Popular Exotic Pet Species to Know

Pet options go beyond cats and dogs. Our experts can tell you what you need to know if you’re considering making any exotic animals your pet.

Goldfish being fed by a male child and male senior
7 Low-Maintenance Pets for Busy People
Mexican Red-Leg Tarantula
The 10 Best Terrestrial Invertebrates to Keep as Pets
Gray chincilla laying on wooden table closeup
12 Best Exotic Pets for Apartment Living
High Angle View Of Chimpanzee In Forest
7 Kinds of Primates That Are Kept as Pets
pigs kissing in the sun
8 Facts About Teacup Pigs That Aren't So Cute
Closeup of a raccoon face
Should You Keep a Raccoon as a Pet?
Fennec fox with long pointed ears standing against wired fence
Should You Keep Fennec Fox (Desert Fox) as a Pet?
Black tarantula spider climbing person's hand closeup
10 Best Exotic Pets for Small Spaces
Potbellied pig
Should You Keep a Potbellied Pig as a Pet?
Close-up of a praying mantis on a stick
Should You Keep a Praying Mantis as a Pet?
Elevated View of a Scorpion
Should You Keep an Emperor Scorpion as a Pet?
Adult female northern flying squirrel (Glaucomys sabrinus) accidentally frigtened from her nest box where she was nursing four young, central Alberta, Canada
Should You Keep a Northern Flying Squirrel as a Pet?
Bradypus tridactylus
Should You Keep a Sloth as a Pet?
Emperor scorpion
8 Top Scorpion Species Suitable as Pets
Close up view of a woman holding a fox
Best Foxes to Keep as Pets
Stick insect on a leaf.
Should You Keep Stick Insect as a Pet?
Woman feeding water to a tiger
Should You Keep a Tiger as a Pet?
Genet
Should You Keep a Genet as a Pet?
High angle view of chimpanzee in forest
Should You Keep a Chimpanzee as a Pet?
Monodelphis domestica
Should You Keep a Short-Tailed Opossum as a Pet?
Chinese water dragon on a rock.
How to Care for a Chinese Water Dragon
Kinkajou (Potos flavus) sitting on a branch
Should You Keep a Kinkajou as a Pet?
Prairie Dog
Should You Keep a Prairie Dog as a Pet?
Kunekune pig with piglets
Should You Keep a Kunekune Pig as a Pet?
Blue tongued skink (Tiliqua scincoides)
Should You Keep a Blue-Tongued Skink as a Pet?
Degu in hands
Should You Keep a Degu as a Pet?
Mexican redleg tarantula
How to Care for a Pet Mexican Redleg Tarantula
Children's hands holding giant millipede
Should You Keep a Giant Millipede As a Pet?
Mexican red-knee tarantula on a rock
How to Care for a Pet Mexican Red-Knee Tarantula
Coatimundi raccoon with light brown fur stepping on to long piece of wood
Should You Keep a Coatimundi (Coati) as a Pet?
Honduran curly hair tarantula on rocks
How to Care for a Pet Curly Hair Tarantula
A large tiger in Bandhavgarh National Park, Madhya Pradesh, India
Should You Keep a Big Cat as a Pet?
Patagonian cavy
Should You Keep a Patagonian Cavy (Mara) as a Pet?
A pink toe tarantula on a web
How to Care for a Pet Pink Toe Tarantula
Awkward Pet Portraits
Should You Keep a Llama As a Pet?
Lesser anteater on a log outside
Should You Keep an Anteater As a Pet?
Black pet chickens with red comb and wattles in cage with straw ground
How to Care for a Pet Chicken
Border Collie dog staring straight into the camera.
The Top 10 Smartest Pets
Tarantulas
10 Best Tarantula Species to Keep as Pets
Desert tarantula coming out of hole
How to Care for a Pet Desert Blond Tarantula
Close up of a snake
Types of Exotic Pets
A close-up of a hermit crab
How to Set up a Sand Tank for Pet Hermit Crab
Spider posing with legs in the air
8 Best Terrestrial Invertebrates to Keep as Pets
Fun loving Gerbils
8 Best Exotic Pets for Kids
Sugar Glider Joey
Sugar Glider Behavior
Animals You Shouldn’t Keep as Pets
10 Worst Animals to Keep as Pets
Resting Fox
9 Cute Pictures of Red Foxes
Small snail touching a person's finger.
What to Consider Before Keeping a Pet Snail
front view closeup of black and white spotted piglet on hay on a sunny day
12 Cute Pigs That Will Bring a Smile to Your Face
hermit crab in shell
Choosing and Preparing Shells for Hermit Crabs
Sugar glider joey
Sugar Glider Pouches
2 hedgehogs on log, studio shot
Should I Get a Friend for My Hedgehog?
pet skunk
Caring for Pet Skunks
Girl outside with baby skunks
Keeping Wild Baby Skunks as Pets
Giant African Land Snail
Should You Keep a Giant African Land Snail as a Pet?
Mexican Red Leg Tarantula on mulch
Should You Keep a Pet Mexican Redleg Tarantula?
Sugar glider
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Emperor Scorpion, Pandinus imperator (Scorpionidae), from Africa.
Determining an Emperor Scorpion's Gender
Sugar gliders have patagium that is visible when they extend their legs.
Can Sugar Gliders Fly?
Mealworms
How to Raise Mealworms
Land Hermit Crabs
Having Land Hermit Crabs for Pets
Fennec fox with long pointed ears in sunlight
Fennec Fox Facts
Squirrel snacking at the windowsill
Feeding Pet Squirrels