Keep Exotic Pets and Birds Safe During Natural Disasters

If there was a tornado siren right now could you transport your bird or pet or exotic pet to safety? What if there was a fire in your home or a wildfire racing down the hill? Do you have a hard sided carrier to help protect your parrot from blowing debris? Is the hard sided carrier stuffed in the closet? In the garage under mounds of other stuff, you have stored? If you need to transport your bird or exotic pet to safety quickly, that carrier is worthless to you if you can't get at it quickly.

What did you say? Your state never has tornadoes? I beg to differ no state is tornado proof. If you have only a rare tornado how about straight line winds? Perhaps floods? How about an out-of-control car crashing into the living room? A fire? There are always natural or not so natural emergencies where your bird or exotic pet may need to be transported quickly.

Preparedness is the key to the passage to safety when it comes to tornadoes, but sometimes the best plans go awry. Tornadoes are sudden, unpredictable, and early warning systems can go terribly wrong; an example, being turned off?

We have a plan, a well-rehearsed plan. Of course, the first order of business is getting humans to safety. Now it is just the two of us living in this big old house, but in previous years we had an 80+ elderly person, five adults, and two babies plus all my animals. We had a plan for each.

If the upstairs bedroom doors are closed the hallway is a reasonably safe place if we can’t make it to the basement or if we can’t get the animals to the basement. One of the upstairs bathrooms has no windows and has what looks like a Fort Knox Jacuzzi tub. The house was built in 1885 and is built solid.

The plan was to get the children to the basement. Next, we would get the animals to the basement or a reasonably safe place. We keep all our hard-sided animal carriers (pet porters) upstairs where the animals hang out. The trick is, make sure the carriers aren’t stored under a pile of stuff or outside in the garage. We would stuff the animals in the carriers and run them down to the basement. If there weren’t enough time, the ferret cage would go into the hallway. The rest of the carriers sat side by side in the bathroom. All doors are then closed.

OK – then came an actual tornado. No matter how many times we went over the plans and rehearsed the plans nothing went as planned. My daughter was driving back from Sioux Falls and was just south of Huron when the tornado touched down. She was very close to where the tornado was. She called home on the cell phone and said she couldn’t see anything and the rain was falling UP. She couldn’t see any driveways to pull off the road - she was driving blind in a rain-wrapped tornado. We suddenly lost contact with her. She had her oldest daughter with her (two at the time). We had the baby with us.

In the meantime, we went into action. My husband went to the basement with the baby secured in her car seat. My daughter’s husband was sitting on a central stair on our staircase trying to reach his wife after losing contact.

I got my mother-in-law on the way to the stairs to get her to the basement. After a five minute shuffle, I realized she’d never get down two flights of stairs before the tornado hit our house. I put her in the Jacuzzi tub and tossed a mattress over her.

Now I got the animals situated. I pulled the ferret cage into the hallway. Got the rest of the animals into carriers and realized I couldn’t get them down the stairs. Again, our prearranged plans were completely thrown off. It was up to the adults other than me to carry the animals to the basement. With having a spinal disease and multiple surgeries I just can lift them anymore. So the carriers went into the bathroom with grandma.

Now, I was supposed to be in the basement and so was my son-in-law who was still busily hitting speed dial. I found I couldn’t leave my mother-in-law in the upstairs bathroom by herself. I yelled to my son-in-law to get down to the basement with the baby and my husband. He just yelled back, I’ve got to find out if my wife is OK. So I sat on the privy next to the tub trying to calm my mother-in-law down.

The all-clear sounded, and it was safe to come out of our safety spots. We finally got a hold of my daughter. She had passed a guy walking down the road in that horrid storm. Nobody would stop for him. She stopped and picked him up. His appearance caused people not to stop to help. When my daughter asked where he needed to be dropped off, he specified a local church. He was collecting aluminum cans for a fundraiser. I was so proud of her for not letting preconceived bias to influence her decision to choose between right or wrong.

All the animals, exotic pets and otherwise were safe but rather miffed off at us. We were thankful that the tornado never hit the main part of town.

Make plans, have everything you need ready. Even if your plans do go awry, those plans will help if you need to go “off script.”

If you become separated from your exotic pets or get as much information to your local shelters, nearby shelters and any rescue agencies as possible; with your contact information.

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Pet Chipmunks

The pet chipmunk is a high maintenance - high octane pet. Pet chipmunks are full of curiosity, zip, vim, and vigor. They have very specific needs. They are not a hold me - cuddle me type of pet. They must explore. They must be able to dig and tunnel. They have many instinctual self-protection modes that must be respected, accepted and understood.

They can't live in a small cage they must - MUST have a large habitat. If you have a spare room with some chipmunk proofing this would be closer to ideal. Chipmunks can be very destructive. You must protect them from their own destructiveness. Anything electrical that is remotely accessible to them is out of the question. Remember, they dig immense tunnel systems in very hard ground and can chew.

Chipmunks require a great deal of attention. Few people realize this. At first, when bonding with a young/baby chipmunk, you will need to spend a minimum of an hour a day with your new pet.

Chipmunks are diurnal they wake with the sun bright and early in the morning and go to sleep with the sunset.

Chipmunks are very clean animals - they groom themselves often. They have no distinct odor. If they have an odor you are not doing your job and keeping their habitat clean. They will use one small area of their habitat as a toilet. Even cleaning their cages will be very different from other animals and other rodents. Clean the toilet area often. Don't clean their food caches very often it will really upset and agitate them. Storing foods is one of their preservation modes I was referring to. Other preservation modes are avoiding capture from all the animals above the food chain of the chipmunk. These instinctual behaviors are exactly that will never go away. Visceral behaviors preserve their life.

Chipmunks will die if you use phenol-based (phenolics) or coal-based disinfectants. These are toxic to chipmunks, and many other animals.

Chipmunk Care

Diet - There is no canned or bagged chipmunk food and there is no one pet food that can be substituted - ever! There is no one food that will sustain them, no one type of food. They must have dozens of different types of food to maintain their health.

They will need seeds, nuts, grains, fruits, vegetables, protein including meat - small bugs. Cooked egg is an excellent source of protein. They need calcium and Vitamin D - yogurt is an excellent source of calcium. have a mineral block and cuttlebone available at all times.

Always make sure they have plenty of fresh filtered water available.

They should never have sugar. Giving sugar to a chipmunk can be deadly. Habitually read labels of all food items so that there is not any hidden sugar. Do not feed chocolate.

Always make sure there are no pesticides on their food. If you can buy organic do so. But, remember to clean any fruits and vegetables completely.

They must have a material to dig and burrow in. Never ever use pine or cedar it is toxic. Aspen shavings are nice, so is peat. They must have places to hide, jump, and play. Toxic-free - pesticide free branches as wonderful. They must have toys! They love to chase. Make sure the toys are pet-safe.

They must feel safe give them hiding places to hide. If you use a LARGE wire cage made sure one side is solid. Otherwise, they will feel exposed.

If you cage your pet chipmunk make sure they have a good portion of the day they are able to run free in a chipmunk safe environment. No place to wiggle out, chew, objects that can fall on them, poisonous plants or other toxic or poisonous objects. They will be destructive!

Chipmunks must chew. Give them plenty of safe stuff to chew.

Make sure everything you need for a chipmunk is in place before you acquire one. Make sure you have located a veterinarian willing to provide the medical needs for a chipmunk.

Chipmunk as pets. Chipmunks do make great pets however, chipmunk pets are not a pet for probably most people.

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Pet Unicorn

How to care for the pet unicorn. I want to introduce to you an exotic pet that is wonderful but has extreme care requirements. Exotic pets all have individual needs, and we need to learn about those needs before acquiring any pet.

The pet unicorn can be quite shy and timid. They will habitually render themselves invisible until the danger passes. Unicorns are furiously protective of their young. They love to leap into the air cavorting with their friends. Weird and beautiful occurrences can happen when a unicorn is nearby. Because of this, many believe that unicorn is magical. The magical properties of the unicorn have never been proven. Then again, it has never been disproven either. Let's examine the world of the pet unicorn as exotic pets.

At night unicorns emit a natural radiance. While running through the night the glow leaves a temporary trail behind them, sparkling in various hues. However, this magical essence can only be seen if you have an open mind.

Unicorn Pictures

I attempted to get a unicorn picture of my pet unicorn. Pictures of unicorns are very hard to get because they are quite timid (and FAST). Mine evidently is very camera shy. You can see in the picture an image of a unicorn right before he disappeared. However, you can see his aura. Notice the radiance left behind.

The lifespan of the unicorn is unknown. Only a small number of people have seen dead unicorns. A few archaeologists have unearthed the remains of unicorns including intact heads with the single horn protruding from the center of the forehead.

The young will stay with their mother and father for fifty years or more. They have powerful family groups.

Unicorns have a complicated diet which could prove to be challenging to care for a unicorn as a pet properly. They love herbs especially the flowering parts of the herb plants. They also eat new and tender shoots off of many plants. They seem to adore fresh mushrooms, but only the mushrooms that sprout from the damp earth at night. They eat many fruits; especially fond of kiwis, raspberries, and pawpaws. They adore four-leaf clovers. Because of their extreme fondness of four-leaf clovers, this would make an excellent treat for the animal or as a training aid.

They must have fresh water, and I do mean very fresh. It must come from a cool, fast-moving stream or a waterfall. If the water is contaminated, they will refuse to drink water. They will catch raindrops with their tongue or lick the fresh morning dew off plants.

As I mentioned before, they are timid and become frightened. The disappearing can become a problem when working with your unicorns. We use to convince kindly fairies to dazzle the unicorn, making them reappear. But fairies are becoming very hard to find. Human encroachment has caused tremendous habitat loss and fairies are endangered, nearing extinction.

We have found another method to astonish the unicorn back from invisibility. You will have to make it yourself but, it is pretty easy. Take a quart fruit jar, diamond glitter, and a glow stick. Cut open the glow stick and pour the contents into the jar. Add the diamond glitter and shake. Keep the ingredients of the glow stick off your skin and also don't ingest it. The effect only lasts a short time and is only good for one use. This will wow your unicorn back to material form. If you use a real fairy be patient with the unicorn, they do act rather silly after seeing a fairy.

My concerns about having a unicorn as a pet are. First, they are challenging to feed and supply with fresh water. Second, they do need a lot of running and frolicking space to be happy and healthy. Ask yourself if you can truly provide for the needs of a unicorn. You also have to consider their extremely long lifespans. What would the unicorn do if confined and something should happen to you?

Since North Korea has proven the existence of unicorns, finding the grave of the unicorn, and the unicorn lair of the same unicorn that King Dongmyeong rode, I don't think anyone can doubt this evidence that unicorns are real.

A brief flight of fantasy is occasionally called for...

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Hedgehog Salmonella - Who Is Infecting Whom?

Guest Author - Z. G. Standing Bear

I sincerely applaud the efforts of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to track infectious illnesses, but it seems that the tracking mechanism, at least in the case of the animal appears to be one-sided and lays blame upon the animal rather than the human. Could it be that humans, given the overwhelming incidents of foodborne illnesses leading to salmonella, are passing his illness on to the cloistered pet hedgehogs? At least that seems quite plausible to me.

The 2012 Hedgehog Salmonella “Outbreak”

Then, in 2012, we have an “outbreak,” according to CDC, of incidents of a particular strain of salmonella (Salmonella typhimurium) - 20 cases spread over eight states where a pet hedgehog resides in the home of the human salmonella patient. Of these 20 cases, one case each is reported in Alabama, Illinois, Indiana, and Oregon, three cases each in Michigan, Minnesota, and Ohio, and seven cases in Washington state. Of these reported cases, one has resulted in death (Washington state) and 47% of cases involve children ten years of age or younger.

The “connection” to pet hedgehogs in this matter means that a pet hedgehog is in the household where the Salmonella Typhimurium was contracted. In my inquiry to the CDC on this matter, it was revealed that in only two cases of the 20 reported, was the hedgehog actually tested for this bacteria, and the results were positive. Of course, this means that zoonotic illnesses work in two directions – either the hedgehog passed the illness to the human, or the human passed the illness to the hedgehog.

The CDC estimates that about 1,000,000 cases of salmonella occur each year in the USA and some 20,000 require hospitalization. Some estimates place the number of annual cases of upwards of 1,400,000 cases. Most of these cases occur from contaminated food products, such as chicken and eggs, then recently romaine lettuce. So, I would contend that in these 20 "hedgehog cases" the hedgehog got blamed simply because the hedgehog lived in the home where a salmonella case occurred. Otherwise, why has this "problem" not been identified over the last 20 years (as PulseNet has been in operation since 1996)? Even if these 20 cases could be directly attributed to hedgehogs (which I seriously doubt) the number 20 out of 1.4 million cases is statistically insignificant.

The Reaction from Paxton the Hedgehog

Paxton is a hedgehog that posts his opinions from time to time on the Yahoogroups list-server Pog-Chit-Chat, a list-server for hedgehogs. In reviewing this “outbreak” of salmonella typhimurium, Paxton was swift to observe an interesting fact about pet hedgehog life in North America. Paxton noted that humans are fond of giving pet hedgehogs toilet paper tubes as toys so they can engage in a pastime called “tubing,” where the hedgehog places the cardboard toilet paper tube on her/his head and roams around, seemingly enjoying this “tunnel vision.” It is essentially unknown as to why these hedgehogs enjoy this, but such are the mysteries of the universe (we still have not figured out self-anointing) for these creatures that are the oldest continually surviving live-bearing mammals on earth – they used to hang out with dinosaurs.

At any rate, Paxton is swift to point out that toilet paper tubes are provided to hedgehogs by humans as entertainment devices. Now, really, where do virtually all toilet paper tubes spend their entire working life? So, the logical question that follows is whether PulseNet also asks questions concerning the use of toilet paper tubes as entertainment devices for the pet hedgehogs. In other words, it seems logical (to Paxton and myself, anyway), this salmonella strain is being given to the pet hedgehogs by their (otherwise well-meaning) human companions, rather than the other way around.

After all, pet hedgehogs are properly kept indoors and in relatively isolated enclosures. I have cared for over 350 hedgehogs long-term for fifteen years, and my average population here at the Rescue is between 35 and 50 resident animals. My primary orientation is to wash my hands thoroughly before handling the hedgehogs, rather than after (unless the hedgehog is in initial quarantine or afflicted with an illness such as mites or Clostridium, etc.). Otherwise, I have no concern about catching anything from any of the hedgehogs in the regular population here.

Of course, once CDC officials have a chance to read this article, I can see an additional question added to the already very complex PulseNet questionnaire about salmonella for laboratories:

a. Does the household have a pet hedgehog?

b. If yes, does that hedgehog have a toilet paper tube as a recreational device?

Who Is Infecting Whom?

I sincerely applaud the efforts of the CDC to track infectious illnesses, but it seems that the tracking mechanism, at least in the case of animals appears to be one-sided and lays blame upon the animal rather than the human. Could it be that humans, given the overwhelming incidents of foodborne illnesses leading to salmonella, are passing his illness on to the cloistered pet hedgehogs? At least that seems quite plausible to me.

Dr. Z. G. Standing Bear is a criminologist and forensic scientist who has been involved in animal rescue since 1995 and hedgehog rescue since 1997. He is the administrator of The Flash and Thelma Memorial Hedgehog Rescue, Inc., in Divide, Colorado, and is a member of the Board of Directors of the International Hedgehog Association.

PulseNet and Foodborne Disease Outbreak Detection

In order to understand the most recent chapter in the hedgehog salmonella alert, it is well to consider the methods by which the CDC examines and tracks “outbreaks” of illnesses that may be linked to animals and/or food sources. Since 1996, CDC uses a sophisticated computerized program called PulseNet to track reported illnesses according to a “DNA fingerprint” for bacteria making people sick. The program has produced some amazing results with a speed that is truly impressive. It tracks a cumulative database representing some half million isolates from food, the environment, and human foodborne illnesses. In a recent outbreak of Listeriosis, the PulseNet system was able to trace the origin of the illness to whole cantaloupes from Jensen Farms in Colorado. This took just seven days in Colorado and some 17 days in other states – truly a remarkable and exemplary public health effort. Contributing to PulseNet are 87 laboratories in all 50 states as well as other contributing federal, state, and local laboratories. There are many fascinating pages on the CDC as to how PulseNet produces illness outbreak data.

PulseNet triggered outbreak investigations have resulted in the recall of over one half billion pounds of contaminated food! More importantly, these investigations have identified unrecognized problems in food production and distribution. For further information on PulseNet, visit the CDC website at Pulsenet

The initial response article was originally published in the IHA News, Volume 7, Issue 2, February 2005.

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Pet Crawdad

I have had some pretty unusual exotic pets in my day. I think the most unusual, and a little fellow I grew very attached to, was a crawdad. I didn't go out to find a pet crawdad, it just kind of happened. Luckily, I had an aquarium set up at home. I had it set up to use for something, but I sure don't remember what it was.

When my kids were little, we had gone fishing for catfish. We had been fishing at a farmer's pond. It had been a beautiful day. Someone scooped up a bucket of lake water. When the bucket was brought home, there was a tiny little crawdad. I used the same bucket of water we had found the crawdad in to pour in the aquarium.

Finding food for the little critter to eat was a family project and an excuse to spend time scouting the pond area where we had located him. Everyone enjoyed watching him grow up. We created several caves for hiding spots. It was a neat family project.

I checked him one night before we went to bed and my heart sunk. He was very still in one of his little caves. The next morning I went to remove the body. I picked it up and had it part way out of the aquarium when I saw movement out the corner of my eye. My crawdad had only shed his old shell. He had moved to a new cave where his new duds hardened. It was a cause for celebration.

A year passed. After several more molts, he had grown quite big. One morning we were getting ready for church. I checked on the crawdad before we left and he wasn't in the aquarium. He had climbed up the air tubes and had gone on a walk-about. We searched high and low but mostly low. He was nowhere to be found. We went to church and came back home to search the entire house. No crawdad.

Later the next day I went to the coat closet off the living room to hang a new children's coat I had found on sale. When I opened the door, a crawdad came dashing out waving his claws at me. He looked up with pleading eyes, "Please put me back in the water I am parched!"

I placed him back in the aquarium. It wasn't long before he forgot his previous predicament and escaped yet again. It was apparent that the aquarium needed a much more secure top!

That little crawdad had been a great joy to our family — one of the many joyful experiences that added to my children learning the values of life. Caring for a living creature, loving the critter teaches compassion and responsibility. It is an experience I will never forget.

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Zonkey - Zorse

The newest in exotic pets! A zorse, zonkey, or zeedonk, is a hybrid between a horse and zebra or donkey and zebra. This is possible because both parents are from the equine family. A zorse is rarer than a zonkey. While a zebra and horse and zebra and donkey can produce offspring, a zorse, zonkey, or zeedonk can't produce young. Which raises an ethical question. Is it right to produce offspring that can't reproduce?

A zorse is the offspring of a horse and a zebra. A zonkey is a result of mating a male zebra and a female donkey. A zeedonk is the offspring of a female zebra and a male donkey. A zorse is a bit rarer than a zeedonk or zonkey because a horse is not quite as enthusiastic to mate with a zebra as a donkey might be. Though either can occur in nature. Though, not often.

The animals are no doubt intriguing and handsome with the striped pattern of a zebra with the principal colors of a donkey. The cuteness of a donkey or majesticness of a horse.

Is it ethical cross-breeding when the results of the offspring are sterile? Cross breeding horses and donkeys produce a mule which is also sterile. A lot of people feel this is wrong. However, is your cat or dog neutered or spayed? Many exotic pets are spayed and neutered. These animals can't reproduce. Is this any different than the zorse or zonkey?

Does breeding these animals with such different chromosome count cause unknown or known physical/medical problems with offspring? Not that I've heard of. I wanted to check any issues that may have risen between a horse and a donkey. Well, the saying "Healthy as a Mule," is said for a reason. The mule seems quite healthy.

How about from A biblical standpoint? Taken from Genesis 24. "And God said, Let the earth bring forth living creatures according to their kinds: cattle and creeping things and beasts of the earth according to their kinds.” And it was so. 25 And God made the beasts of the earth according to their kinds and the cattle according to their kinds, and everything that creeps upon the ground according to its kind. And God saw that it was good".

Are zebras, donkeys, and horses one of a kind?

What other ethical arguments for or against breeding the zorse, zeedonk, and zonkey? Your opinion?

The zonkey is cute, the zorse handsome. It will be interesting to see if any health issues arise and how people view the ethical view of the whole subject matter. What do you think about the hybrid breeding of horse and zebra and donkey and zebra?

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Bearded Dragon Guide

Did you know that feeding your beard dragon a firefly could kill your dragon? When harvesting your own bugs from the great outdoors are you certain you would be able to differentiate between a firefly and another bug in the daylight hours? The firefly has no flashing light during the day. It would be easy to catch a bug and have no idea it is a firefly.

You could accidentally catch a bug to feed to your bearded dragon and end up feeding bioluminescence. Bioluminescence is the same thing that causes a firefly or jellyfish to light up. It is highly deadly to the bearded dragon. I think it is a good idea to raise your own insects. You just never know if an insect has been around poisons or other deadly chemicals.

Temperatures need to be kept warm for the bearded dragon. In nature, they would bask in the sun to increase their body temperature. Allow one side of the enclosure to be around 105 F degrees for basking. Never use a heat rock but use a light making sure the light can't be reached by the bearded dragon. The other side of the enclosure should be around 80 - 90 degrees. Don't allow temperatures to get under 60 degrees F. - ever! This way they can adjust their body temperature by simply switching from one side of the enclosure to the other or anything in-between. They can't control their own body temperature internally they must depend on an outside source such as a lamp. They cannot digest their food if they are too cool.

The bearded dragon must have a UV-B light. It is essential. The UVB synthesizes Vitamin D3 which is critical for the body to utilize calcium. The use of UVB prevents Metabolic Bone Disease (MBD). The dragon would naturally get the UVB rays basking in the sun. It just isn't possible to get these much-needed rays inside the house, make sure to use a UVB light. It is also a good idea to add extra calcium. You will still need a reptile lamp to increase the temperature inside the enclosure. The UVB doesn't increase the temperature, nor does the lamp used for heat add UVB. Look for reptile lighting in your local pet store to learn the difference between lights used for reptiles.

Basic Bearded Dragon Care

The Bearded Dragon is one of my favorite reptiles. Why is the bearded dragon my personal favorite? Because the bearded dragon has a naturally gentle nature, they always seem so composed. The bearded dragon forever seems to have a look on his face signifying two things, everything is right with the world, and I know a secret you don’t know. I have heard that people have been able to walk up and pick up bearded dragons in their native habitat. Interesting little tykes aren’t they. They are fondly known as a Beardie. Beardies have captured many hearts.

Bearded Dragons are chosen as exotic pets not only for their personalities but also for many other reasons. One of the reasons is that they don’t grow as big as many other reptiles. The biggest the bearded dragon will get is 16-22 inches. The iguana can grow up to four to six feet long. The female bearded dragon normally has smaller heads than the males.

Iguanas also can be quite friendly. However, for my own personal needs, I prefer a reptile where a mortgage isn’t required to house the reptile.

Not that the Bearded Dragon isn’t already intriguing they also have a spectacular display. They got their name bearded because they have a spiky beard or pouch under their jaw. This pouch will puff up when they inhale air. They will also flatten out making themselves look bigger, push up their front legs, and bob their heads. This behavior is associated with aggression and mating. Both the female and the male dragon can turn their beards black, but this behavior is primarily associated with the male during his mating display.

The bearded dragon enjoys semi-arid to arid climates. Several breeds are found in Central Australia and Eastern Australia. Bearded dragons can range in color from mild earth tones to brilliant yellows, oranges; that looks like a sun setting, to deep red. You will also find white, green, and blue.

Bearded dragons can be found in woodlands, on the ground, or up a tree. They primarily climb to find warm basking locations or to find prey. It isn’t that they can’t fall because they can.

Bearded dragons are opportunist eaters; a synonym for omnivorous. They will eat fruit, leaves, or flowers, as well as insects, small mammals, and vertebrates. Fireflies, some arachnids, and other living organisms have bioluminescence chemicals, and this can kill the bearded dragon.

Bioluminescence causes an animal to light up, like a jellyfish. This can cause a problem if you are catching wild prey. How many people know what a firefly looks like in the daytime? Besides, you may be catching something the next door neighbor just sprayed with poison or an insect that walked over a poison line left by the Orkin man. I strongly recommend raising your own food (prey) for your bearded dragon.

Since they also eat vegetation remember to remove any possible poisonous plants or toxic plants and keep it out of a bearded dragon’s reach.

Eating vegetation made it easier for them to acclimate to dry climates. Much of the water they need to survive can come from the food they eat. Though, a pet dragon as with any pet needs their water changed daily. More often if their dish becomes dirty. They are inclined to go to the bathroom in their water dish.

Always, as with any pet make sure they have clean, fresh, filtered water.

Bearded dragons need ultraviolet light (UV) lighting as most reptiles do (pretty much other than snakes). They will need a UVB light. They will also have to have calcium supplement to their diet. The bearded dragon spends much of his time basking in the sun in his natural habitat. The UV lighting will take the place of the sun and provide the vitamin D3 he would otherwise get from the sun. He will need 12-14 hours of exposure to the light. This is true of most animals (length of time will differ). They stress and can become ill if they don’t have some resemblance of day and night. Even nocturnal reptiles need some UV lighting. Captive animals do not get the same diet they would have chosen for themselves in the wild. The added calcium and UVB light will ward off MBD (Metabolic Bone Disease). The distance of the light will change as the bearded dragon grows. This, of course, depends on the output of the light bulb; depend on a thermometer. Have the heat/light variables figured out before the bearded dragon comes home? Even then, always keep a digital thermometer on each end of the cage; one being close to the basking area (warmer end of the cage).

Temperatures should range from 80F to 105F. The dragons warm basking area should be on the 95F side of the enclosure allowing the rock to warm to about 105 F. Keep a thermometer handy and check the enclosure often. Regulate the distance of his lighting to adjust the temperature. Make sure the dragon doesn't come in contact with the light. The bearded dragon should have dark at night and a temperature of around 80F. As with many reptiles, the bearded dragon will not eat or will not be able to digest his food if he is too cool.

Don’t use a heat rock the dragon will be burned. An under the tank heating pad or tape can ensure the temperature stays around 80F. Place the pad under one-third of the tank so that he can escape the heat if he needs to. It would be wise to keep the pad at the end where the basking rock is. You have a head start keeping the warmer side warm.

Bearded dragons need to be housed individually if housed together they could injure or kill each other. The enclosure should be good sized. I like glass aquariums with a screen top that is secure. If you have youngsters around make sure the top will lock. Ideally are the ready-made vivariums which you can purchase in many reptile/insect supplies, pet stores, or Amazon.

Bearded dragons have a tendency to eat substrate especially like sand, corn cob, Repti Bark, wood chips, or ground up a walnut shell. They will become impacted and die. Calcisand is especially bad because they have a tendency to like it, therefore, eating more of it, ending up becoming impacted and die. Pine shavings and cedar shavings should never be used for any pet. What has worked well for me is natural rock tiles meant for kitchen floors. Wheat bran works very well too.

Bearded dragons have gotten themselves crushed by tunneling under rocks and anything else heavy in the cage; an example would be a food dish. Make sure anything heavy is flush to the floor before adding any substrate.

Prey should be no bigger than the size of the space between their head and eye. Don’t leave the prey in the cage uneaten the prey could injure the bearded dragon. Young dragons need more animal protein than adults do. Adults should eat about 70 % vegetation. The bearded dragon can be feed dubia roaches. They have 2 times the protein as crickets, and the roach doesn't have the spines on the back legs as crickets do. The roaches are much quieter at night, and they don’t stink as crickets do. They can have mealworms. (Larvae of a beetle)

Mealworms are lacking in many minerals and vitamins. Make sure you are using vitamin/calcium powder. Mario worms (larval stage of the Zophobas beetle), or butter worms. When babies get closer to adults slowly change the animal protein proportional with vegetation eventually becoming 70% of the adult diet.

Babies should be fed 3 times a day, juveniles 2 times a day and adult dragons once a day. Experience will help you determine how much they need to eat. If they leave a lot of food, you are feeding too much. If they pounce on their food like a Velociraptor, they’re hungry.

Make sure the prey has had a good diet because what you feed your dragon is what the prey ate. Don’t use prey that you have just recently purchased. They have had little to eat if anything. When you hear the term gut loading, this simply means you have fed the prey very well. Therefore, your dragon will have nutritional prey to eat. Feed the prey vitamin and mineral rich foods. Dust the prey with calcium and multivitamins. Two days calcium then one-day multivitamins works pretty well. RepCal and Herptivite are a good choice. You can also mix the two, but only enough for one feeding as the calcium can damage the beta-carotene in the Herptivite.

Vegetation should be of high nutritional value. Stay away from lettuce. Also, stay away from spinach it will mess up calcium absorption. Dragons can have most fruits (no citrus), veggies (no carrots), and stay completely away from the cat or dog food; feeding these foods is a good way to make sure your dragon’s lifespan is short.

Bearded dragons will need to shed their skin. Never assist the dragon by pulling off the skin you will injure him. You can help by providing him with warm water, around 98 degrees, with either a shallow bath or a misting bottle.

As with any animal keep their cage and supplies clean. They do a lot of poo so you will need to clean their habitat daily. Always make sure they have filtered, fresh water supply. This you will need to change often – perhaps several times a day. They do poo in their water dish.

Above all else enjoy your bearded dragon.

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Guide to Pet Rabbits

Rabbits can make a delightful companion. Rabbits purr when they are content. Rabbits prefer to sit next to you rather than be held. Of course, there will be exceptions to this generalization. Rabbits can be litter box trained. Rabbits are inquisitive, enjoy the interaction with you, and enjoy playing with toys. Plan to spend plenty of time playing with your rabbit, at their level, on the floor.

I raised blue satins long ago. I enjoyed showing them in different rabbit shows. They were affectionate but in a different sort of way than cats and many other animals. They are smarter than many people give them credit. I found them to be truly amazing little animals. Nothing much beats the feeling of a wiggly nose in the neck-shoulder. This is a body part you develop only when you have had a baby or when you have a pet rabbit.

Rabbit Information Rabbits live to be 7 to 10 years of age. Rabbits are crepuscular, meaning they are active at dawn and twilight and sleep during the day and at night. The oldest rabbit on record was 19.

Purchasing your Rabbit

Rabbits are often given as curiosity pets or bought on impulse. Many pet rabbits are given to shelters the shelters become overpopulated and the rabbit is put to death. Many “Easter” exotic pet rabbits that are given as gifts often end up at the local shelter. Consider adopting a rabbit from the local animal shelter. Adult rabbits are often easier to train than young bunnies. Other places where a rabbit can be purchased are from the local pet store, the local feed store, or even the local 4-H club.

Make sure the rabbit has bright shiny fur. The rabbit’s fur will reflect the health of the rabbit. Check the ears to makes sure they are not dirty. Usually, a residue in the ears is a sign of ear mites. Look in the nose and around the nose for matted fur and discharge. Check the rabbit’s teeth. The teeth should be clean and even. There is a genetic condition in rabbits called malocclusion where the teeth do not grow properly. If a tooth is only broken, do not be overly concerned because a rabbit’s teeth grow continuously.

Rabbit Cages

Rabbit cages should be good sized, the bigger the better! A rabbit cage should have room for the rabbit’s food dishes, litter box, toys, and plenty of room for exercise. Rabbits should have the freedom to run in at least a small area of your house. Leave his or her cage open so he can come and go as he pleases.

A cage should be the rabbit’s special place. A rabbit will mark their cage with a few pellets to mark their territory. This is not a breakdown in rabbit litter training. Respect his territory. Clean his cage while he is out of the cage. Allow him to enter and exit on his own free will. Gently guide him into the cage. Do not grab him to take him out of his cage.

Cages with only wire floors are not good for rabbits. Rabbits do not have pads on their feet and the wire floor will injure their feet. If you do have a cage with a wire floor provide a board for him to sit on. Keep the cage floor clean and dry. Keep the board clean and dry. Rabbits love the rabbit condominiums. These cages have two levels; the floors are connected with a ramp.

Allowing Free Run of the House

Rabbits can have free run of the house once they are trained. The house must be rabbit-proofed. If the house is not completely safe, the rabbit should have constant supervision the entire time he is out of his cage. The rabbit should be introduced to free- run of the house gradually. Once he is litter boxed trained, more area can be added.

Toys and Teeth

Rabbits need toys for mental stimulation and physical exercise. Rabbits love and need toys to chew on. Rabbits must have the means to keep their constantly growing teeth worn down. Specifically, the four front teeth top and bottom. Purchase rabbit chew toys to lend an assist. Chewing hay and such also helps keep the teeth worn down.

Rabbit toys should be safe. Rabbits can ingest plastic. Cardboard boxes are great to climb into, play and chew. Old telephone books are fun to play with and shred. Parrot toys make equally good rabbit toys. Rabbits love baby toys like sturdy plastic keys. Cat cubbies and condominiums with ramps and lookouts are great for rabbits. Save the large tops off laundry detergent and laundry softener bottles. Wash these tops well. The tops are wonderful to hold on to and haul around. Rolling large balls are fun. Rotate the toys often to keep the rabbit’s interest.

Nutrition

The primary diet of the rabbit usually is commercial rabbit pellets. I would recommend limiting or avoiding these pellets. Pellets were developed for the rabbit industry, basically with fast growth and weight gain in mind. The pet rabbit, which should be spayed or neutered, will gain too much weight on pellets. Provide the rabbit with fresh water daily.

Offer your rabbit fresh vegetables. Those that are especially healthy are dark leafy vegetables and root vegetables. Make sure there are a variety of vegetables offered each day for nutritional balance. Rabbits (almost always (love carrots but also the tops of carrots. Parsley is a goldmine of nutrition. Some leafy vegetables have oxalates such as parsley, spinach, and Swiss chard and should be given in moderation. Iceberg lettuce has no nutritional value.

The rabbit must have roughage/fiber for good health. Offer the rabbit, Timothy Hay. Hay will eliminate hairballs and other blockages and aids the natural digestive process of rabbits. Timothy Hay reduces the likelihood of urinary tract problems. A small amount of alfalfa hay can be offered. Unlimited amounts of timothy hay, oat hay, and grass hay should be available throughout the day. Rabbits need access to food 24/7. Remove the soiled hay daily. Rabbits do not need any animal protein nor is it good for them.

Litter Training

Litter training is easy. Simply place the box in the corner that the rabbit has chosen. It takes time and patience. In the early stages of training place, several boxes around the area the rabbit occupies. As the rabbit catches on to remove the boxes one by one, so only a few remain. Rabbits learn much easier as they get older. Be patient with the youngun; he will get it when he is ready!

Be careful what type of litter you use. Rabbits are different from cats in that they tend to ingest some of the litter. Clay litter is dusty and can cause pneumonia. Clumping litter is ingested and clumps in the digestive tract. Corncob litter can also be ingested and can cause a lethal blockage. Paper pulp litters work well. Litters made from aspen bark works well. Citrus-based litters work great but are hard to find and can be expensive. Straw can be a safe, inexpensive litter but needs to be changed often.

Rabbit manure is an excellent fertilizer so choose a litter that can be composted. Since rabbit pellets can be used straight on the garden without worries of burning the plants, the litter can be mulched right into the garden.

Accidents outside of the litter box should be cleaned with vinegar to eliminate the odor so the rabbit does not return to eliminate again. If the rabbit urinates over the edge of the litter box, try a covered litter box. The covered litter box also works when the rabbit kicks litter outside of the litter box. One thing that turns people off on exotic mammals as pets are the odor of their waste. This is a safe and a solution that works. Great odor control for small mammals Marshall Bi-Odor Internal Waste & Urine Deodorizer (8 fl. oz.) Bi-Odor Waste & Urine Deodorizer for Rabbits, Guinea Pigs, and Small Animals.100% natural supplement deodorizes your pet's stool, urine, and body odors. Just add to your pet's food or water daily. Recommended by top breeders and veterinarians. Available in most any pet supply.

Spaying and neutering

Pet rabbits should be spayed and neutered. Altered pets are healthier and make better companions. The act of sex stimulates ovulation in the female rabbit. Many rabbits are put to death in animal shelters – be responsible and spay or neuter. You won’t have a hormone-induced emotional rabbit if you do spay or neuter. Rabbits are social animals but cannot be with a member of the same sex unless they are altered. Rabbits, unless altered can become quite aggressive, because of hormones.

Female rabbits should be spayed at 6 months of age. Males should be neutered at 5 months of age. The surgery is safe but makes sure a veterinarian with experience in operating on rabbits does the surgery. The female should have both her ovaries and uterus removed. Removing the testicles through the scrotum is a safer surgery in males rather than entering through the abdomen. I have seen a few vets recommend this approach and the only thing I can think of, is longer surgeries equal more money. Please correct me if there is a good reason for this approach to neutering.

Please consider purchasing a rabbit from a local animal shelter. You will have saved a life. Above all, enjoy your pet rabbit.

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Guide to Sugar Gliders

How to care for an exotic pet Sugar Glider. Sugar Gliders are a social animal and should not be raised alone. You must have more than one.

They are a marsupial much like an opossum. They rear their young in pouches like a kangaroo. Sugar Gliders can be adopted from sugar glider rescues. In fact, many people are unprepared when they purchase a sugar glider, and many gliders do end up in rescues!

Dietary Requirements

They cannot consume fat. The majority of their diet is fruit and vegetables (75%). They should receive protein (25%. They do need calcium.

These are the foods that sugar gliders like: strawberries, cantaloupe fruit jams, raisins, carrots, peas, low-fat turkey, and boiled chicken, dried fruit, apricots, peaches, pineapple, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, almonds, fruit juices, papaya, grapes, peaches, honeydew melon, pears, blueberries, corn, oranges, yams, sweet potatoes, peanuts (crushed), pine nuts, squash, hard-boiled eggs (leave the shells, cut the egg in half), Paw Paws, high protein baby cereal, assorted baby foods, low-fat yogurt (they especially like peach and blueberry), mealworms, wax worms, silkworms, small amounts of honey, dehydrated fruits and vegetables.

Since their food is fresh, the food needs to be removed from the cage frequently to prevent spoiling. Do not feed lightening bugs these can be deadly to many animals.

The much of their fluid intake is from the fruit in the wild. The sugar glider must have fresh water available at all times.

Vitamin deficiency can be a problem with sugar gliders. You should offer a liquid supplement in their drinking water or on their food.

Deviating from this diet, 75%/25% can be fatal to the Sugar Glider. Avoid preservatives, artificial flavors, and artificial colors. The Sugar Glider's diet is very specialized and can be quite expensive to feed. Something to take into serious consideration before you decide to bring home a sugar glider.

Housing

It is not a good idea to let your little sugar gliders to be free in a house without strict supervision. They can be injured. The little darlings also like to chew things up like your drapes, furniture, and any other chewable stuff in your house.

Do not forget that the glider is nocturnal. Sugar Gliders cannot be outside in the direct sun. The sun will injure their eyes severely.

Cages need to be good sized. The sugar glider cage can be bought or homemade. Homemade cages are relatively easy to build. The cage should be welded wire because Sugar Gliders like to climb. The size of the mesh needs to be small. A cage should be no smaller than 24" inches in diameter and 38" tall for any more than 2 animals. Bigger is better.

Place live fruit trees branches in their cage, and replace them frequently. This is for two purposes. One of these reasons is for climbing. The other reason they need to chew to keep their teeth healthy. Do not use any branches that have been sprayed!

Provide a nesting box for them to sleep in the daytime, for their comfort and to keep them out of the daylight. Fleece makes a great pillow and blanket for the sugar glider. Never use tissue (like toilet paper), sugar gliders can ingest tissue. Ingested tissue can cause intestinal blockage.

Bedding is a bit tricky; from all the fruit, their little feet can be sticky. Corncob bedding works well. Cedar is harmful, as is pine.

Legality of Sugar Gliders in the USA

I say in the US because I do not know what agency to contact outside of the United States. To find out if it legal to own a sugar glider in the US, contact the US Dept of Agriculture (Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service). Inquire if you must have a license.

This is a general overview to give you information about the Sugar Glider. Before you decide to bring one into your home, please research them entirely and find a vet that is knowledgeable.

Sugar Gliders Adoption

Please consider looking into pet adoption before purchasing a sugar glider. There are many sugar glider rescues and sugar gliders looking for a home.

Spend lots of time with your Sugar glider, and they will love to be with you. They will literally crave your attention. As you have seen, they can be costly and are time intensive. Sugar Gliders are sweet animals and make wonderful pets for the right person. Above all else enjoy your sugar glider.

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Behavioral Training Pets and Children

There is little difference in behavioral training a child or an animal; either common domestic companion pets or domestic companion exotic pets. I am going to use the word parents or parent to refer to the guardians of a human child or an animal or pet child.

If one parent tells the child, they can or cannot do one thing, and the other parent turns around and tells them the opposite that can cause serious confusion in a child. Their heart breaks. One, it makes the person that said yes a liar. It makes them the "bad person," and makes them look weak to the child. Tell me, what kind of role model does this give the child to follow? Exactly, certainly not a role model I would ever want my child to follow.

The same thing holds true when a parent tells a child no to a question, and other parent turns around and then says yes. The child learns nothing positive. If you disagree (and you will), you NEVER disagree in front of a child.

The child's mind literally tilts (my word for higher brain function overload), and they do the only thing they know what to do when dealing with utter confusion...they cry. Of course, some men are hard-wired to believe any crying is aimed at them - a plot against them. Only because most men have never learned to deal with emotion. The angrier a man gets, the more the crying gets to them, the more they yell, the more hurt the child becomes and therefore, cries more. Have you ever noticed countries or large corporations on an average are more efficient with a woman at the head than a man? More and more men are learning to use their hearts in combination with their brains to make decisions. More men are spending larger amounts of time with children and pets, they learn what emotion is. Not a sentiment to destroy the world or their little black and white world where they understand no evolution or change. So there is a chance the species may survive. If they don't blow mother earth to kingdom come with nuclear weapons.

Every single word of this holds true when you have an animal. Especially during the training process. If you don't think the animal doesn't understand these basic concepts you're dead wrong and probably shouldn't raise an animal. At least an animal that will need to survive a human world with social skills.

The child or animal will eventually use these disagreements to cause discord in the family. The child has then gained control.

Before you have children or acquire exotic pets or a more common pet, agree how that pet is going to be raised and FOLLOW through. As you go through the processes you will find just through experience you will need to make some adjustments that are fine and perfectly normal, and is human nature. We learn and improve. However, these changes are discussed privately, never in front of the animal or child.

A child has a hard enough time dealing with the oddities of people, can you imagine what a poor little animal goes through when they don't even speak the same language? Training and behavioral training children are pretty much the same as training exotic pets and common pets.

If you are planning a special day with your pet or child, don't start it out with a power struggle! Facebook Diana Geiger

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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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Pet Opossum - Possum

The Opossum is a marsupial of the family Didelphidae. The name possum is also used. They are nocturnal. Many people have enjoyed possums as exotic pets. Before considering acquiring one as a pet learn all you can about their care.

Of course, there was Heidi, a cross-eyed opossum from Germany that was a great possum ambassador. Sadly, she passed last year. But she was cuter than a bug's ear! I will provide a link to Heidi, the cross-eyed opossum at the bottom of the article.

Other marsupials include the kangaroo, wallaby, and sugar glider. A marsupial nourishes their young in a pouch after birth, while placental mammals feed their unborn young in utero.

They are highly resistant to disease and are able to slow their heart rate and breathing so that it is barely detectable.

My very first introduction to a possum was when I was very young and lived on a ranch. My father had purchased several of the rectangular bales of hay that were held together with baling wire. We cut the three wires on top of the bundle of hay so that it fell apart in segments. Inside this bale of hay was an opossum. He appeared to be dead; his body had obviously been through a hay baler. When we went to take him out, he began to growl. I’d be an unhappy camper too. I have no idea how long he had survived in this bale of hay, but he was so severely mangled the only humane thing to do was to put him down. I had immense guilt and nightmares because of this incident.

The term playing possum was coined from their ability to go into a coma-like state. It is almost impossible to tell if the opossum is alive or not. This is why their predators will leave them alone, breaking off the attack, once the opossum plays possum. They also secrete an odor similar to death while in their calm state.

I have had many joyful experiences with opossums. They appear to be fearsome animals with their mouth full of fifty teeth and their fearsome growl. In reality, they are quite a gentle creature and do make good pets for the right person. If a person willing to learn all they can about this exotic pet marsupial and follow up using the information they have learned to properly care for the animal the opossum does make a good pet.

Possums are not a dog or cat and do not act like dogs or cats. If you want an animal that acts like a dog or cat, please get a dog or cat.

Opossum Facts

Opossums are omnivores, very opportunist eaters. They will eat most anything. However, as pets, you have the responsibility to make sure they have a nutritious diet. They should have plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables as a diet staple. Provide a healthy protein source. In the wild, they eat insects, snails, snakes, eggs and other animal proteins. They will also need plenty of clean, fresh, and filtered water.

Pet possums live for approximately ten years which is entirely different from their counterparts that live in the wild. The possum has many predators including the automobile. They rarely live beyond a few years.

Opossum Pictures

Opossums can carry parasites that affect horses and birds. So it isn’t a good idea to have a possum if you have parrots. Keep the possum away from horses.

The opossum is also an excellent climber; please keep this in mind when considering an opossum as a pet. They are also quite dexterous. They have what one would recognize as a thumb like a toe on their back feet that works very much like an opposable thumb. They also use their tail, using it to grasp, which, increases their nimbleness.

When we lived in the South, we had an opossum that would visit us nightly. We had a four-season porch where I had several animals and also stored most of the pet food. This possum was nimble enough to open the latch on the door. One evening we were leaving the house to go out for the evening. We walked through the porch area. An opossum was sitting on the porch looking very ill. Later we found out why. He had opened the ferret food container and had eaten most of the contents. He was so full he couldn’t move.

This same opossum would sit right outside our bedroom window. The possum climbed up some jasmine bushes and would just sit there watching us. At the time we had several raccoons and skunks maybe he just wanted to join in the fun.

While they are able to grasp and steady themselves with their tail, you will not see the little guy hang upside down. There is a reason why we never witnessed this feat because they don’t hang upside down.

The opossum gives birth to several very tiny babies. The babies immediately crawl up into the pouch where they will stay for up to a few months. The mother will continue to care for her young carrying them on her back for an additional six weeks or so.

It is interesting to note a baby opossum or baby possum has no given name such as a kit, pup, joey, nothing. If anyone has heard a term for a baby, please let me know!

Before obtaining this exotic pet, please make sure to check to see if owning an opossum is legal. State laws can differ from what is allowed in a county or city. If an opossum is legal make sure you have the required permit. While owning a wild animal may be legal where you live it may be illegal to transport a wild animal. Check all aspects of the law.

A sweet pet like Heidi, a cross-eyed opossum, is more the demeanor of a possum than a ferocious, growling, hissing wild animal. Enjoy your pet possum!

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Birds of Prey – Falconry

The ancient art of falconry is far from a lost skill, alive and well in the US, and around much of the world. The proficiency takes a lot of dedication. In this world of instant gratification, cell phones, and computers, I hope it doesn’t become a lost art. I have gained a tremendous amount of esteem for falconers and hawkers, in addition to the respect they have for a wild bird and the incredible relationship that develops. Not the warm fuzzy relationship we have with many exotic pets but the working relationship that falconers and hawkers experience. Read the article...


Birds of Prey – Falconry