Most exotic animals seen on the pet trade

[red river hog]

there are many private owners who have large tracts of lands and can keep many of these species successfully. I've been to a lot of privately-owned zoos and many manage to keep these species listed successfully.

I was not referring to private zoos. I was talking about an owner who keeps these animals as "pets," not in a zoo. For example: if my neighbor wanted to get a lemur, I don't think it would have the proper care, as many people don't have the means to.

 

[ZooBinh]

The majority of guinea pigs in human care suffer. Would you be for banning them?

But does the average person who can have a guinea pig have easy access to the information and material to care for a guinea pig? Yes.

Is that the same for animals such as bats and primates? Most absolutely not. Guinea pigs are domesticated, and wild animals are not. It's pretty simple.

 

[ThylacineAlive]

While I think regulations should perhaps be stricter in order to keep a lot of exotic species, I do not support the idea of banning species from the private trade. Private keeper communities do a lot of very importing breeding work, especially when it comes to ectotherms and even hoofstock. As an example, the majority of cassowaries bred in the US are not done so in zoos, but rather by private keepers who sell young birds to zoos. If we banned the private keeping of cassowaries because some people could theoretically keep them improperly, then we'd see a massive decline and possibly phasing-out of the species in zoos.

~Thylo

 

[Coelacanth18]

Reading over @ThylacineAlive's post, I realize now that I have not done an adequate job of explaining what I was encompassing under the umbrella of "private trade" - which is admittedly a broad term that encompasses a wide range of people, organizations, and skill levels.

I am not advocating for outright bans on private trade or ownership of any species (I think I said that, although the phrasing may have been unclear). It is true that many reputable licensed facilities and experienced husbandry experts are private - I have no quarrel with them or their ability to participate in animal trade. I agree with the post above that I am in favor of stricter regulations - one of those regulations being that only organizations or individuals who have demonstrated proper credentials or skill level to care for x species may be allowed to keep x species. I don't think exotic animal ownership is a right - I think there should be permitting systems and individuals who don't meet the necessary standards for a permit should be prohibited from keeping certain species.

Another issue currently is also that it is too easy for substandard private establishments to become licensed and allowed to keep exotic animals. Were that not the case, my feelings would be different - but as it stands right now, it's not possible for me to say that I think any zoo or person should be allowed to keep whatever animal they want. Being licensed by the USDA or having experience keeping animals poorly is IMO not a good enough qualification to allow someone to acquire whatever animal they desire. I recognize upon reflection, however, that this may be a different issue - one relating to existing regulation rather than hypothetical.

The majority of guinea pigs in human care suffer. Would you be for banning them?

If there's evidence that the majority of guinea pigs being kept as pets suffer due to inadequate husbandry, then yes - I would advocate prohibiting anyone except licensed facilities and experienced keepers from acquiring them.

 

[birdsandbats]

While I think regulations should perhaps be stricter in order to keep a lot of exotic species, I do not support the idea of banning species from the private trade. Private keeper communities do a lot of very importing breeding work, especially when it comes to ectotherms and even hoofstock. As an example, the majority of cassowaries bred in the US are not done so in zoos, but rather by private keepers who sell young birds to zoos. If we banned the private keeping of cassowaries because some people could theoretically keep them improperly, then we'd see a massive decline and possibly phasing-out of the species in zoos.

~Thylo

This pretty much exactly reflects my beliefs on this subject.

I was not referring to private zoos. I was talking about an owner who keeps these animals as "pets," not in a zoo. For example: if my neighbor wanted to get a lemur, I don't think it would have the proper care, as many people don't have the means to.

At least in the US, the only difference between a private zoo and a private collection is that one is open to the public. There very little difference in licence, regulations, ect. so as far as animal care the rules are exactly the same.

 

[red river hog]

At least in the US, the only difference between a private zoo and a private collection is that one is open to the public. There very little difference in licence, regulations, ect. so as far as animal care the rules are exactly the same.

Well zoos hire staff with college degrees and experience. Once again, I'm referring to anyone who isn't experienced who decides to get an animal like a lemur as a pet.

 

[ThylacineAlive]

Well zoos hire staff with college degrees and experience. Once again, I'm referring to anyone who isn't experienced who decides to get an animal like a lemur as a pet.

Private collections can hire staff as well. And I highly doubt most roadside zoos are hiring staff with degrees and experience tbh. I know of private collections with higher qualification standards than some zoos.

~Thylo

 

[Valentinoamor]

The majority of guinea pigs in human care suffer.

Rabbits, most birds, and tons of reptiles/amphibians tend to suffer as well.

 

[Yoshistar888]

In Victoria you need a licence to keep a Bearded Dragon, exotic reptiles are banned (corn snakes, leopard geckos etc) but you can keep a Blue and Yellow macaw with no licenses or permits. It boggles me to this day.

 

[Yoshistar888]

Rabbits, most birds, and tons of reptiles/amphibians tend to suffer as well.

Goldfish and Siamese Fighting fish suffer the most in my opinion.

 

[red river hog]

Goldfish and Siamese Fighting fish suffer the most in my opinion.

Definitely. There are so many people that keep them in tiny cups

 

[Valentinoamor]

Definitely. There are so many people that keep them in tiny cups

Fish in general tend to be kept in improper environments. I've seen lots of mollies and guppies in tiny tanks as well.

 

[animalszoos]

Rabbits, most birds, and tons of reptiles/amphibians tend to suffer as well.

And even dogs - half UK dogs are overweight!

 

[Azamat Shackleford]

Formerly having worked at a pet store, I can say that many, many pets are mistreated.

If you want to keep your sanity, I don’t recommend working at one (unless you know for sure the animals are receiving proper care which is rare these days)...

 

[WhistlingKite24]

That's a nice set of sharks. I have been to several fish stores with Freshwater Moray Eels (Gymnothorax polyuranodon) but unfortunately they remained very well-hidden and I am still on the lookout for them.

Red-tailed Catfish are indeed very rare in Australia and fetch a high price. I have never seen them in any pet stores, only at Sea Life Sunshine Coast when they used to have a full-grown adult.

Snowflake Eels are the species of the moray I see most often in pet stores around here. Ribbon Eels are an 'every so often' species and pop up occasionally. The only other moray species I have seen in the pet trade is Fimbriated Moray Eel (Gymnothorax fimbriatus).

I never get tired of seeing rainbowfish.

I finally saw my first Freshwater Moray Eels (Gymnothorax polyuranodon) today at the local fish store. They are a wonderfully patterned species.The shop was also selling a brackish species that I had never heard of before - a White-cheeked Moray Eel (Echidna rhodhocilus).

 

[Yoshistar888]

I finally saw my first Freshwater Moray Eels (Gymnothorax polyuranodon) today at the local fish store. They are a wonderfully patterned species.The shop was also selling a brackish species that I had never heard of before - a White-cheeked Moray Eel (Echidna rhodhocilus).

Lucky, my LFS stocks them as well but I have not had a chance to go there as Melbourne has been severely battered by COVID. I have found a few mega fish stores in Melbourne that I am keen to visit after the current situation.

 

[DaLilFishie]

I see lots of fish in pet stores frequently that would be considered somewhat rare in other countries. For example, baby barramundi are fairly common, tandanus catfish pop up occasionally, australian rainbowfish are common. And then a lot of animals common other places are nowhere to be found. Blood parrot cichlids, redtail catfish, convict cichlids, glofish of any kind and african dwarf frogs are nowhere to be seen

 

[red river hog]

I see lots of fish in pet stores frequently that would be considered somewhat rare in other countries. For example, baby barramundi are fairly common, tandanus catfish pop up occasionally, australian rainbowfish are common. And then a lot of animals common other places are nowhere to be found. Blood parrot cichlids, redtail catfish, convict cichlids, glofish of any kind and african dwarf frogs are nowhere to be seen

Wow! It's so interesting how much is different in other countries. I haven't even heard of some of those that you mentioned, except for Australian Rainbowfish, which I see occasionally. Blood Parrots and Convict Cichlids are some of the most common cichlids in the United States, so I'm very surprised that they are so rare. African Dwarf Frogs, too; I even have a pair myself.

 

[birdsandbats]

It shocks me how affordable this is:

Greater Prairie Chickens | Purely Poultry

 

[DaLilFishie]

Wow! It's so interesting how much is different in other countries. I haven't even heard of some of those that you mentioned, except for Australian Rainbowfish, which I see occasionally. Blood Parrots and Convict Cichlids are some of the most common cichlids in the United States, so I'm very surprised that they are so rare. African Dwarf Frogs, too; I even have a pair myself.

Barramundi is a large freshwater relative of the sea basses, and the tandanus catfish is a freshwater catfish with an eel-like tail