Exotic Pets: arachnids

Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Pet Spider Guide

All pets including exotic pets are compared and matched to your personality and lifestyle. Would an arachnid be the right exotic pet for you?

An arachnid is a spider and has eight legs. In, comparison, insects have six legs. Spiders are not for everyone, and they have extraordinary needs.

All spiders can bite, and all spiders are venomous in varying degrees. Most species do no more harm than a bee sting or even less. Like a bee sting, it is possible to be allergic to the spider's venom, and you can go into anaphylactic shock. Some spiders can be very venomous, two examples would be the black widow spider and the brown recluse spider.

Any animal taken out of the wild deserves the largest enclosure possible. A fish aquarium is a good choice. The top should have a screen, cheesecloth or mesh so that the aquarium has ventilation. Keep the cage out of direct sunlight. Glass containers especially can get very hot which can kill the spider. A terrarium is also an excellent habitat for a spider. Temperatures and humidity can be controlled in a terrarium or aquarium environment. Make sure the top is secure. You don't want to lose your pet spider.

Spiders are carnivores and predators. The spider crushes its prey with its powerful mouthparts. The spider injects the venom to immobilize their prey and use its chelicerae and then insert their own digestive juices as they can't swallow whole food but suck it like you would using a straw.

A favorite arachnid of mine is the tarantula. The Grammastola Rosea, or Chilean Rose, is the most popular choice of tarantula because of its more relaxed disposition. Tarantulas are delicate creatures. When handling them be very careful that they don't fall, they can be skittish, and a shortfall can injure them severely or even kill them. Tarantulas do not like roommates. They are not social critters, so they must be kept one per enclosure.

I have had several different spiders as pets. They can get quite tame and friendly. I have one spider that comes down to the kitchen sink when I am washing dishes. He waits for a tiny fresh drop of water to be placed on the counter. He drinks from the spot of water and climbs back up to where he sits on his web. I had one spider that got so lazy he'd wait for me to put a live insect on his web. Then he'd come down and wind it up with spider silk. Maybe he wasn't lazy but had me well trained. Either way, he really got to be quite large.

A spider could be an excellent choice of exotic pet for the right person. Protect your pet from other people, and protect other people from your pet. There could be liabilities in owning a venomous pet.

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Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Exotic Pets – Please Help Me - A Public Plea

I want to hear from you! Help me make a difference. I am making a plea to all exotic pet professionals, caregivers, and owners. I want people to become aware of the needs of all exotic pets. What are their personalities? What are the social issues and needs concerning your exotic pet? How do you deal with training? Is it an exotic pet that can be trained? Do you realize what a difference we could make if more people became aware of the true nature of exotic pets? To fully understand an exotic pet before acquiring or purchasing one!

Perhaps people would become more sensitive to exotic pet legislation. More alert to their health care requirements. The population would grow less susceptible to rumors and educated with facts. Do you realize what we could accomplish with this project?

Fewer people would buy on impulse. They would have more knowledge about the exotic pet before diving into attempting to care for a strange animal. Nontraditional animals have much different care needs than traditional animals.

We complain about the misinformation on many television shows looking for nothing but ratings and money. We can make a more significant impact than any television show. Instead of complaining let’s do something about it!

I want to hear from exotic pet rescues. Why do people give up their pets? I want to hear from exotic pet veterinarians. Why do some exotic pets die too young? I remember cockatiels and the short lifespan they were experiencing. As we have learned more, they are living much longer. I am sure that the professionals that deal with exotic pets know better to what questions need answering than I know what questions to ask.

I want to hear about your ideas on how to change many misconceptions. One that bothers me a great deal is a domestic skunk and the fact that lawmakers and the general population think each and everyone is a rabies carrier. The breeder I purchased my skunks from, has been a breeder for over a hundred years and has not had a single case of rabies. There are many fallacies concerning exotic pets. It is time to get the truth out; as far and wide as we can.

Are you with me on this project? I can’t do it on my own. I need you and your experiences! Email Diana Geiger