On this thread, you can put any exotic animals that you work with at home, work, college, university, etc. These are the animals that I currently work with. I will sort them using the six main animal groups. Mammals Scottish Wildcats Gambian Pouched Rat Steppe Lemming Pygmy Dormouse African Pygmy Hedgehog (Should be getting some sugar-gliders soon) Birds Common Emu Three species of Parakeet (I will check later) Indian Myna Budgerigars Java Sparrows Zebra Finches Goldfinches Cockatiels Three Lovebird Species (I will check later) Rook A few more species of passerine but I will check later Reptiles New Caledonia Crested Gecko New Caledonia Gargoyle Gecko Pueblan Milk Snake European Glass Lizard Corn Snake Egyptian Uromastyx Moroccan Uromastyx Blue-Tongued Skink Ornate Box Turtle Central Bearded Dragon African Plated Lizard Royal Python Sulcata Tortoise Red-Footed Tortoise Kimberly Rock Monitor Chinese Water Dragon Amphibians Red-Eyed Tree Frog White's Tree Frog Waxy Monkey Frog African Bullfrog Asian Horned Frog Blue Poison Dart Frog Powder Blue Poison Dart Frog Oriental Fire-Bellied Toad (Have had African Clawed Frog, Spanish Sharp-Ribbed Newt, and Axolotls in the past) Fish Guppy Honey Gourami Flying Fox Red-Tailed Black Shark Clown Loach Bronze Corydoras Congo Tetra Penguin Tetra Sterba's Corydoras Maybe a few more but there was a cichlid at one point too but it died Invertebrates Leaf Cockroaches Deathshead Cockroaches Dubian Cockroaches Giant African Land Snail Sun beetle Thorny Stick Insect Peleng Stick Insect Giant Lime Green Stick Insect Maclaey's Stick Insect Leaf Insect Caribbean Hermit Crabs (In the past there was also a salmon pink tarantula, millipede, and praying mantis. I have also worked with butterflies before.)
Mammals Pygmy Marmoset Patagonian Mara Ring tailed lemur Red fronted brown lemur Meerkats Scottish Wildcat African Pygmy hedgehog Gambian pouch rat Red squirrel Azaras Agouti Snow leopard Bennets wallaby Red Kangaroo Birds Red tailed hawk Common emu African crowned crane Himalayan Monal Various types of parrots Reptiles Bearded dragons Royal pythons(or Ball pythons) Kimberley Rock monitor Savannah monitor Black throat monitor Boa constrictor Corn snake King snake Milk snake Burmese python Reticulated python Blue and pink tongued skinks Red footed tortoises Sulcata tortoise Hermanns tortoise Collared iguanas Panther chameleons Chinese water dragons Moroccan and Egyptian uromastyx West African dwarf crocodile Inverts Salmon pink tarantula Giant African land snail Various cockroaches Various phasmids Some of these i have briefly interacted with and not properly worked with.
Here is a current list of the species kept on the animal unit at my uni. Mammals Common palm civet Brush-tailed possum Brazilian three-banded armadillo Kinkajou Sugar glider African pygmy hedgehog Lesser hedgehog tenrec African pygmy dormouse Egyptian fruit bat Fancy mouse Multimammate mouse Fancy rat Dumbo rat Semi-naked rat Edible dormouse Arabian spiny mouse Mongolian gerbil Fat-tailed gerbil Syrian hamster Western winter hamster Roborovski hamster Harvest mouse Chinchilla Degu Ring-tailed lemur Meerkat Yellow mongoose Common marmoset Giant rabbit Mara Capybara Guinea pig Red-necked wallaby Alpaca Llama x alpaca hybrid Pygmy goat Pygmy pygmy goat Nubian goat Dwarf goat Mediterranean miniature donkey South American coati Ferret Birds Green-winged macaw African grey parrot Rainbow lorikeet Goffin's cockatoo Laughing kookaburra Emu Greater rhea Broiler chicken Diamond dove Swift parrot Red-fronted kakariki Java sparrow Pekin robin Zebra finch Bengalese society finch Bronze turkey White-cheeked turaco Reptiles Crested gecko Crocodile skink Fire skink Arafura filesnake Roti Island snake-necked turtle Pancake tortoise Musk turtle Frilled dragon Asian brown tortoise Fly River turtle Philippine sailfin lizard Giant day gecko Plumed basilisk Fiji banded iguana Prehensile-tailed skink Matamata Giant New Caledonian day gecko Neon blue girdle-tailed lizard Soft-shelled turtle Jardine's turtle Cuban anole Green tree monitor Rhinoceros iguana Asian water monitor American alligator Western fox snake Carpet python Corn snake Great Plains rat snake Garter snake Eastern garter snake Kenyan sand boa Tropical girdled lizard Common wonder gecko Leopard gecko False water cobra Berber skink African clawed gecko Fat-tailed gecko Ocellated uromastyx Mandarin rat snake Glass lizard Blue-tongued skink Indian star tortoise Bell's hingeback tortoise Spur-thighed tortoise Plated lizard Bearded dragon Egyptian uromastyx Sudan uromastyx Hog Island boa Horsfield's tortoise Marginated tortoise Burmese star tortoise Royal python Spiny-tailed monitor Pine snake Japanese rat snake Tangerine milk snake Korean rat snake Western hognose snake Californian king snake Grey banded king snake Liquorice rat snake Speckled Madagascan hognose snake Mexican black king snake Bull snake Viper boa Blood python Red-eared terrapin Common snapping turtle Hermann's tortoise Jackson's chameleon Mountain horned dragon Chinese water dragon Amphibians Milky tree frog Red-bellied warty newt Yellow-and-black poison dart frog Green-and-black poison dart frog (Ancon morph) Green-and-black poison dart frog Budgett's frog African bullfrog Two-toed amphiuma Chacoan horned frog Long-nosed horned frog Argentine horned frog Tiger salamander Oriental fire-bellied toad Grey foam nest tree frog Blanford's tree frog Cane toad Spanish ribbed newt African clawed frog Surinam toad Fire salamander Maroon spotted toad Senegal running frog Golden Bells tree frog False tomato frog Foam nest tree frog Axolotl Marsh frog Fish Freshwater angelfish Neon tetra Corydoras Royal plec Banded archerfish Blind cave fish Siamese fighting fish Guppy Red-tailed shark Zebra danio Goldfish Invertebrates Madagascar hissing cockroach Burrowing cockroach Giant African land snail Giant African land snail (albino) Brazilian black tarantula Trapdoor spider Emperor scorpion Indian tiger centipede Chinese giant centipede Jungle nymph Giant thorny stick insect Freshwater red crab Desert scorpion King baboon tarantula Chilean rose bird-eating tarantula Giant millipede Cobalt blue tarantula Rusty red baboon tarantula Chilean beautiful tarantula Salmon pink bird-eating spider Costa Rican zebra tarantula Red-knee bird-eating spider Indian ornamental tarantula Hermit crab Not all of the species I have listed here are exotics obviously, but thought it easier to put the whole list up rather than pick out the few domestics within the list! Also some of the species are unknown for actual species or subspecies so I have just listed them as generic name. We can in theory work with all of these species, but on a traffic light system, if the animal is listed as green we can work with them on our own, yellow we can work with on our own in theory (we consult the technicians in case of any changes) and red we are strictly not allowed to work with (alligators, false water cobra, baboon tarantulas etc).
may I ask where it is that you two work/study/etc to be looking after all these exotic animals (Water Dragon and Komodo99)? They are obviously not pets.
Some of these animals i have worked with we have at my animal unit, a few i have worked with when i did a keeper for the day experience, two i own as pets(bearded dragons and royal python), most of those reptiles i have interacted with are due to the fact i am part of a reptile club and interacted with the wallabies/kangaroos during a trip to Australia.
Not officially ever been a keeper but here is my list of species fed, and/or cleaned out by me. MAMMALS Persian leopard tiger Reticulated giraffe Asian elephant addax Chapman's zebra eastern bongo Linne's two-toed sloth Shawmeyer's tree kangaroo golden hamster clawed jird BIRDS Humboldt's penguin black-footed Penguin king penguin long-crested rockhopper penguin Nepalese moustached parakeet Meyer's parrot Solomon Islands eclectus parrot white-eyed conure painted conure common pheasant budgerigar cockatiel REPTILES inland bearded lizard FISHES common goldfish golden orfe zebra danio black molly twig catfish neon tetra golden nugget plec dwarf ram cichlid common angelfish long-finned barb black widow tetra salifin plec pearl gourami bronze cory emerald brochis irridescent shark catfish salifin plec
Suspect that they will actually be Southern three-banded armadillo - though I would love to be wrong.
Like Rob, these are species I have fed/cleaned out Mammals Hybrid Giraffe Rothschild's Giraffe Kordofan Giraffe African Elephant Ring-Tailed Lemur Meerkat Bennett's Wallaby Guinea Baboon White-Collared Brown Lemur Mongoose Lemur Red-Ruffed Lemur Bird Humboldt Penguin Reptile Radiated Tortoise Black Caiman American Alligator Inland Bearded Dragon
Having a particulair interest in invertebrate husbandry, but little to no desire to keep giant centipedes at my private collection (for obvious reasons), may I ask what it's like to work with them? They are one of the few "commonly" kept insect groups I haven't had the pleasure to work with yet.
Incredibly risky! For obvious reasons we barely work with them, and only the degree level students are allowed anywhere near them (that includes myself), the BTEC students are allowed nowhere near! All I've ever done is toss a locust in with the Indian tiger once the technician opened the lid for me, and the speed with which the centipede reacted was incredible! Fantastic species, but would not recommend keeping them! :')
Thanks for your quick reply. As I said, for the reasons you note (among others), I've no desire to keep them myself. I suspect quite a lot of people buy them on impuls without the right knowledge, given the high numbers for sale and the low number of people actually able and willing to take good care of them.
I used to work at a pet store and will probably never work at one again. However I've caught and moved very young Silver arowanas before, and I've got to interact with Sun conures. Cleaning Convict cichlid tanks can be a pain when they're protecting their young, for even young convicts can give quite a bite for their size xD I've bagged multiple fish for customers before, from guppies to oscars to feisty tetras (Neons, Columbians, Blind caves, you name it). The African cichlids are especially difficult to catch and I've had to scoop up 5? or so at one point. I've cleaned various tanks as well. I haven't necessarily worked with a lot of animals but I've got to hold/"handle" them not too long ago. When I visit my LHS (local herp shop) I tend to ask about handling various snakes or lizards. I've held a boa constrictor (Kahl albino), Woma python, Pueblan milk snake, sand boas (Indian, Tartar, Russian) various ball pythons, and some other reptiles before. Reptile-wise I currently keep 2 crested geckos, 1 gargoyle gecko, 2 checkered garter snakes (1 whom which is albino), 1 leopard gecko, 1 Kenyan sand boa (he's a favorite among many, even to those not fond of snakes), and 1 corn snake. Amphibian-wise I have a Cranwell's horned frog and an American green tree frog (due to college issues I'm planning on giving the frogs to a friend of mine). I've kept various other animals in the past but they probably weren't kept properly and whatnot plus I'm too lazy. Insect-wise I have a colony of Dermestid beetles which are unfortunately not doing so hot, 2 Blue death-feigning beetles and a Madagascar hissing cockroach. I also have a dog but dogs aren't exotic. I've briefly interacted with a lot of animal species before, so I'll probably save that for another time.
Nowadays II don't work with animals... er... actually yes, but they're crustaceans kept temporarily in tanks for sale on food markets. Not counting the animals that I had in my home (mostly fishes), nor the crustaceans that I work with now, these are the non-domestic species that I cared for as part of my job in the past: MAMMALS Asian palm civet (Paradoxurus hermaphroditus) Cape genet (Genetta tigrina) Common genet (Genetta genetta) Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx) Fallow deer (Dama dama) Flying squirrel (Glaucomys volans) Prevos's squirrel (Callosciurus prevostii) Red fox (Vulpes vulpes) Wild boar (Sus scrofa) BIRDS American kestrel (Falco sparverius) Ashy-headed goose (Chloephaga poliocephala) Bahama pintail (Anas bahamensis) Bar-headed goose (Anser indicus) Barbary partridge (Alectoris barbara) Barn owl (Tyto alba) Black crowned crane (Balearica pavonina) Black francolin (Francolinus francolinus) Black kite (Milvus migrans) Black swan (Cygnus atratus) Black-headed caique (Pionites melanocephala) Black-throated finch (Poephila cincta) Blue-faced parrotfinch (Erythrura trichroa) Blue-fronted amazon (Amazona aestiva) Blue-headed parrot (Pionus menstruus) Booted eagle (Hieraaetus pennatus) Burrowing owl (Athene cunicularia) California quail (Callipepla californica) Cape eagle owl (Bubo capensis) Carrion crow (Corvus corone) Chaco owl (Strix chacoensis) Chilean flamingo (Phoenicopterus chilensis) Cinnamon teal (Anas cyanoptera) Cockatiel (Nymphicus hollandicus) Collared dove (Streptopelia decaocto) (not sure if they can be considered "exotic" when they're wild-caught by myself) Common blackbird (Turdus merula) Common buzzard (Buteo buteo) Common kestrel (Falco tinnunculus) Common peafowl (Pavo cristatus) Common quail (Coturnix coturnix) Common shelduck (Tadorna tadorna) Coscoroba swan (Coscoroba coscoroba) Crested fireback (Lophura ignita) Crested wood partridge (Rollulus roulroul) Cut-throat finch (Amadina fasciata) Diamond firetail (Emblema guttata) DuCorps' Cockatoo (Cacatua ducorpsii) Eastern rosella (Platycercus eximius) Eclectus parrot (Eclectus roratus) Emperor goose (Anser canagicus) Eurasian eagle owl (Bubo bubo) Eurasian scops-owl (Otus scops) Eurasian sparrow hawk (Accipiter nisus) European turtle-dove (Streptopelia turtur) Ferruginous hawk (Buteo regalis) Galah (Eolophus roseicapillus) Golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) Golden pheasant (Chrysolophus pictus) Golden-collared macaw (Ara auricollis) Gouldian finch (Erythrura gouldiae) Great grey owl (Strix nebulosa) Great horned owl (Bubo virginianus) Greater sulphur-crested cockatoo (Cacatua galerita) Grey buzzard-eagle (Geranoaetus melanoleucus) Grey crowned crane (Balearica regulorum) Harris's hawk (Parabuteo unicinctus) Hooded merganser (Mergus cucullatus) Hooded siskin (Carduelis magellanica) Hyacinth macaw (Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus) hybrid falcons (Falco) (gyrfalcon x saker and peregrine x barbary) Illiger's macaw (Ara maracana) Kalij pheasant (Lophura leucomelana) Keel-billed toucan (Ramphastos sulfuratus) Lady Amherst's pheasant (Chrysolophus amherstiae) Lanner falcon (Falco biarmicus) Laughing kookaburra (Dacelo novaeguineae) Little owl (Athene noctua) Long-tailed finch (Poephila acuticauda) Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) Mandarin duck (Aix galericulata) Maned duck (Chenonetta jubata) Mute swan (Cygnus olor) Nanday parakeet (Nandayus nenday) Northern cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) Northern goshawk (Accipiter gentilis) Palmnut vulture (Gypohierax angolensis) Pearl-spotted owlet (Glaucidium perlatum) Peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus) Purple starling (Lamprotornis purpureus) Red siskin (Carduelis cucullata) Red-breasted goose (Branta ruficollis) Red-crested cardinal (Paroaria coronata) Red-crested turaco (Tauraco erythrolophus) Red-tailed black cockatoo (Calyptorhynchus banksii) Red-tailed hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) Ringneck parakeet (Psittacula krameri) Ringneck pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) Rock eagle owl (Bubo bengalensis) Saker falcon (Falco cherrug) Salmon-crested cockatoo (Cacatua moluccensis) Satyr tragopan (Tragopan satyra) Scaly-headed parrot (Pionus maximiliani) Scarlet macaw (Ara macao) Scarlet-chested parrot (Neophema splendida) Silver pheasant (Lophura nycthemera) Snowy owl (Bubo scandiacus) Southern boobook (Ninox boobook) Spotted eagle owl (Bubo africanus) Spotted owlet (Athene brama) Star finch (Neochmia ruficauda) Steppe eagle (Aquila nipalensis) Superb parrot (Polytelis swainsonii) Superb starling (Spreo superbus) Swinhoe's pheasant (Lophura swinhoii) Verreaux's eagle (Aquila verreauxii) Victoria crowned pigeon (Goura victoria) White-cheeked turaco (Tauraco leucotis) White-faced whistling duck (Dendrocygna viduata) White-fronted amazon (Amazona albifrons) Wood owl (Strix aluco) Yellow-naped amazon (Amazona auropalliata) Yellow-necked francolin (Francolinus leucoscepus) Yellow-rumped cacique (Cacicus cela) Zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata) REPTILES Red-eared slider (Trachemys scripta) FISHES Eastern mosquitofish (Gambusia holbrooki) Goldfish (Carassius auratus) Guppy (Poecilia reticulata) INVERTEBRATES Giant mealworm (Zophobas atratus) Jamaican field cricket (Gryllus assimilis) Mealworm (Tenebrio molitor) I miss a lot these times when I was working with animals... I wish to have the chance again!
Perhaps not too exotic (especially in comparison to the listed exotics!) but maybe moreso than the average dog/cat/rabbit: Volunteering at my local SPCA - -Degu -Wolf hybrid -Bengal Cat -(possible) Savannah Cat -Spiny Mouse -Ferret At home: Mongolian Gerbil Fancy Rat
I know this is a late reaction but your hissing cockroach might be the reason why your beetles aren't doing so well. Cockroaches and beetles in the same collection without a good hygiene protocol is asking for trouble.
Some impressive lists here! My list is quite short, but when I used to volunteer at Reid Park Zoo I got certified to handle these education animals over the years: Mammals Domestic ferret (with non-handleable marbled polecat in adjacent container) Hairy armadillo Birds trumpeter hornbill Reptiles ball python blue tongued skink (two varieties, not sure which) Invertebrates giant cave roach hissing cockroach
Allow me to just expand on my list The new ones are in bold: Mammals Scottish Wildcats Ring-Tailed Lemur Red-Fronted Brown Lemur Emperor Tamarin Pygmy Marmoset White Tufted-Ear Marmoset Meerkats (I made a truce with them) Patagonian Mara Gambian Pouched Rat Steppe Lemming Pygmy Dormouse Fat-Tailed Jird Degu Egyptian Spiny Mouse Azara's Agouti British Red Squirrel Swinhoe's Striped Squirrel African Pygmy Hedgehog Belanger's Tree Shrew Long-Nosed Potoroo Rodrigues Fruit Bat (Still waiting for those flipping sugar gliders) Birds Common Emu Eastern Grey Crowned Crane Golden Pheasant Demoiselle Crane Eastern Crested Guineafowl Himalayan Monal Ring-Necked Parakeet Senegal Parrot Nanday Conure Indian Myna Budgerigars Java Sparrows Zebra Finches Goldfinches Cockatiels Three Lovebird Species (I will check later) Rook Indian Red-Bied Blue Magpie Roul-Roul Partridge Violet Turaco A few more species of passerine but I will check later Reptiles New Caledonia Crested Gecko New Caledonia Gargoyle Gecko Pueblan Milk Snake European Glass Lizard Corn Snake Egyptian Uromastyx Moroccan Uromastyx Blue-Tongued Skink Ornate Box Turtle Central Bearded Dragon African Plated Lizard Royal Python Sulcata Tortoise Red-Footed Tortoise Kimberly Rock Monitor Chinese Water Dragon Panther Chameleon Collared Iguana Tokay Gecko Electric Blue Gecko Amphibians Red-Eyed Tree Frog White's Tree Frog Waxy Monkey Frog African Bullfrog Asian Horned Frog Blue Poison Dart Frog Powder Blue Poison Dart Frog Oriental Fire-Bellied Toad Cane Toad Knobby Newt (Have had African Clawed Frog, Spanish Sharp-Ribbed Newt, and Axolotls in the past) Fish Guppy Honey Gourami Flying Fox Red-Tailed Black Shark Clown Loach Bronze Corydoras Congo Tetra Penguin Tetra Sterba's Corydoras African Lungfish Maybe a few more but there was a cichlid at one point too but it died Invertebrates Leaf Cockroaches Deathshead Cockroaches Dubian Cockroaches Giant African Land Snail Sun beetle Thorny Stick Insect Peleng Stick Insect Giant Lime Green Stick Insect Maclaey's Stick Insect Leaf Insect Caribbean Hermit Crabs Chilean Rose Tarantula (In the past there was also a salmon pink tarantula, millipede, and praying mantis. I have also worked with butterflies before.)
Mammals: Pygmy hippo Ocelot Palawan binturong Capybara Fossa giant anteater Gorilla Bornean orangutan Fennec fox Kinkajou Matschies Tree kangaroo Amur tiger African lion Three banded armadillo Hedgehog Hedgehog tenrec Chinchilla Prehensile tailed porcupine Reptiles: boa constrictor American alligator Crested gecko Leopard gecko Bearded dragon Ball python Box turtle Pancake tortoise Hingeback tortoise Black rat snake Milksnake Cornsnake Prehensile tailed skink Blue tounged skink Birds: Kestrel Great horned owl Blue and gold macaw Eastern screech owl Scarlet macaw Barn owl Mandarin duck Amphibians: Milk frog
