The Internet’s Exotic Pets, and the People Who Love Them

The stars of Pet Tube are modeling the radical caretaking of strange animals. But they are only human.

Tomas Pasiecznik lives in New Jersey with his parents, his dog and 26 other species of animals, including a reticulated python, a Chilean rose hair tarantula, a colony of Central American giant cave cockroaches and an African pygmy hedgehog named Chloe. That count does not include all the animals that Pasiecznik acquires to feed to his other animals. When we spoke on a recent afternoon, over Zoom, Pasiecznik dipped out of view for a moment and returned with two electric blue hornworms wriggling in his palm — dinner for his scorpions and tarantulas. “They’re super cool,” he said. “I have a hard time feeding these. I’d rather just, like, watch them turn into moths and stuff.”

To read more on this story, click here: The Internet’s Exotic Pets, and the People Who Love Them

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Exotic Low Maintenance Cool Pets That Are Legal To Own

Have you ever wondered, how can you get your hands on some unusually exotic pet animals that can be part of your life?

Well you’re at the right place, so get ready to know some mysterious and incredibly awkward looking creatures from our blue planet that can be kept as cool pets.

Some people just don’t have the stomach for the usual cat and mouse animals, but prefer the challenge and thrill of owning something unique and rather eye-catching. It’s a great way to feed your exotic animal fetish and hobby-ish nature.

If you ever thought owning some exotic pets would be a colossal nightmare in care and possession, you would be surprised to know that the animals mentioned below are actually being kept as pets.

Note: It is your duty to ensure that you and your dream pet live in legal harmony according to your state law.

Here is the List of 30 Exotic Low Maintenance Cool Pets That Are Legal To Own.

To read more on this story, click here: Exotic Low Maintenance Cool Pets That Are Legal To Own


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This Adorable Looking Animal is a "Slow Loris": But It Can Kill Humans

YouTube sensation the slow loris might look adorable, but it can kill humans... and we are killing them out in return.

It’s was the latest YouTube sensation in 2012: a small, furry creature with huge eyes and arms raised above its head is being tickled.  More than 12 million people have watched this and another film of a similar animal holding a cocktail umbrella. Many of those probably thought ‘What a lovely creature, how cute’.

Professor Anna Nekaris is a Professor in Anthropology and Primate Conservation studying the unique group of evolutionary distinct primates known as the Asian lorises. You can read more about her HERE.

Professor Anna Nekaris: It breaks my heart. The animal in the films is a ‘slow loris’, a nocturnal primate from Asia, a close cousin to monkeys. I’ve spent almost 20 years studying them and I know just how cruel those films are.

Sad tale: Primatologist Anna Nekaris with a slow loris which is illegally on sale in the market in Indonesia.

Misleading: The YouTube video of a loris 'being tickled' (left) has been seen by 12 million people - but it is endangering the lives of lorises in the wild (right)

Yes, they are beautiful animals but they are not in this world to perform tricks on the internet - they’re not even suitable as pets.

They are venomous, the only primate to be so, and are known as the ‘jungle gremlins’ because of their benign appearance coupled with a flesh-rotting poison, which can be fatal to humans.

Although evolution has given the slow loris some unique attributes, like so many other species, nature alone cannot protect it from all the 21st century threats.

Their natural forest habitat is disappearing at an alarming rate, the use of them in traditional Asian medicine continues to decimate the population and now, thanks to YouTube and other internet sites, exacerbates their demand as exotic pets, putting them at huge risk.

I went undercover with a BBC film crew in Jakarta, Indonesia, to find out the extent of the shocking trade in these wonderful but shy animals. What I saw reduced me to tears.

The loris first emerged as a distinct lineage more than 40 million years ago. Unlike similar primates it can’t leap at all – its tail is reduced to a stub but instead has an extraordinary vice-like grip by which it manouevres Ninja-like through the trees.

In its natural habitat, high above the ground and shrouded by the darkness of night, it makes rapid and elegant progress from branch to branch.

Wide-eyed wonder: The slow loris is a beautiful animal, but they are not in this world to perform tricks on the internet - they're not even suitable as pets.

But on the ground it feels ill at ease, and under bright daytime light is insecure, unsure of itself and vulnerable. Its movements become unsteady and, well, slow. Hence, the less than flattering name.

Apart from its extraordinary grip it also has a powerful bite, able to chisel through the bark of trees and even bamboo.  It sounds not unlike a woodpecker when it’s feeding, using its two tongues to extract gum, syrup and nectar from the vegetation.

It also consumes insect larvae and even small bats and lizards.

In turn, the slow loris can fall victim to pythons and orang-utans but the biggest threat is, of course, mankind. And that threat comes in several forms.

The slow loris lives in the trees – it needs forests to survive. Yet in the parts of the Asian world that is its natural habitat the forests are disappearing at an alarming rate. On Java, the main island of Indonesia, there is only 10 per cent of the forest left and here the slow loris population is falling at a terrifying rate. In one of Java’s best-protected forests, we came across only six wild animals in a whole year.

One of the great misfortunes of the slow loris is that it is much sought after in traditional Asian medicine. Known as the ‘animal that cures 100 diseases’ it’s widely used in traditional healing remedies in China, Laos, Burma, Cambodia and Vietnam.

Add to that its popularity as a pet in Asia and it’s new fame in the west and you have the elements of a major onslaught on the loris population which could drive it to extinction.

But that is no concern of the people who work in the live animal markets in Java.

Danger: Slow lorises are venomous - the only primate to be so - and are known as the 'jungle gremlins' because of their benign appearance coupled with a flesh-rotting poison, which can be fatal to humans.

Heart-breaking: Nekaris with a box full of slow lorises - when she was searching for the animal in the wide they only saw six of them in a whole year.

They were healthy and had their teeth, they were good candidates for release back into the wild - it broke my heart to leave them there when it would have been in my power to set them free. But buying them would be wrong on so many fronts. I would never buy an animal in a market because it just promotes the sale of them. The second any foreigner buys an animal the traders think: ‘Oh, we can sell them to foreigners’ and the trade escalates.

If I had bought them, he would have just got four more. The moment he sells one he just replaces it. The whole trade is just so sick. The ‘catchers’ make around 25 pence for a slow loris, the traders then sell them for £25. But international trade can see a single slow loris being sold for between £900-£1,800.

Everyone who has seen the film we took in the market has cried. But this trade is made even more heartless by the fact that the slow loris is not even a suitable pet – far from it. It sleeps all day, it smells worse than a whole box of rotten eggs and on top of that it can seriously harm you.

It is the only primate in the world that is poisonous thanks to a dark fluid released from a gland above its elbow which, when mixed with its own saliva, becomes toxic.

We are studying the reasons why they may have this - the classic explanation is that it is predator defense - although this is now in dispute with other theories being that it makes them unpalatable and so protects themselves and their young.

In the wild: One of the primates in its natural habitat.

Not pets: The animal only has a stump of a tail but has an extremely strong grip.

The effect of the poison is to cause wounds to fester – it works as an anti-coagulant. The necrotic effect means that the tissue dies and the flesh rots. Another theory suggests they may have venomous glands as a way of destroying rivals over territory - they do attack other slow lorises who then die a slow death.

The danger to humans is generally an allergic reaction, in some cases their bites have triggered anaphylactic shock and death.

Even if the reaction is not that severe the bite alone from the razor sharp fangs of a slow loris is excruciating, and I should know I have suffered a few bites myself – always on my fingers.

That’s why the slow lorises sold as domestic pets have their teeth ripped out first. It’s cruel and unnecessary because they shouldn’t be kept as pets at all.

Yet, the new interest in the animals generated by the internet and the films on YouTube produce a stream of inquiries on forums asking if people can get one as a pet.

The correct answer is: you can’t. Or at least, you shouldn’t be able to, because the trade in them is illegal.

The YouTube films create the impression that the slow loris is a cute domestic animal.

So let’s demand YouTube take these cruel movies down from the internet and allow the slow loris to return to the darkness of the forest.



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This Adorable Looking Animal is a "Slow Loris": But It Can Kill Humans

YouTube sensation the slow loris might look adorable, but it can kill humans... and we are killing them out in return.

It’s was the latest YouTube sensation in 2012: a small, furry creature with huge eyes and arms raised above its head is being tickled.  More than 12 million people have watched this and another film of a similar animal holding a cocktail umbrella. Many of those probably thought ‘What a lovely creature, how cute’.

Professor Anna Nekaris is a Professor in Anthropology and Primate Conservation studying the unique group of evolutionary distinct primates known as the Asian lorises. You can read more about her HERE.

Professor Anna Nekaris: It breaks my heart. The animal in the films is a ‘slow loris’, a nocturnal primate from Asia, a close cousin to monkeys. I’ve spent almost 20 years studying them and I know just how cruel those films are.

Sad tale: Primatologist Anna Nekaris with a slow loris which is illegally on sale in the market in Indonesia.

Misleading: The YouTube video of a loris 'being tickled' (left) has been seen by 12 million people - but it is endangering the lives of lorises in the wild (right)

Yes, they are beautiful animals but they are not in this world to perform tricks on the internet - they’re not even suitable as pets.

They are venomous, the only primate to be so, and are known as the ‘jungle gremlins’ because of their benign appearance coupled with a flesh-rotting poison, which can be fatal to humans.

Although evolution has given the slow loris some unique attributes, like so many other species, nature alone cannot protect it from all the 21st century threats.

Their natural forest habitat is disappearing at an alarming rate, the use of them in traditional Asian medicine continues to decimate the population and now, thanks to YouTube and other internet sites, exacerbates their demand as exotic pets, putting them at huge risk.

I went undercover with a BBC film crew in Jakarta, Indonesia, to find out the extent of the shocking trade in these wonderful but shy animals. What I saw reduced me to tears.

The loris first emerged as a distinct lineage more than 40 million years ago. Unlike similar primates it can’t leap at all – its tail is reduced to a stub but instead has an extraordinary vice-like grip by which it manouevres Ninja-like through the trees.

In its natural habitat, high above the ground and shrouded by the darkness of night, it makes rapid and elegant progress from branch to branch.

Wide-eyed wonder: The slow loris is a beautiful animal, but they are not in this world to perform tricks on the internet - they're not even suitable as pets.

But on the ground it feels ill at ease, and under bright daytime light is insecure, unsure of itself and vulnerable. Its movements become unsteady and, well, slow. Hence, the less than flattering name.

Apart from its extraordinary grip it also has a powerful bite, able to chisel through the bark of trees and even bamboo.  It sounds not unlike a woodpecker when it’s feeding, using its two tongues to extract gum, syrup and nectar from the vegetation.

It also consumes insect larvae and even small bats and lizards.

In turn, the slow loris can fall victim to pythons and orang-utans but the biggest threat is, of course, mankind. And that threat comes in several forms.

The slow loris lives in the trees – it needs forests to survive. Yet in the parts of the Asian world that is its natural habitat the forests are disappearing at an alarming rate. On Java, the main island of Indonesia, there is only 10 per cent of the forest left and here the slow loris population is falling at a terrifying rate. In one of Java’s best-protected forests, we came across only six wild animals in a whole year.

One of the great misfortunes of the slow loris is that it is much sought after in traditional Asian medicine. Known as the ‘animal that cures 100 diseases’ it’s widely used in traditional healing remedies in China, Laos, Burma, Cambodia and Vietnam.

Add to that its popularity as a pet in Asia and it’s new fame in the west and you have the elements of a major onslaught on the loris population which could drive it to extinction.

But that is no concern of the people who work in the live animal markets in Java.

Danger: Slow lorises are venomous - the only primate to be so - and are known as the 'jungle gremlins' because of their benign appearance coupled with a flesh-rotting poison, which can be fatal to humans.

Heart-breaking: Nekaris with a box full of slow lorises - when she was searching for the animal in the wide they only saw six of them in a whole year.

They were healthy and had their teeth, they were good candidates for release back into the wild - it broke my heart to leave them there when it would have been in my power to set them free. But buying them would be wrong on so many fronts. I would never buy an animal in a market because it just promotes the sale of them. The second any foreigner buys an animal the traders think: ‘Oh, we can sell them to foreigners’ and the trade escalates.

If I had bought them, he would have just got four more. The moment he sells one he just replaces it. The whole trade is just so sick. The ‘catchers’ make around 25 pence for a slow loris, the traders then sell them for £25. But international trade can see a single slow loris being sold for between £900-£1,800.

Everyone who has seen the film we took in the market has cried. But this trade is made even more heartless by the fact that the slow loris is not even a suitable pet – far from it. It sleeps all day, it smells worse than a whole box of rotten eggs and on top of that it can seriously harm you.

It is the only primate in the world that is poisonous thanks to a dark fluid released from a gland above its elbow which, when mixed with its own saliva, becomes toxic.

We are studying the reasons why they may have this - the classic explanation is that it is predator defense - although this is now in dispute with other theories being that it makes them unpalatable and so protects themselves and their young.

                                  In the wild: One of the primates in its natural habitat.

Not pets: The animal only has a stump of a tail but has an extremely strong grip.

The effect of the poison is to cause wounds to fester – it works as an anti-coagulant. The necrotic effect means that the tissue dies and the flesh rots. Another theory suggests they may have venomous glands as a way of destroying rivals over territory - they do attack other slow lorises who then die a slow death.

The danger to humans is generally an allergic reaction, in some cases their bites have triggered anaphylactic shock and death.

Even if the reaction is not that severe the bite alone from the razor sharp fangs of a slow loris is excruciating, and I should know I have suffered a few bites myself – always on my fingers.

That’s why the slow lorises sold as domestic pets have their teeth ripped out first. It’s cruel and unnecessary because they shouldn’t be kept as pets at all.

Yet, the new interest in the animals generated by the internet and the films on YouTube produce a stream of inquiries on forums asking if people can get one as a pet.

The correct answer is: you can’t. Or at least, you shouldn’t be able to, because the trade in them is illegal.

The YouTube films create the impression that the slow loris is a cute domestic animal.

So let’s demand YouTube take these cruel movies down from the internet and allow the slow loris to return to the darkness of the forest.



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Capuchin Monkeys, Do These Primates Make Good Pets?

The first thing you must do if you’re thinking of having Capuchin monkeys as pets is to check the laws for exotic pets in your State.

It is extremely important to know that capuchin monkeys, like other primates, can transmit certain diseases to humans. After rabies, Hepatitis is the most common. Capuchins can also be infected with more common ailments quite easily from humans since their immune systems are not as strong as ours.

Monkeys are messy, and most capuchin owners use diapers for their monkey’s entire life.  Since they can live for as long as 35-40 years in captivity, that’s a lot of diapers!  They may also need to be bottle-fed for their entire lives.  Capuchins are mostly kept on leashes both inside and outside of the home.  Capuchin owners treat their monkeys like babies and commonly dress them up.

Capuchins can grow to weigh up to 4 lbs but the average weight is 2 pounds.  They grow twelve to twenty-two inches in height and their tails are also usually the same length as the body.

These monkeys can become quite troublesome and aggressive when they reach sexual maturity, which can be difficult for the owner to handle.

To read more on this story, click here: Capuchin Monkeys, Do These Primates Make Good Pets?


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If You Could Own Any Exotic Animal - Which One Would It Be and Why?

I have always been fascinated by exotic animals, but never had the desire to have one as a pet. An exotic pet is a rare or unusual animal pet, or an animal kept as a pet which is not commonly thought of as a pet.

The reasons for owning exotic pets are as varied as the species of the pets themselves. One may buy a pet for the aesthetic qualities of its coat, the impression that owning such a rare or expensive animal makes on others, or even for the unique offspring that may result from its union with another rare breed.

If I could own an exotic animal, my choice would be the Hyacinth Macaw…if I could afford one! I love this bird because of its beautiful majestic look, its easy going demeanor and that it can be taught to talk!



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Bearded Dragons

The two most common pet bearded dragons are Pogona Vitticeps and Pogona Barbata. They are found in the rocky, semi-desert areas of Australia and Tasmania.  Bearded dragons are ground dwellers, but will climb rocks and low branches.

The name Bearded Dragon comes from the beard of adult males

• Adults will reach a total length of 15-20 inches.
• Always provide a water pan that is large enough for the whole dragon to soak its body.  Lizards often defecate in their water, so it must be replaced daily and the pan disinfected at least once a week.
• Bearded dragons make excellent reptile pets.
• They have the best temperaments of all lizards.
• They are generally docile
• Adults typically are 19-23 inches and weight at least 3/4 of a pound
• They are active during daylight hours
• Their color ranges from the sandy, tan, beige, red, orange, and gold.
• They are omnivores, they need a balanced diet of meat and vegetables.
• Some foods that you may feed your bearded dragons -crickets; pinhead crickets, mealworms, wax worms – (high in fat, so feed sparingly), king worms, earthworms and cockroaches.

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Chinchillas

For those of you who are not familiar with chinchillas, they are members of the rodent family, and originate from the rocky mountain range of the Andes in South America. They were discovered by Spanish explorers in the 1500's, they were named after the Chincha Indians

They are a type of rodent, but some find them to be much cuter than mice, rats or hamsters.  They are around 12 inches long and usually weigh between 18 and 20 ounces.

• Most are shy
• They are agile jumpers and can jump up to five feet above their head.
• They must regularly bathe in dust or volcanic ash to remove oil and moisture that gathers in their thick fur.
• They  have very sensitive digestive systems, and feeding a good quality diet appropriate for chinchillas is essential to their health.
• There are three basic things that they need in their diet, pellets, hay and treats.  Pellets and hay do make up most of the diet, but treats are still important.
• They like to chew on things to keep their teeth sharp.
• Today, hunting the wild chinchilla is banned and they are protected by the Convention on International Trade of Endangered Animals.

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Chimpanzee

Chimpanzees are great apes that are closely related to humans. Male chimpanzees are larger than the females. They have very long arms, and a short body. Much of their body is covered with long black hair, but the face, ears, fingers and toes are bare.

They are mainly found in rain forests and wet savannas, and they spend equal time on land and in trees.

• They live to be 50 years old and grow almost as big as a human male
•  Live in groups called troops, of some 30 to 80 individuals.
• They are among the noisiest of all wild animals, and use a complicated system of sounds to communicate with each other.
• They hold hands and groom each other
• They are difficult pets
• A full-grown chimp will climb your curtains, overturn your furniture
• Veterinarians who can treat primates are both uncommon and costly
• If you get one as a pet expect it to have a strong, sharp smell. It's a smell that would be hard to get rid of because chimps are afraid of water
• Most will defecate whenever, and wherever they want once they learn to remove their diapers.
• A cage that can hold a chimp is costly.
• They look for food in the forests during the day, eating leaves, fruit, seeds, tree bark, plant bulbs, tender plant shoots, and flowers. They also eat termites, ants, and small animals.

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Bengal Cat

The Bengal is a large, sleek and very muscular cat with its hind-quarters slightly higher than its shoulders with a thick tail that is carried low. Its wild appearance is enhanced by it’s distinctive spotted or marbled coat. The different coat patterns are either leopard spotted or marbled, on a background color of brown, or sometimes white.

They prefer the company of other cats, however, they demand a good deal of attention and affection,and enjoys being an integral part of the family.

• They are very demanding.
• Bengals use their paws like hands and will cradle their toys, on their chests and hide them from other pets.
• Very energetic
• Bengals like water
• Bengals should never be allowed to roam freely outdoors as they can be stolen, and later sold.
• They should not be fed commercial cat food.
• Their diet should be very high in protein.
• They tend to climb inside the food bag before you can pour it out, and treats such as chicken pieces are carried off and guarded proudly.
• Some bengals can suffer from lifelong Irritable Bowel Syndrome.
• If you live in a large city try and find a specialty pet store that carries products to help minimize bowel distress.
• Please consider speaking with Bengal breeders before purchasing one.

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Sugar glider

Sugar Gliders are marsupials, the same family as kangaroos and koala bears.They make wonderful pets. They are very social, should have a good deal of social interaction with their owners.

• They can live to be 12-14 years in captivity.
• Female sugar gliders have a pouch on their belly where they raise their babies for two and a half months after they are born.
• They  are not great housetraining candidates.
• Their nails are sharp and will scratch if they need to dig in while climbing or landing on you.
• They also have sharp teeth, and will bite if they feel threatened or frightened.
• It’s always best if you have more than one Glider.
• Spend as much time with it as possible, playing and enjoying its naturally friendly nature
• Male sugar gliders go bald. They have one bald spot on their head, which is really a scent gland.
• Their diet consist of  fresh fruits and vegetables, veterinarian-approved protein-based pellet food and a veterinarian-approved multivitamin.

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Kinkajou

The Kinkajou, also known as the honey bear is a rainforest mammal.
Related to the olingos, coatis, raccoons, and the ringtail and cacomistle. Kinkajous may be mistaken for ferrets or monkeys, but are not closely related. A native to Central and South America, closely related to the raccoon and coati.

• They will throw food
• They are a common pet in El Salvador, and often called micoleon, which translates to “lion monkey”
• They are nocturnal and that has become the most common complaint from kinkajou owners.
• Most active in between the hours of 7 p.m. and 1 a.m.
• They do not like being awake during the day.
• They can be become stressed and possibly aggressive if their sleep is disrupted.
• They need to sleep somewhere quite, away from everyone else.
• This pet does not have a noticeable odor but can be messy.
• They will eliminate when and where they see fit.

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Squirrel Monkey

You should never purchase a pet monkey on a whim. They require caretakers who are knowledgeable in their husbandry. Most primate species will live 25 years in captivity, with Capuchins  living up to 50 years in captive settings. Most people think they want a monkey until they see what is really involved in caring for one.

Squirrel Monkeys are commonly seen in the Central American rainfores. even though. They average about 1 foot in length, with the their tails adding on another full foot. Squirrel monkeys weigh 1.5-2.5 lbs.

• They are very shy and skiddish
• Are active during the day and rest at night.
• Their tails help them balance over trees and is not used for climbing.
• The female monkey has a pseudo penis to show dominance over smaller monkeys.
• They are free spirited animals meant for the wild, so keeping squirrel monkeys as pets is a big challenge.
• They should be fed twice a day.
• Vet care is expensive, about 3-5 times more than dog vet care because an exotic animal vet is required.
• Make sure that fresh water is available at all times.
• Make sure that your fresh vegetables and fresh fruits are washed before feeding.
• A varied diet is very important to avoid boredom and loss of appetite.
• Commercial primate diet should be included in their meal because it is very balanced and therefore healthy food for your monkey.
• Depending on the size of your monkey you may have to the food in bigger or smaller pieces.
• Their diet consists of fresh fruit like mango, apple, papaya, grapes, banana, fresh vegetables like carrots, cucumber, fennel, onions, cauliflower and tomatoes.
• They like cooked vegetables like peas, cauliflower, green beans, baby cereal, hard boiled eggs, yogurt, cooked meats like chicken and turkey, cooked fish, rice, seeds, grains, nuts, insects like mealworms and grasshoppers

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Reticulated Python

Snakes are fascinating, and with regular handling can be quite tame. However, snakes are not the right pets for everyone. Often regarded as a more challenging snake to maintain, the reticulated python can be a rewarding animal to keep as long as you understand their needs.

A native of  tropical Southeast Asia, the Reticulated Python is full grown at approximately 14 to 18 feet in length

• Requires a very secure enclosure
• Always keep its head pointed away from you and others at all times, especially with easily spooked animals
•  Needs  two people be present to handle it.
• It has an extremely low metabolic rate, and can go without food for long periods of time.
• They extremely food oriented animals, and they love to eat
• Their natural diet includes warm-blooded prey; mostly mammals and occasionally birds. Small pythons (up to 10-12 feet long) eat mainly small rodents like rats. Larger pythons eat prey such as other primates and pigs
• Grow very large and have a reputation for nasty temperaments
• There have been a number of cases where large pythons have caused serious injury and even death to humans

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Ball Python

Ball pythons are so named because when threatened they roll themselves into a tight ball, tucking their head inside their coils. Young ball pythons grow about a foot a year for three years. Adults generally do not grow to more than 90–120 cm (35.4–47.2 ) in length, although some specimens have reached 152 cm and even 182 cm (5–6 feet), but this is very rare.

The natural range of the Ball Python is western Africa to central Africa. They can be found in open forests, as well as drier Savannahs. They can live for a long time with proper care - up to about 50 years, although 20-30 appears to be more typical.

• The Ball Python is generally well-mannered, and will seldom bite
• .They prefer dark places for sleeping and, as they are nocturnal, they like the dark place during our daylight hours; they also like to sleep in something that is close around them.
• Routine veterinary care for newly acquired snakes is essential.
• Many of the parasites infesting ball pythons and other reptiles can be transmitted to humans and other reptiles.
• Females tend to be slightly bigger than males maturing at an average of 4-4.5 feet. Males usually average around 3-3.5 feet.
• In the wild, the diet consists mostly of small mammals, such as African soft-furred rats, shrews and striped mice.

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Hyacinth Macaw

The Hyacinth Macaw is found primarily in riverside topical rain forest and palm swamps. It is the most majestic of all parrots. The price of a weaned, domestically bred hyacinth macaw, 8 months to 2 years of age, is approximately $8,500.00 U.S. dollars.

• The most easy going of all macaws.
• If you plan to get one as a pet, get a young one after weaning or one that has been socialized.
• Very affectionate
• They need attention and love.
• The largest flying parrot species in the world
• They have a very strong beak for eating their natural foods, which include the kernel of hard nuts and seeds.
• They should have veterinary checkups annually or every 18 months
• They are mature and begin breeding at seven years of age.
• The Hyacinth Macaw is an endangered species due to over collection for the cage bird trade and habitat loss.
• Hyacinths eat mainly raw nuts in shell such as macadamias, Brazil nuts, walnuts, filberts, almonds, and hazel nuts and fresh coconut.
• Hand rearing of this species can be difficult and, tragically, many chicks die each year at the hands of inexperienced hand-feeders.

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Mona Monkey

The Mona Monkey has brown agouti fur with a white rump. Its tail and legs are black and the face is blue-grey with a dark stripe across the face. The mona monkey carries food in cheek pouches.

There is an introduced population of mona monkeys on the island of Grenada in the Caribbean. They can be found primarily in rain forests, toward the middle and top of the trees.

• They are diurnal and active mostly during the early morning or late afternoon.
• They are loud and noisy
• Height is 13 to 21 inches. Males weigh about 10 pounds; females, about 6 pounds.
• They live for up to 30 years
• Mona monkeys respond to danger by freezing in place.
• Mona monkeys live in groups of 8-35 (average 12), typically consisting of one male and numerous females. They are diurnal and arboreal, and move quadrupedally through the forest.
• Their diets consist of fruits, small leaves and even insects

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White Lion

The White Lion is the most expensive pet in the world, however, it is a cat. It’s no house cat, though. The white lion cub can cost as much as $138,000 and hails from South Africa, where it was seen as a divine creature by some locals. Its rarity can be attributed to the fact that the white lion is not a subspecies of lion but, rather, the result of a recessive gene.

• The white lion’s coat lends itself less to hunting and more to being hunted
• They are not albino as they have pigmentation which shows particularly in eye, paw pad and lip color. It’s white lion's eye color is similar to the regular lion.
• Due to its price, demand, upkeep and scarcity, the white lion remains one of the most difficult animals in the world to obtain.
• The white lion is exactly the same as a normal lion, but with one key difference, their fur is a dazzling snow white.
• Just like with normal lions, the white lion can reach an excess of 500 pounds when full grown.

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