What's new
TerraForums Venus Flytrap, Nepenthes, Drosera and more talk

Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!

Is this common in the u.s?

Okay, I was surfing around the web, looking for dog breeders overseas, as im looking to import another pup.
Eventually I ended up on some huge site of ads with animals for sale.

After I checked the 100 something dog sites, I happened to see an 'Exotic Animals' link, so i went there, being a reptile freak...
What do I find?? Lovely 4 year old male Bengal Tiger for sale... Mountain Lioness for sale, African Lion for sale, Albino wallaby for sale, Zebra stallion for sale...

The list goes on, and i was shocked off my butt to say the least...

Is this stuff common in the U.S? I mean, there was Polar bears and stuff there for cryin out loud!!

If this is legal there, I'm going to move there! I've always wanted an Ozelot and an Owl, but they're illegal here...
smile_h_32.gif


/Quensel
 
Yes, they are common and ARE STUPID! Most people buy them to find a few years later down the road that they are wild and are unable to keep them anymore. After that they abandon them, and most of them live sad lives unhealthy and lonely...
 
With permits and proper fencing it is. It is a long process that you must go through. You must obtain the proper permit and then the building permit if necessary to house the animal, then fence it in with the proper kinds of fencing (fence around the imediate area then a second security fence that may or may not be required to be electric with barbed wire). Then an inspecter will have to come out to inspect the safety and security of the facility. If all this is passed then you may be granted a permit for the animal to tlive there. You are also required to carry a special kind of insurance on the animal and any damage caused by it.
There are a few places here and there outside of zoos but it is generally alot of work to do and No I wouldn't say common.

Joe
 
Yeah stupid in that sense, as there are no demands whatsoever on the buyer; only one ad I saw said anything about permits of any kind...
Some are born in captivity though, and hand-fed since birth... I guess that's a LITTLE better, if they have to be taken away from habitat...

The Ozelot I know has at least one small scale 'commercial' breeder somewhere...
 
i read somewhere that there are more tigers in Texas than in the wild in India now.the critters arent common but they arent hard to find with a lil bit of searching either.

Rattler
 
I had considered getting a large cat for awhile but it was a pain in the *** so..........., as it should be since there are people that I wouldn't trust to own pets with a capability of consuming me.
laugh.gif


Joe

Out toward Hastings (Hi Copper) there is a place that has Zebras and Girrafes and all kinds of truely exotic pets.
 
I just searched Exotic pets on google And I found a "HIGHLAND CATTLE" For sale, lol
 
Mebbe I should get an Armadillo instead? seems more docile
smile.gif


And a zebra would beat a pony for my daughter for sure..
smile_l_32.gif


/Quensel
 
remember exotic pet generally means pain in the rear. they generally require special diets and there is a general lack of info on keeping them. armidillos need a special diet and zebras generally dont tame down enough to ride
smile_n_32.gif


Rattler
 
  • #10
oh yeah i ws going to add. i have kept lots of "exotic" pets. never any of the mega exotics like the big cats and zebras and such. in general they require lots of speciallized care and extra time. i have 2 sugar gliders(think of a flying squirrel crossed with a opossum) they require special caging and diets that can be difficult to find if you live out in the middle of nowhere like me. having a good vet close is also a major issue. put lots of thought into it. it is not a rash desition you want to make or you or the animal or both will be sorry.

Rattler
 
  • #11
speaking of exotic pets, i just saw on the news that the tiger named bobo (or something like that) that is the personal pet of the guy that played tarzan, escaped and is running around in florida.
 
  • #12
I even know of one online retailer (whos been on Animal Planet shows before) who sells all sorts of venomous serpents like the Fur de Lance, Gabon Death Vipers, 10+ foot anacondas, crocodile monitors (who can get larger than the famous Komodo Dragon Monitors) etc.

One report I read stated that the trade in black market exotic/illegal species (I assume this may include plants like orchids as well) was ranked third under 1) weapons and 2) drugs. CITES admits they have no actual monetary figures or research to back up their claims. However, just from my own personal observation/web searches and visiting independent pet shops (or just newspaper classifieds) it's obvious that "exotic/illegal" animals are definately being traded on a wide scale.

I have no problem with someone owning an exotic pet so long as these "rules" (of my own conscience) are observed:
1) Large space which resembles as closely as possible the natural habitat - whatever microclimate it may be.
2) As little human interaction as possible
3) Proper diet
4) Companion animals aka mate (or mates depending upon species and size of habitat)
5) owner must read and comprehend the care required for exotic species. -Maybe they could even  be made to take a written test before they are sold a permit.

EDIT: # 6) Captive Bred! -I can't believe I left that off! If you must own a exotic frog, lizard, fish, monkey, loch ness monster or mountain yeti at least make sure it's not abducted from the wild.

If these very basic things are looked after then I see no reason one can't own something really interesting. But if you think you'd like to have a lion and black panther just as a houspets like Anton LaVey used to after he left the circus, that's just foolishness. I don't really think a lion prefers a chez lounge to slumbering on the savanah...
 
  • #13
not all exotic pets can be captive bred. one example is the lovable hermit crab
biggrin.gif
 
  • #14
[b said:
Quote[/b] ]I even know of one online retailer (whos been on Animal Planet shows before) who sells all sorts of venomous serpents like the Fur de Lance, Gabon Death Vipers, 10+ foot anacondas, crocodile monitors (who can get larger than the famous Komodo Dragon Monitors) etc.

there are lots of these ppl. check out www.kingsnake.com other than the croc monitors and fer de lance which im not sure on, all are readily availible captive bred. as to the others if they arent there are several closly related that are. oh yah and its gabbon vipers and death adders not gabbon death vipers. lots of venomous snakes are availible CB, crocs to do to skin farms but are harder to find other than a few common species. most of the pythons and boas are captive bred now. a few are still uncommon. Komodo dragons arent availible to private collectors i dont think but zoos and such have bred them.

Rattler

Rattler
 
  • #15
Don't misunderstand me, I'm not looking to keep any! I was only illustrating the wild things available from this particular FL dealer who seems to know what they're doing with animals but it's their starry eyed buyers I'm wondering about.

Anyone can whip out a couple hundred bucks for some deadly snake or exotic creature but can they honestly say they can handle it?

I've been on Kingsnake before looking around but I don't actually want the responsibility that goes with these kinds of animals anymore. I bred killifishes for years and I'm tired of the responsibilities that go with maintaining habitats. A larger animal means more maintenance and care and I have other responsibilites which keep me from having spare time nowadays.

The only "exotic" animals I could see myself possibly getting into would be some CB dart frogs or red eyed tree frogs put into a large  well planted, established and automated display  terrarium but I will not even begin working on it until my schedule clears and I can move to a new (actual) house and figure out a way to breed fruitflies successfully year round. My cultures always crashed in summer (great killie breeder food).

Nepenthes are infinately easier and have become my new pets (other than my cat of course)!
 
  • #16
[b said:
Quote[/b] ]have no problem with someone owning an exotic pet so long as these "rules" (of my own conscience) are observed:
1) Large space which resembles as closely as possible the natural habitat - whatever microclimate it may be.
2) As little human interaction as possible
3) Proper diet
4) Companion animals aka mate (or mates depending upon species and size of habitat)
5) owner must read and comprehend the care required for exotic species. -Maybe they could even be made to take a written test before they are sold a permit.

so many perrot keepersl leave all those out
 
  • #17
If you think thats bad in the usa you should see other countrys 3rd world the worst they dont sell them as live pets they sell them as food. and its more common out side the usa to find exotic pet trade. tho its every where on some level.
 
  • #18
Blimey! That's cool...nothing's ever allowed in singapore, animals to say the least.
 
  • #20
Tiger cubs were $2k each I think. most stuff was around there.

/Quensel
 
Back
Top