Which Animals Are Considered Exotic Pets?
When we hear the term “exotic pet”, most think about tigers and chimps being held in captivity by amateur keepers. But did you know that a parrot and bearded dragon could also be considered exotic pets? Keep reading to learn the definition of what is an exotic pet, along with examples.
What is the Definition of a Domesticated Pet?
There is no single scientific or legal definition for the term “exotic pet”, so there are a variety of opinions about what the term means. To understand the nature of exotic pets, it may be helpful to first define what is generally not considered to be exotic.
An exotic animal is not fully “domesticated”. A domesticated animal has been tamed and bred so many times with the help of humans that the domesticated animal barely resembles the looks and behavior of its wild ancestors. Think about how different a house cat is to a tiger, or a dog is to a wolf.
The following animals are considered to be domesticated pets: dogs, cats, goldfish, guinea pigs, hamsters, ferrets, rats, etc. Animals that commonly live on a farm are considered to be domesticated livestock and include horses, cows, pigs, chickens, goats, lambs, rabbits, honey bees, etc. Exotic pets fall outside the definitions of domesticated pets and livestock.
What is the Definition of an Exotic Pet?
An exotic pet can be defined as an animal with the following characteristics:
- The animal has close relatives that still live out in the wild today.
- The animal still acts like its wild relatives or there is a risk of it suddenly changing back to its wild behavior.
- The animal can be considered dangerous or risky to own.
- The animal is not commonly owned as a pet
Examples of Exotic Pets
The following are examples of animals that some owners think of as pets and are generally considered to be exotic.
- Many mammals
- Hedgehogs
- Chinchillas
- Sugar gliders
- Foxes
- Bears
- Wolves
- Tigers
- Primates
- Most reptiles and amphibians
- Frogs
- Lizards
- Salamanders
- Snakes
- Turtles
- Most non-farm birds
- Parrots
- Hawks
- All insects, spiders, and crabs
It’s worth mentioning again that there are no firm, official definitions for what counts as an exotic pet, but hopefully, this article has taught you enough that you too can participate in friendly debates about which animals fall into the category of exotic.
