Exotic Pets Part Four - Short-tail Opposum

When the average person thinks of Opossums, they think the large, ugly, and mean Virginia Opossum lying dead in the road or hanging from a tree branch by its tail (this, by the way, is a myth). The Short-tailed Opossum is not large. Or ugly. Or mean.

You probably already know of another pet Opossum: the Sugar Glider, though perhaps (unless you have read this blog for a long time) you did not know that they were Opossums.

Before I right any more, I'd better show you what a Short-tailed Opossum looks like:

Cute, right? I thought so.

The type of Short-tailed Opossum most likely to be found in the pet trade is the one in the picture: the Gray Short-tailed Opossum, Monodelphis domestica. Domestica!? Yes, these are domesticated, not to be pets, but to experiment on.

One of these guys will set you back about a hundred dollars. They can live in a cage ( a rat sized one would work) or an aquarium.

Short-tailed Opossums are not hard to keep, and they can become tame. 

Exotic Pets Part 3 - Prairie Dogs

Prairie Dogs are strange pets indeed, but, when raised from a pup, a Prairie Dog (PD for short) will actually become a tame and bonded pet.

There are a few websites that sell food for PD's- and other exotic mammals, by the way. PD pups are not all that expensive - usually under two hundred dollars. A fifteen gallon aquarium will work for a PD, as they are small.

PD's are adorable and, when bottle raised and tamed by the breeder, are unlikely to bite their owners. They are active little critters, and they are large enough that they can run around a room (while being watched, of course.)

Like hedgehogs, PDs can be cared for similarly to rabbits and guinea pigs. If you can give them the exercise and attention they need, PD's can be fun exotic pets.

Exotic Pets Part 2 - Hedgehogs

I was going to do this post on Sugar Gliders, but then I remembered that I had already written about these adorable marsupials here, so I'm writing about hedgehogs, or, more specifically, the African Pygmy Hedgehog.

First of all, it may interest you to know (or maybe not) that the African Pygmy Hedgehog was never a wild animal. As before stated, they are domesticated, and they were originally hybrids of the Four-toed (white-bellied) Hedgehog and the Algerian Hedgehog (actually domesticated by the Ancient Romans). Other hedgehogs are sometimes kept as pets, but these are hard to find and more expensive.



A cage meant for a guinea pig or rabbit will suffice for a Hedgie, as hedgehogs are sometimes known, as long as it doesn't have a wire floor. Also, the "c and c cage" which you can read about here works well for them. Actually, a lot of the supplies needed for a guinea pig or rabbit will work for hedgies.

For food, good hedgehog specific food can be hard to find (some PetSmart locations carry hedgehog food, but only one brand, and it currently has a low rating) and when it can be found, it is quite expensive. A lot of hedgehog owners feed their hedgie high quality (expensive, but hedgehogs are tiny) dry cat food, about four tablespoons a day is a good amount. Also, some leafy greens, meats, fruits, vegetables, and feeder insects can be given to hedgehogs as treats.

Legal issues: African Pygmy Hedgehogs, as far as I can tell (but don't take my word for it), are illegal in only three states: California, Hawaii, and Georgia, as well as parts of some other states. A handful of states have permit requirements. Remember, never get an exotic pet without first making sure that it is legal.

Hedgies can be tamed, and a tame hedgehog will let you hold it without rolling into a ball. They can make fun and entertaining pets (as well as being adorable) and are one of the easiest to care for of the exotic pets.

Exotic Pets - Part 1 Intoduction

Some people say that exotic pets are animals that are not domesticated, and some people use the term to denote all non-mammal animals kept as pets. I don't entirely agree with either view point. Some animals may have been bred in captivity long enough to be considered domesticated, but are still often considered exotic pets.

For example, scientists have domesticated the Silver Fox. Some companies are selling Silver Fox pups as pets. But that does not mean that they are ranked alongside guinea pigs and housecats as household pets, so I would consider a pet Silver Fox and exotic pet. In the same way, according to Wikipedia African Pygmy Hedgehogs are domesticated, but in my opinion they are still exotic pets. Some people might beg to differ with this, though.

I would personally divide exotic pets into two categories.


Type one exotics that I know of consist of the following: hedgehogs, sugar glider, pet prairie dogs (yes, it's true!), pet flying squirrels, medium sized birds, small- medium reptiles,  short-tailed opossums, pygmy mice, and spiny mice.

These exotic pets are relatively easy to find, are a lot cheaper (under $300), do not need huge caging/ pen and supplies, and are normally legal and do not usually require a permit (but NOT always! Always check your local laws before getting an exotic pet!)

Type two exotics are such animals like wallabies, kinkajous coatimundis, genets, large exotic birds, (small wild cats), large reptiles, and marmosets (TINY monkeys). Basically they are the reverse of the type one exotics, but still could possibly make a good pet for a specialized owner.

I will try to write about most of these animals in the posts to come.

Fennec Fox

Fennecs are cute little foxes. Adult Fennecs weigh in at only 3.5 pounds, making fennecs the smallest wild Canine. If you want a relatively safe exotic mammel, and are willing to spend quite a bit to get one ( the most common price for a fennec pup is $1000 USD) , a fennec might be a good pet for you.

Fennecs should eat a mix a mix of dog food, cat food, fruits, and vegetables. Feeding these tiny foxes is not all that expensive, since they are only the size of a chihuahua.

I think fennecs are adorable. You might not agree.

Fennec foxes also make an unusual sound that some people describe as "singing". Click on this link to hear it. 
"Singing" fennec fox

Keeping a fennec is really not all that different then keeping a domestic dog. They can be trained the same way. They need plenty of outdoor exercise. They should have the same vaccinations as a dog.

Fennecs do tend to be "nippy" when they are young, but as the pup grows up, it will lose this habit. With proper training a fennec fox can be a good, friendly pet, but they are expensive to keep.