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 Small Exotic Pets for Apartment Living
High Angle View Of Chimpanzee In Forest
7 Best Pet Monkeys: Primates You Can Keep at Home
pigs kissing in the sun
10 Surprising Truths About Teacup Pigs That Aren't So Cute
Closeup of a raccoon face
Pet Raccoons: What You Need to Know Before Keeping One
Fennec fox with long pointed ears standing against wired fence
Fennec Foxes as Pets: What You Need to Know
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
Praying Mantis Care: Everything You Need to Know About Keeping Them as Pets
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
The Truth About Keeping a Sloth as a Pet: What You Need to Know
Emperor scorpion
Guide to Choosing the Right Pet Scorpion: Top 8 Species
Close up view of a woman holding a fox
Top Pet Fox Species and How to Care for Them
Stick insect on a leaf.
Should You Keep a Stick Bug 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
Kunekune Pig: Understanding Pet Suitability and Care Needs
Blue tongued skink (Tiliqua scincoides)
Should You Keep a Blue-Tongued Skink as Your New Pet Lizard?
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
Curly Hair Tarantula: Species Characteristics and Care
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
A Complete Guide to Caring for Your Pink Toe Tarantula Pet
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: Understanding Their Intelligence
Tarantulas
11 Best Types of Tarantulas 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
Creating the Perfect Hermit Crab Habitat: A Step-by-Step Guide
Animals You Shouldn’t Keep as Pets
Top 10 Animals That Make the Worst Pets: A Guide to Wild Instincts
Resting Fox
Is a Fox a Dog or a Cat?
Small snail touching a person's finger.
Ultimate Guide to Keeping a Pet Snail: What You Need to Know
front view closeup of black and white spotted piglet on hay on a sunny day
12 Cute Pig Photos That Are Basically Pure Joy
Giant African Land Snail
Giant African Land Snails as Pets: What You Need to Know
Sugar glider
Sugar Glider: Facts and Care
Mealworms
How to Raise Mealworms
Land Hermit Crabs
Having Land Hermit Crabs for Pets