Here Are 15 Exotic Animals Trying To Take The Best Pet Title Away From Dogs

We here at BarkPost have never questioned that dogs are the absolute best, but it never hurts to review why. So we decided to see how some of the more exotic pets stack up against man’s best friend. Meet 15 pets that prove dogs are the best friend a person could have.

1. The Scorpion

Not to start off with the obvious, but really? A poisonous arachnid? Do I even need to say why dogs are better than a venomous, creepy, eight-legged insect? I didn’t think so. Next!

To read more on this story, click here: Here Are 15 Exotic Animals Trying To Take The Best Pet Title Away From Dogs

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There Are Swimming Tarantulas In Texas And It’s Terrifying

Have you enjoyed spending time outdoors while the weather was warm this year? Perhaps you are the type of person who likes jumping in the swimming pool or maybe even going to a state park and swimming in the lake.

If you happen to fall into that category, we have something to share with you and it’s not pretty.

To read more on this story, click here: There Are Swimming Tarantulas In Texas And It’s Terrifying

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Meet The Goliath Birdeater, The World’s Largest Tarantula That Eats Sparrows

The thought of being anywhere near a giant spider is terrifying to most of us. It’s easy to see why gigantic arachnids appear in books and films as villainous creatures — they just look like the stuff of nightmares.

Luckily, big bad spiders like Shelob in Lord of the Rings and Aragog in Harry Potter only exist in the fictional world.

However, there are scary spiders in this world that are very much real, like the Goliath Birdeater.

To read more on this story, click here: Meet The Goliath Birdeater, The World’s Largest Tarantula That Eats Sparrows



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Massive Tarantula Dragging Opossum To Its Doom Is Pure Nightmare Fuel

Australia has its fair share of oversized arachnids, but even down under, we’ve never seen a spider as fearsome as this.

A video taken recently in the Amazon shows a tarantula likely 10 inches in diameter, making a meal out of a young opossum. The auspicious encounter was recorded by biologists working with the University of Michigan, studying rare predator-prey interactions in the lowland rainforests of the Andean foothills, Fox News reports.

“This is an underappreciated source of mortality among vertebrates,” Daniel Rabosky, an evolutionary biologist at U of M who leads a team of researchers to the Amazon rainforest about once or twice a year, said in an online statement. “A surprising amount of death of small vertebrates in the Amazon is likely due to arthropods such as big spiders and centipedes.”

To read more on this story, click here: Massive Tarantula Dragging Opossum To Its Doom Is Pure Nightmare Fuel

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Tarantulas Can Make Awesome Pets for the Right People

When most people heard the word spider, they freak out! Let alone the word, Tarantula. This Arachnophobia, is a natural phenomenon that occurs in most of us. From a young age, most of us are taught to fear these creatures because of how intimidating and scary they can look (for good reason too). However, this is only caused by the limited knowledge that we have of these tarantulas. Although there is a huge database of information out there for these crawlys, very few bother with it because of this inherent fear. There are in fact over 900 species of Theraphosidae, which is simply a category of spiders that tarantulas fall into. In this section, you will be either convince the burning conviction in you that tarantulas make a wonderful pet, or they are simply too much for what you intended to chew.

Tarantulas in general are really hardy species and thus hard to mess up. These exotic pets have gotten more and more popular over the past years and have seen a significant growth in demand for it. Virtually noiseless creatures who do not require much space at all and inexpensive to feed. Most have a really docile demeanor, which makes handling one easy when necessary, however it is not recommended as it creates unnecessary stress on your pet tarantula. If you are looking to stand out from the rest, a pet tarantula would definitely fit the bill.

The following things may be deal breakers:

1.) Live Prey is Required

Does watching a prey being devoured alive bother you? For some pet owners, this might not be a concern, but for others, it’s not a pleasant thought. Tarantulas have to eat live prey (in very rare cases they feed on carcass, for instance when they are young), which you also will need to provide. You’ll need a reliable supplier of crickets or other live prey which I provide in the [Tarantula food section] to make feeding easier. It’s generally not a good idea to feed wild caught crickets, as like the name suggests these are wild, and things like pathogens can easily be found on these critters that may harm your pet tarantula.

2.) Cuddling is a No No

Do you think touch and cuddle when you think of the word pet ? If you caught yourself in a definite yes to this question, you might do better with something else. Though common pet tarantula species are docile, they can easily spook if you are trying to handle them, and squirm from your hand. Falls are nearly always fatal for tarantulas, as their abdomens rupture easily. When tarantulas feel threatened, they kicks hairs by using its back pair of legs to repeatedly rub the abdomen and shake loose hairs.  It will then flings these hairs in the direction of its attacker.  This defense is enough to discourage most attackers.  In humans these hairs can cause a painful, but temporary rash. In addition, tarantulas can and will bite you if they feel threatened. Although they are poisonous, the poison is meant for killing preys much smaller than them.

3.) Cool Tricks and Free Roam

Do you want an active pet, one that does cool tricks and can be let loose in your home? Except when capturing and eating live prey, tarantulas spend a great deal of time doing absolutely nothing, I mean literally nothing. Though it appears sluggish in its terrarium, once your pet tarantula escapes it runs with lightning quickness to find a hiding place. Thus, it is always recommended to clean the cage in a confined area, so the resident spider can’t make a speedy retreat to some dark corner of the house. So unless you are certain you don’t mind observing a tarantula and barely interacting with it, a tarantula isn’t for you.

Still Want a Tarantula as a Pet?

Bear in mind these seven commandments that are vital to the best care possible that you will be able to provide your newly found best friend. You will thank me later.

• Female Tarantulas live longer, a lot longer

• Do not handle your Tarantula unless it is absolutely necessary

• Do not touch any sensitive areas (eyes, nose) after physical contact with Tarantula

• A fall can be absolutely fatal for a Tarantula

• Food needs to be removed every 24 hours in contact with Tarantula

• A water dish is very important

• Bites are not fatal but can cause allergic reactions

• Always rinse your hands after contact with a Tarantula

Recommended Tarantulas for Beginners:

Here are some of the most recommended species for a beginner hobbyist that is looking to get involved in this exotic pet trade. The follow species are recommended because of their amazing temperament and docile behaviors. Although, they all do “urticate hairs”, they are not quick to do so and would much rather flee than fight.

Eupalaestrus Campestratus (Pink Zebra Beauty)
Brachypelma Albopilosum (Honduran Curly Hair)
Chromatopelma Cyaneopubescens (Greenbottle Blue)
Avicularia Versicolor (Martinique pink toe)
Brachypelma Smithi  (Mexican Red knee Tarantula)

In the end, tarantulas do make great pets, however, because owning a tarantula is not so mainstream, the proper care and maintenance for these spiders are often hard to find. For those who do their due diligence and do sufficient research on a specific tarantula they are interested in, they are often rewarded with a healthy and fascinating pet.





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Exotic Pets Could Soon Be Banned in Arlington County, Virginia

Pet lions and crocodiles could soon become illegal in Arlington, Virginia.

Surprised they aren't already? Turns out, many D.C.-area jurisdictions ban exotic or wild animals as pets -- but Arlington isn't one of them. Yet.

Now the Arlington County Board is considering whether to hold a public hearing on whether to ban keeping these animals as pets.

"Under current County Code, Arlington bars the keeping of pigs, fowl and poisonous reptiles. But there's nothing now on the books to prevent residents from raising a lion, monkey or even a crocodile," Arlington officials said in a press release Friday.

The change would also prohibit the keeping of wolves, raccoons, lynxes, alligators, tarantulas, hedgehogs and sugar gliders. Non-poisonous snakes or other reptiles longer than four feet would also be banned.

However, there would be an exception for some exotic pets already owned by residents. Those pet owners would be able to keep their animals if they register them with animal control, officials said.

Officials said the ban would aim to prevent humans from getting hurt and animals from being mistreated.

Arlington officials said in their release that D.C., Fairfax, Prince William and Montgomery counties all already have similar laws on the books.
During a board meeting Saturday, Arlington County Board members will consider a request to advertise a March 18 public hearing on the issue.
Arlington residents will also be able to comment several other ways:
By using Arlington's online CiviComment tool.

Mail or hand-deliver comments to: Arlington County Department of Human Services, Attn: Lyn Hainge, 2100 Washington Blvd., Second Floor, Arlington, VA 22204.

Speak at the (proposed) public hearing, which would be held March 18 at 8:30 a.m. in the County Board Room (2100 Clarendon Blvd., third floor, Arlington).
Email comments to animals@arlingtonva.us.

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Unusual Pets That Are Legal To Own

Exotic pet laws in the U.S. vary from state to state as do requirements for some pets' care, so be sure to look into local regulations before bringing home a new furry or scaly friend.

To read more on this story, click here: Unusual Pets That Are Legal To Own FOLLOW US!