How about sloths? I love them as the critters they are, and can’t imagine them as pets, but, is there a fan base for them as pets?
Actually there is. Both two toed and three toes sloths are commonly kept as pets. They make decent, if somewhat boring companion animals. Be aware that they need frequent, proper bathing and are quite capable of moving quickly if startled. Those claws can give you a nasty wound. A bottle fed baby though is unlikely to ever become aggressive with it’s perceived “mother”.
Any animal that poos only once every couple of weeks has a plus in its favor. 
Pardon my intervention, but it suddenly dawned on me mayhaps you could shed some light on the inane fact…why do you get an overwhelming musky/ nasty taste in your mouth when bitten by a sizeable constrictor. I was once the designated snake sitter for someone I barely knew …just lucky I guess… I will never forget the parting comments of this individual as she unloaded the new house guest and his furnishings…yeah he eats mice …like potato chips… and oh when he bites you the wierdest thing will happen… that was many years ago and I never thought to pursue an explanation to the mystery…I would appreciate your input
I doubt it’s connected to the bite at all. I’ve been bitten hundreds of times and the only thing I can think of is that the snake is excited and fear musking. Sometimes they only release a little and the scent is greasy enough to sort of sit on your tongue if you inhale with an open mouth.
Constrictors BITE? I thought they just suffocated you?
Of course they bite. How do you think they hold onto their prey while wrapping it?
Hands? I usually cheat and tape the paper directly to the box.
With their coils?
Acid Lamp:
Curiously, I’ve been thinking about aquiring a Bearded Dragon - even finally satisfying myself that there was a Vet in Oslo who competently specialized in lizards just last week. I’ve talked with some owners over at repti dot net and am satisfied that it’ll be the eventual pet for me.
But could you give me your opinion on the following questions?
- I’ve never owned a reptile before. (Only cats.) Would the climate in Norway make it difficult for it, even if I kept it inside in a properly heated habitat?
- The vet I’ve come to trust lives about an hour away by public transportation. Is transporting a lizard hard? Would the temperature change from [35c/20c/x where x can be anything between 20c to -30c] it’s habitat to my flat to the outside be harmful for it? How would it deal with abrupt temperature changes, if sick? I do not have my driver’s licence yet.
- How much time need/ought to be spent with the animal each day to acclimatize it to your presence? How wary are they of strangers and how territorial are they? Do they thrive better in pairs? Are they easily socialized to their own kind, or should they be kept seperate except for breeding purposes?
I’m sure I’ve got another dozen questions, but night beckons! Thanks for the great thread so far! 
I would have never guessed that a thread on exotic pets would be so interesting.
Are there any lorises that aren’t illegal? What would they be like as a pet?
I had piranhas for many years. There are several different types. I had one that had a black tail that was nasty. When he got a gold fish he would go from back to front like a buzz saw. It took seconds for him to eat it. He only ate live fish. I other varieties that would eat worms. They were red tails and grew bigger. When I had to clean the black tails tank ,I used a glass partition. He showed no fear when I had to put my arms in there.
A lovely turn of phrase, that.
now that I’m caught up, I too would like to say thanks for the thread, and where’s the book? A post-modern Herriot, that’s what we have here folks.
I want a training story! Have you ever trained … anything interesting … to do … um, anything interesting? Ever run into a customer who has? Bat retriever? Attack weasel? Maze-running beetle? Knitting fish? Patent attorney echidna?
**How strange, could be olfactory. Maybe her comment combined w/the musk added to the incident. The odor was definetly pungent and no doubt this python and Dick shared a common ancestry. From what little I know of reptiles it became evident that he had not had all the food he desired, the change in diet from ‘only pink’ rodents to large red squirrels should have had a calming effect. I was not as tough as your young orange haired helper. Thanks for the response and as a testimonial to the cult like following this topic and author have amassed …Guys its too late for me , but next time a girl with faraway eyes routinely asks what it is you do for money…were it me ,in deference to this gentlemans unselfish dedication I might forget the "i’m an astronaut and I own this bar line and go with 'well … you know … EAD …hmm thats right exotic animal dealer . …and something in reference to holding an exotic trouser boa, not to be confused with the more mundane ball python might be appropos…I think it has limitless possibilities. …iIn closing …but what for our mentor… …just the endless posts that don’t feed the caimen…Perhaps a donation to the Acid Lamp stubby finger memorial fund each time a foray by a young EAD proves successful,another exotic animal finds refuge for the night …oops time to take my medicene. Thanks for the bantor
Loads of questions here: As to temperature changes, assuming that you do not have to take him out in the cold too often he will be fine. For longer trips, Heat up a large stone in the oven, wrap it in a towel and place it in an insulated container, like a styrofoam cooler for transport. this will provide a nice warm ambient temp that should keep him fine. Don’t let him catch a chill, it is the easiest way for upper respiratory infections to set in. TO acclimate your beardie, start with 5-15 min twice a day and gradually move up to the point where he can be out several hours with access to a warm place. most become “lap lizards” within the first year.
Beardies can be social, but I recommend keeping them solitary to avoid territorial fights. You shouldn’t have a trouble with strangers or territorial nips to you unless you fail to socialize your dragon. They will give plenty of warning before a bite though, these include running away, puffing, hissing, and erecting the beard of spines about their neck.
Aside: I Adore the Norwegian Forest Cat. When we finally get a cat, that’s the breed for me.
You found a question I don’t have the answer for. I’ve never seen them available, so I assume that either the interest was never there, or they are not available. I have a dim recollection of one dealer that had a larger species though,…I’m not sure.
okay:
According to a quick googling they are available in some areas. It seems that the majority are imports and undergo de-fanging. Not a good sign. If you can find an breeder, go ahead, but they musk, have a toxic bite and need a varied diet.
Well we trained a Red Tegu to lick grape lollipops. I don’t know if that counts as training though. Most of our animals only got the most basic handling interaction before going to their new homes. Infant mammals were simply carried about at all convenient times to ensure that the line human contact never got too distant. Let me think about it for a while, I’m sure something will come to me that’s both interesting and entertaining, unless you want to know how to train your dog to get you a beer?
Um, why? Do you know how to DO that? 