Snakes are lithe and graceful in that way peculiar to animals bred for stealth and hunting, qualities that many owners find particularly attractive. It is said that this species reproduced rapidly when a pet breeder released six to eight individuals into the wild on Grassy Key. There could be a range of exotic animals that may be unknown carriers of human diseases. Maha Oda, campaign officer at International Fund for Animal Welfare IFAW UAE says her organisation recently launched a campaign in collaboration with the Ministry of Education to teach children about the dangers of keeping wildlife as pets.

Like any other exotic pet, a sugar glider also needs special care and attention in order to stay happy and healthy in domestic environment. We did a lot of training to recognise it. Quality of life and being pain free is important in your pet’s final years. However, they can enjoy spending time with their owners during the day, for example, sleeping in a pocket or bonding pouch.

People are the issue not the animals. Veterinary costs for treatment of exotic animals may be significantly higher than for a more conventional pet due to the increased specialization. Yes, these are silly—even dangerous—things to do. Unfortunately, people do something similar when they keep exotic animals as pets.

While the thought of keeping a spider as a pet may churn some people’s stomachs, tarantulas are very low maintenance pets. Exotic pet owners have one month to hand over their so-called pets to authorities under a newly announced ban on breeding and possession of wild animals smuggled into the emirate at homes and farms.

The point I’m most trying to make is that if you are willing to devote a great deal of time researching a species natural history, this will give you a far better chance of successfully keeping that animal as a pet. However, due to a coatis wild nature and its fierce fighting capabilities when provoked, a house cat might be the better choice for a pet.

By Hathor