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Exotic Pets
How Much Is That Froggy in the Window?

Other Exotic Animal Related Information on our website:

• Circuses

• Exotic Animals Backgrounder Fact Sheet

• Primates Seized by SPCA
   

"I'm getting a frog for my birthday," a young girl declared to me.
"Oh, what kind of frog?" I ask.
"I'm not sure but it is from the tropics."
"Why are you getting a frog?"
"I think they're neat. I saw them at the pet store and my Dad said I could have one."

The first thing to consider about frogs is that they are wild animals. Frogs and other exotic pets such as snakes, lizards, scorpions, arachnids, etc., have not been domesticated and in most cases, have been captured in the wild and shipped to pet stores. Most people recognize that wild animals should never be kept as pets, but many do not make the connection that the exotic animals they see in pet shops are in fact wild animals.

Popular consumer culture encourages people to want anything that is unique. Why do people want exotic pets? Christine Schramm of the Rainforest Reptile Refuge in Surrey, BC, has one theory, "I think it is because people believe the animals will enhance their self image, whatever that happens to be." People often get exotic pets to make themselves feel unique. Christine explains the stereotypes where "tough macho guys" have iguanas, pythons or caimans, while "soft spoken gentle people" tend to have turtles or frogs. Children, she says, like spiders, smaller lizards and amphibians (girls often like to shock boys and prove that girls can like creepy-crawly things too). These pets seem like fashion accessories used to enhance a desired personal image.

Sadly, Christine notes, "people who get pets to boost their self image tend to get bored of their pets very quickly and then want to abandon them." That often means they end up at Christine and her husband Clarence's Refuge. "I had one person come to us with a python he wanted to surrender after he had it for only one day," exclaimed Christine. People come to the Refuge after they have had their pet for between six months and a year, hoping to surrender the animal because the novelty has worn off, or caring for the animal became too time consuming and costly. Exotic wild animals usually don't do tricks, ignore their keepers and are difficult to care for. When selecting a pet, people often do not consider how large the creature will grow or how long the animal will live. Some creatures, such as box turtles, live longer than humans.

In many cases, the animals that are accepted at the refuge have not been properly cared for out of ignorance, while others exhibit signs of physical abuse. Christine and Clarence lovingly nurse these animals back to health, and provide a habitat specially suited to their needs, but they can only do so much. "The key", Christine emphasizes, "is to eliminate the exotic pet trade by cutting the demand."

Unlike domesticated pets that create long term reciprocal relationships between guardian and animal, there are many compelling reasons for not keeping exotic animals. Removing wild animals from their natural habitat can have the following consequences:

• Fragile ecosystems are disturbed as people invade the natural environment to collect wild creatures

• Capturing wild animals can threaten the species' existence - as is the case with endangered tarantulas varieties (Mexican red legged, Chilean rose, Asian black velvet) all because of the pet trade.

• More than half of all captured animals die before becoming pets. Their deaths involve great suffering and the surviving animals face cruel treatment, unsuitable living conditions and inadequate diets.

Many pet guardians who grow tired of their exotic pets - mistakenly think that releasing them is a humane option. In reality, this creates two possible problems:

• The freed animals die in an inhospitable environment, or ...

• They thrive, multiply and create a new problem by upsetting the local ecosystem.

The house sparrow and the starling, for example, were imported pets - released by their admirers in New York city during the late 1800's. These birds now blanket virtually every part of North America. Who could have predicted their devastating effect on native bird populations, or the damage they inflict upon freshly seeded farm crops? And, rabbits, release in Australia during the 1850's have reached an estimated population of 750 million in the wild to-date. Releasing exotic pets can harm native species through predation, competition for food, disease and hybridization. In British Columbia, for example, releasing red eared turtles in local ponds may create ecological problems for native aquatic species. The long term impact is still unknown.

Wild animals should never be kept as pets. Only trained animal technicians, veterinarians and ethologists have the knowledge to provide conditions that allow exotic pets to thrive in captivity. Even when the best care is given, wild animals seldom live as long in captivity as they do in the wild. Just as orca whales in captivity live only 20 years of a normal 80 year life span, so it is with creatures such as iguanas who, in captivity, live only a small portion of their natural 15 year life. The psychological torture captivity inflicts on a wild animal cannot be justified by the personal pleasure of a few casual pet fanciers. Even on scientific grounds, keeping wild animals for more than a short period is questionable.

Animals that make the best pets are ones that have been selectively bred for generations to live with humans. Do your homework about an animal before making your pet selection - ensure that you make the best choice. Find out the animal's origin, its social behaviours, the meanings of sounds and body gestures, and the psychology of your animal. Next, be sure you understand the correct dietary requirements and can provide the environment that will allow your pet to live comfortably and with the ability to express its natural inclinations, such as running, exploring, resting, privacy, nest building, etc. Acknowledging all of these considerations is part of the process of creating a relationship of mutual respect between you and your pet - a process of particular importance for children if they are to develop healthy, respectful relationships with animals.

The exotic pet trade implies a misleading message about wild animals. By treating animals as commodities we teach children that animals can be removed from their natural, biological communities. Nurture an attitude of respect for wild creatures and their natural habitats. By insisting that animals be left in the wild, the demand for exotic pets will end. I know one young girl who, after learning about the consequences, decided not to get a frog for a pet.

by , Manager of Humane Education