There
will always be people who have to have the
different, the unusual, and the exotic. This is
fine in regards to cars, clothes, food, vacations,
but may not be a good idea when it comes to
animals. In some circumstances, it may be
downright dangerous.
Exotic pets may
include the more commonly seen exotics depending
on the state/county you live in: reptiles,
ferrets, various birds, pot-bellied pigs, sugar
gliders and etc. Other exotics kept as pets may
include various wild felines and canine, prairie
dogs, skunks, exotic rodents, primates, various
species of fish, other less common reptiles,
insects, etc. But is having an exotic a good idea?
For the average (and even the person who think
he/she may be the above average) person, no, it is
not.
The biggest
restrictions to legally owning an exotic pet are
local laws. Sadly, these are often the only
restrictions people may (or not) follow. Each
state and even communities within that state will
have various laws regarding the owning of certain
types of animals. These laws may include requiring
special permits to own to the outright forbidding
of owning certain animals. For example, in
California presently, you cannot own gerbils. Yet
here in Virginia, they are legal. Why? Well, there
are concerns that should the rodents escape or be
released that they may begin breeding. The climate
of Southern California is similar to the desert
habitat of gerbils.
 Already there are breeding
colonies of feral gerbils in California that could
impact the environment and harm native species. In
Florida you cannot bring in piranhas because the
fish could survive and produce breeding colonies.
And who can forget the recent snakehead fish
worries in our region? However, Texas has very
loose laws regarding what can or cannot be owned.
Whether or not a species is restricted or legal to
own, should an exotic be considered as a pet?
Depending on the type, no.
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