every two years. Their pregnancy period lasts from five to six months.
.....
6. Chameleon
.....
Chameleons belong to the lizard family. Chameleon has been derived from the Greek words chamai and leon meaning earth lion. The structure and size of chameleons varies a lot. They can be from one inch to thirty-one inch long. Chameleons are kept as exotic pets because of their characteristic color changing capability. They change colors so as to camouflage, communicate with each other and to regulate temperature. They also have a very long tongue to catch prey.
Chameleons do not have the ability to change colors from birth. They are either brown or grey color when they are born. They start by changing to one or two colors and when they reach five months, they gain total control of the color changing ability and are able to change to many colors like green, black, turquoise and blue green. Various colors show emotions such as stress, sense of temperature change, excitement and to communicate with other chameleons. Brighter colors exhibit good mood; darker colors such as black, grey and brown depict stress. Few other colors are also seen when the chameleon takes transition from color to another.
They even have very long tongue, which they use to catch flying preys. Chameleons have the ability to stretch their tongue up to one and half the length of their body. This way they can catch flying preys as well as preys, which are placed far off. They have three toes with two of them facing one side and the third in other direction. This structure helps them to get a firm grip, which facilitates their tree climbing habit. They spend most of their lives on treetops. Some of them also are gifted with prehensile tails, which are also used to take good grip while climbing.
.....
7. Cheetah
.....
Cheetah is one of the exotic animals which are kept as pets since five thousand years and can be dated back to Ancient Egyptian civilization. Initially they were used for hunting. Scientifically known as Acinonyx Jubatus, they are fastest of the wild cats and also amongst the animals but aren’t good at climbing trees like other cats. They are capable of reaching a speed of seventy mile per hour and within merely three seconds they can accelerate from zero mph to seventy mph. The length of the cheetah’s body ranges from forty five to fifty five inches and the weight ranges from ninety to one hundred and forty pounds.
They originated from Africa, and can be found in other parts of the world such as Central Asia and Iran. They have an elongated body with a small head and narrow waist, which facilitates aerodynamics. Cheetahs have semi retractable blunt claws which help them to get good grip during fast pursuits. The color of its coarse fur is tan and has small black spots. A rare kind of cheetah known as King Cheetah is larger in size with big merging spots. Its thirty three inch long tail is encircled with five to six black circles and it helps in taking sharp turns as it acts like a rudder. Black lines which start from its eyes and run along the sides of the nose towards the mouth are called tear marks. These lines enable them to see long distances and minimize the glare of the sun.
Cheetahs can be trained very easily and also they are very caring animals. They make noises such as chirp, yowl, yip, growl and hiss and their purr is very deafening. But they do not have the ability to roar like other big cats and also are diurnal, where as others are nocturnal. They are carnivorous animals and hunt for small mammals and young ones of larger mammals. Cheetahs hunt when it isn’t hot, like at dawn and dusk. They also do not go after animals which they cannot get hold of easily and they hunt not by smell but by vision. Nearly fifty percent of attempts end in failure as they give up fast. One of the reasons can be the immense heat which is generated while running, which can be serious for the animal. They rest for at least half hour after the intense chase. They also have the ability to make sounds of some birds, in order to catch them.
.....
8. Chinchilla
.....
Chinchillas are of small sized crepuscular rodents belonging to the Chinchillidae family, almost the size of rabbit. They are found in the Andes Mountains of South America. There are two different species of chinchilla, Chinchilla Lanigera and Chinchilla Brevicaudata. Although they look almost similar, the tail and ears of Chinchilla Brevicaudata is shorter, its shoulder and neck are broader and is found in the wild. The Chinchilla Lanigera species can be kept as pets. Their standard color is grey and they can also be found in ebony, beige and other colors.
Chinchillas are endangered species. They can be kept as domestic pets, but are very shy animals and are not good with small kids. Because of their fragile bone structure, they should be handled with care and that might be the reason why chinchillas don’t like it when people hold them in their hands.
The life period of chinchillas is about fifteen years, when kept in captivity; some even survive till twenty or more years. They are noisy animals and make noises like squeaks, barks and chirps. They make noise to express their moods. They use a sweet chirping sound to attract another chinchilla for mating. They bark loudly when they get aggressive or scared. Chinchillas are social animals and can be kept together. When keeping the chinchillas of opposite sex, they should be neutered. A group of same sex chinchillas also does well, except that there is a chance of them fighting when a younger or older member is introduced in the group.
.....
9. Clouded Leopard
.....
The striking pattern of clouded leopard outdoes all other patterns, stripes, spots and shades. It can be better explained as marble blotches and hence, clouded leopard is sometimes called marbled cat. No one blotch is similar and the larger ones are more beautiful when compared to the smaller ones. Clouded animals are on the verge of extinction and the Endangered Species Act has been passed for them. Some states even say that it is illegal to keep them as pets and even in states where they are allowed, they come for a huge price.
There is major difference between weight of males and females. The males weigh up to sixty pounds where as the females weigh thirty pounds. Since the natural habitats of these animals are found on high altitudes, they have a long, thick and furry tail. They have the longest canine teeth among the cat family. The structure of the body in front is compressed and powerful. Clouded leopards have short but muscular legs with huge front paws.
Since the animal comes from the mountainous region, it is very found of climbing. Its cage should be built at least ten feet high and it would be even better if trees are provided within the captivity. Climbing trees and reaching great height is a must exercise for them to satisfy their psychological needs. But extra care must be taken when they are outdoors and on trees because if they escape they are very quick and difficult to catch. The cage can also be equipped with hanging toys, which they can leap to reach. Other than that other toys can be included.
.....
10. Crocodile
.....
Crocodiles belong to the Crocodylidae family. Crocodiles can be traced back to the Cretaceous period and the Triassic period. This family also includes alligators and caimans. Crocodiles are huge aquatic reptiles and live in fresh water bodies such as rivers, wetlands, lakes and brackish water. They are found in America, Africa, Australia and Asia. Crocodiles are often confused with alligators. Crocodiles have a V shaped head and alligators have a U shaped head.
Crocodiles are recommended for those who have a past experience with dangerous exotic pets. They are certainly not advisable for beginners and even intermediate pet owners. People that are interested in reptiles can opt for agamid, geckos, skinks, and small snakes. Crocodiles are for extremely experienced hobbyists. They are extremely difficult to handle, housed and the expenses just keep on increasing. Even small juvenile crocodilians become hard to handle after one year. As they grow older, they become more dangerous and stronger. It is only after this, the owners realize the harsh truth and they release the crocodile illegally in the wild. The matter becomes even worse, because since the pet gets habituated of human company, it will loose fear and will become more confident and attack people more easily and frequently.
These reptiles are often underestimated, but they are very strong and fast. Lots of practice should be done before handling a crocodile. In fact, the larger the crocodile, the more the number of people required for handling it. If untrained or inexperienced team handles a crocodile, they are prone to getting serious injuries and might even die on the spot. No amount of training can tame the crocodile. Most of the owners are in delusion in this regard. A lot of hard work and many years of time would have be invested to tame a crocodile.
.....
11. Degu
.....
Degu belongs to the family of rodents. They are very friendly and intelligent pets when compared to other rodents. They are hassle free and demand less maintenance. Some people compare degus to chinchillas, squirrel and even gerbils. They have a tweed brown color and have a long tail with brush like hair at the end. The tail is nearly one to two third of the body’s length. They use it to maintain balance while climbing and while walking they keep it in upright position. Their belly is creamed color and there are circles around their eyes. Their ears are surprisingly big as well as their whiskers. They hinder the growth of their claws by nibbling on them, so they the claws don’t require grooming. Degu’s forelimbs are longer than their hind limbs. They are born with yellow teeth that turn orange after reacting to the chlorophyll present in plants, which also turns their saliva into orange.
They are originally found in Chile and are exported to other countries. There are some import restrictions on degu in America, so it is uncommon to find degus at pet shops, but they can be found in pet stores, all over Europe. Initially other countries brought them not as exotic pets but to conduct laboratory experiments. They do not have the ability to digest sugar, so they were used to test diabetes.
When young, their size can be compared to hamsters and when they grow to their full size they can be compared to hamsters. They grow in size within few months, so all the equipments should be bought with keeping these constraints in mind. The cage should be big and must have a running wheel. Their average body weight is 160-230 gram when they grow into full adult.
.....
12. Diet For Exotic Cats
.....
Exotic cats demand exotic food. Their nutritional requirements are different from domestic cats. Their diet should consist of very high levels of fat and proteins. Also important is the arachadonic acid which is found in animal cells. This fatty acid derivative is one of the essentials, along with vitamin B and nicotinic acid. Otherwise it can affect the growth and the reproductive system of these animals and will lead to reproductive system failure and metabolic diseases.
Problems such as blood clotting, immune system malfunction, vision problems and even heart failure can occur if their diet lacks taurine or amino acid. When the animals aren’t fed with whole animals and just meat products, they can develop deficiencies like cystine, arginine, and methionine. This especially applies to the bigger cats. Exotic cats’ digestive system cannot modify the provitamin cartenoids, like beta carotene, to change them into retinol or vitamin A.
The young ones should be fed with diet rich in calcium. They can get this from milk and even bones which they eat along with the meat. The bones contain the right amounts of phosphorus and calcium to facilitate the growth of healthier bones and joints. They also help the healthy development of gums and teeth. So it is really important to give meat with bones and not just meat chunks. If they eat only meat, the balance is lost and cubs become prone to bone and joint diseases such as rickets. Even when the matured ones are fed with only meat minus the bones, they become prone to bone and joint diseases such as arthritis, osteomalacia and get other problems such as joint pains and soft bones.
.....
13. Hermit Crab
.....
Hermit Crabs have no directly relation to crabs. They come from the super family Paguroidea. They are named as ‘hermit’ crabs because it is their characteristic to occupy abandoned seashells. They do this to protect their delicate abdomen. Nearly five hundred species of hermit crabs are known to exist and most of them live in water. They live in colonies of approximately hundred occupants.
As the hermit crab grows it changes its shell and searches for a bigger one. Also, hermit crabs with well fitting shells grow faster than the ones with tight shell and the later ones becomes a prey very easily. But the availability of abandoned shells is less and hence the hermit crabs fight each other so as to get ownership of a shell. The number of shells available depends on the population of gastropods around. Very rarely do hermit crabs trade each other’s shells. The new shell will be selected if it is at least one-third bigger than the present shell. The hermit crabs also have a tough exoskeleton, which doesn’t grow with the hermit crab. But the crab shed this exoskeleton and grows another one very fast. This process is known as molting. Molting cannot be determined before hand, but hermit crab does become inactive and may bury itself in the gravel for two weeks. A small hermit crab molts once a month and larger crabs molt once every eighteen months.
Hermit crabs are even kept as exotic pets. Pet owners like them because they are the one requiring least-maintenance of all the exotic pets. They do not grow more than the size of a peach and can be kept in a normal aquarium. They are scavengers and feed on algae and debris formed in the aquarium. Many of the species of the hermit crabs are part of the marine aquarium trade, some are herbivorous and some are omnivorous. Blue legged crab, zebra hermit crab, red reef hermit crabs, common hermit crab and red tip crab some of the types of hermit crabs which are kept as pets. The most desirable of them is the red reef hermit crab or scarlet hermit crab. It has a bright red body with yellow colored eyestalks. But some even grow to nearly twelve inches and feed on clams, corals, and crustaceans.
.....
14. Issues With Keeping Lizards As Pets
.....
Lizards are cold-blooded reptiles belonging to the Squamata order. They have four legs, visible ear opening and maneuverable eyelids. Their size can vary from few centimeters to as long as three meters. They are also very-good inexpensive pets. But if the owner wants to get the right type of equipments, the whole affair can become quite expensive. The cost can be cut down a bit by not relying on the pet store completely and doing some self-research.
Before thinking of buying a lizard, the most important factor to be considered is the full-grown size of the lizard as some of the species can grow up to six feet long also. They need extra care and lots of space. Naive pet owners should certainly opt for the ones, which are easier to handle, and certainly not for the ones which grow very big. The favorite is the leopard geckos. They are small in size, require less maintenance and do not demand special conditions such as big terrariums with special UV lightning. Following closely are bearded dragons. They sure are easy to handle but they require a big terrarium with special UV lightning. The investment is quite big. Anoles are another good option. Like bearded dragons they too are easily manageable but need a big terrarium with special UV lightning. Following next are blue-tongued skinks, green anoles, fat tailed gecko, Madagascar ground, Tokay gecko and day geckos.
The bigger the lizard the more challenging it becomes to have them as pets. They need a bigger environment; there can be handling issues and many other factors. For example, iguanas sure are very good pets, but they need lots of space along with lots of care. Other animals that pose challenge as pets are chameleons, savannah monitors, iguanas, white tegu, geckos, and Argentinean black.
.....
15. Macaws
.....
Macaws belong to the family of New World parrots. They are extremely colorful and are largest in the parrot family. These birds inhabit the rainforests in Central America, tropical South America and Mexico. Some of them even live in savannas and woodlands. They are very intelligent organisms. Macaws are known to live for hundred years, but on an average they can hit fifty. Mini macaws live up to thirty years. The lifespan, of a captive macaw, totally depends on the nutrition and care provided to it.
Although there are many species of macaws, the most popular in pet trade are scarlet macaws, military macaws, gold and blue macaws, and hyacinth macaws. Their size can vary from twenty inches to forty-two inches, which includes their long tail.
Macaws feed on fruits and nuts. They also eat clay, which neutralizes the effect of poisonous nuts and seeds, which they eat accidentally. This happens in the wild. In captivity, the bird can be fed with vegetables, fruits, grains, dry fruits, nuts, etc. Care should be taken that the total fat shouldn’t exceed ten percent, as that can be harmful for the bird. They are also known to chew on objects. Because of their intelligence and curiosity, they should be monitored constantly. Macaws make partners for life but the ones that are kept in captivity and don’t have a mate, usually bond with their owner. They feel the need of communication and hence, the keeper should talk to the bird constantly. This is also a technique used for bonding with the animal. Macaws that aren’t interacted with suffer mentally and physically. They are not shy to new people. If a stranger is accompanying the keeper, they do not hesitate to accept the new face and be friends with them.
.....
16. Metabolic Bone Diseases In Exotic Animals
.....content snippet for this file is not shown.....
17. Raccoon
.....content snippet for this file is not shown.....
18. Reality Check For Potential Owners Of Exotic Pets
.....content snippet for this file is not shown.....
19. Serval
.....content snippet for this file is not shown.....
20. Skunks
.....content snippet for this file is not shown.....
21. Snakes
.....content snippet for this file is not shown.....
22. Stick Insect
.....content snippet for this file is not shown.....
23. Sugar Gliders
.....content snippet for this file is not shown.....
24. Tiger
.....content snippet for this file is not shown.....
25. Tortoise
.....content snippet for this file is not shown.....
Kegunaan file ini : File ini berguna sebagai referensi atau literatur berbagai praktisi lainnya di bidang Download Articles.
File ini umumnya digunakan kalangan : Praktisi di bidang Download Articles.