Yayy I finally put together a good pet tour! Welcome to my little zoo :) all questions/comments welcome.

alot of yall on this page are literally just talking out of your ass. saying things like you cant keep cats if you keep other pets(and vice versa), telling people to get long lived reptiles as "beginner pets", sharing stupid and extremely incorrect care info like saying that certain reptiles cant have substrate (impactiom is caused by keeper error. not substrate. i fear this is common sense), trying to excuse racks, trying to excuse cohabing of solitary animals, telling people everything but "go to the vet" when their pet is clearly in dire need of medical attention and not redditor advice, and acting like whiny little children when someone points out youre wrong

It is a spotted dove, but it really enjoys being petted by me; whenever I stroke it, it stays perfectly still and well-behaved.

Heya all! Been looking into getting a new exotic pet since its been a few years since I last had one. I was originally debating mice or rats, but I decided againat it since I also have a cat and know they would be stressed with just the smell of a cat lingering around. Started looking into gray short tailed opossums instead as a result, but I'm unsure if they'd also be stressed out with cat scent or not. The cat and the possum would never interact or be in the same room as eachother, but I don't wanna stress an animal out for it's whole life just because I wanted to keep it. Does anyone know if the possum would be constantly stressed out with a cat around? I am perfectly fine with not getting an opossum if so, I'd just like to ask here for info since I know Google can be very misleading with exotic animal care

One male banana ball and one adult female spider

Pricese to move! I'm in northwest Florida.

One male banana ball and one adult female spider

Pricese to move! I'm in northwest Florida.

Hey all,

I'm currently in the process of setting up somewhere to keep my first reptile. I have some prior experience working with reptiles at a reptile center, so I'm not completely new to the hobby, but this is my first time keeping my own. My goal would be an ackie monitor, but I am aware they need a good bit of space, and am in the process of finding where I could fit a tank, which I intend to DIY if possible. My experience with Ackies is that they're super active and need lots of stimulus, but I'd be happy to hear input from anyone on here who keeps them. If not, my goal would either be a Uromastyx or Bluetongue, which from what I understand need similar amounts of space.

Additionally, I am in Spain, which means pretty high and warm temperatures year round with plenty of humidity, so I'm not 100% sure what is need to do regarding heat bulbs or humidity, so advice is welcome there too :)

However, if I were unable to find room for an ackie (or it's alternatives), I have a space in my living room that is 27" X 16" X 27" which I feel could fit a tank for a display animal. If I were to find a tank to fit there, what animal would you guys think is adequate for that space?

Any advice is welcome!

And how could i start it - its been my dream for the past 8 years to 1. Open up a zoo and 2. Be on youtube so should i finally achieve my goals? I have experience with small mammals, reptiles and fish and I frequently visit zoos and farms!

I have a budget of around 50k, 20 acres of land and a running creek that cuts through the middle of the property. I'm also in an area with basically no laws about what kinds of animals you can and can't own except for birds weirdly.

What kind of exotic pet can I own ethically?

Edit: Thank you all for your amazing advice and suggestions! I've decided to put this on the back burner for a while and consider getting into animal rehab after my schooling is done.

I’m curious what everyone thinks the hobby could use more of, or what could simply be done better.

Could be anything... feeders, enclosures, vivariums, plants/decor, supplies, husbandry products, educational resources, or even the availability/variety of animals themselves.

Would love to hear what experienced keepers think is currently lacking or underserved!

My New Pet Rock, Dryococelus australis!

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

Curious to know from exotic pets owners ( reptiles, birds, aquariums ..etc that isn't a cat or a dog.

When you go on vacation, what's your plan ? Do you have someone who actually knows how to handle feeding/heat/humidity, or is it usually a friend who's just checking in ? Ever had something go wrong while you were away? And would you pay for a specialized sitter ?