Exotic Animals that you work or have worked with

Water Dragon

Water Dragon

Well-Known Member
On this thread, you can put any exotic animals that you work with at home, work, college, university, etc.
These are the animals that I currently work with. I will sort them using the six main animal groups.

Mammals
Scottish Wildcats
Gambian Pouched Rat
Steppe Lemming
Pygmy Dormouse
African Pygmy Hedgehog
(Should be getting some sugar-gliders soon:))


Birds
Common Emu
Three species of Parakeet (I will check later)
Indian Myna
Budgerigars
Java Sparrows
Zebra Finches
Goldfinches
Cockatiels
Three Lovebird Species (I will check later)
Rook
A few more species of passerine but I will check later

Reptiles
New Caledonia Crested Gecko
New Caledonia Gargoyle Gecko
Pueblan Milk Snake
European Glass Lizard
Corn Snake
Egyptian Uromastyx
Moroccan Uromastyx
Blue-Tongued Skink
Ornate Box Turtle
Central Bearded Dragon
African Plated Lizard
Royal Python
Sulcata Tortoise
Red-Footed Tortoise
Kimberly Rock Monitor
Chinese Water Dragon:):):)

Amphibians
Red-Eyed Tree Frog
White's Tree Frog
Waxy Monkey Frog
African Bullfrog
Asian Horned Frog
Blue Poison Dart Frog
Powder Blue Poison Dart Frog
Oriental Fire-Bellied Toad
(Have had African Clawed Frog, Spanish Sharp-Ribbed Newt, and Axolotls in the past)

Fish
Guppy
Honey Gourami
Flying Fox
Red-Tailed Black Shark
Clown Loach
Bronze Corydoras
Congo Tetra
Penguin Tetra
Sterba's Corydoras
Maybe a few more but there was a cichlid at one point too but it died :(

Invertebrates
Leaf Cockroaches
Deathshead Cockroaches
Dubian Cockroaches
Giant African Land Snail
Sun beetle
Thorny Stick Insect
Peleng Stick Insect
Giant Lime Green Stick Insect
Maclaey's Stick Insect
Leaf Insect
Caribbean Hermit Crabs
(In the past there was also a salmon pink tarantula, millipede, and praying mantis. I have also worked with butterflies before.)
 
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Mammals
Pygmy Marmoset
Patagonian Mara
Ring tailed lemur
Red fronted brown lemur
Meerkats
Scottish Wildcat
African Pygmy hedgehog
Gambian pouch rat
Red squirrel
Azaras Agouti
Snow leopard
Bennets wallaby
Red Kangaroo
Birds
Red tailed hawk
Common emu
African crowned crane
Himalayan Monal
Various types of parrots
Reptiles
Bearded dragons
Royal pythons(or Ball pythons)
Kimberley Rock monitor
Savannah monitor
Black throat monitor
Boa constrictor
Corn snake
King snake
Milk snake
Burmese python
Reticulated python
Blue and pink tongued skinks
Red footed tortoises
Sulcata tortoise
Hermanns tortoise
Collared iguanas
Panther chameleons
Chinese water dragons
Moroccan and Egyptian uromastyx
West African dwarf crocodile
Inverts
Salmon pink tarantula
Giant African land snail
Various cockroaches
Various phasmids

Some of these i have briefly interacted with and not properly worked with.
 
Here is a current list of the species kept on the animal unit at my uni.

Mammals
Common palm civet
Brush-tailed possum
Brazilian three-banded armadillo
Kinkajou
Sugar glider
African pygmy hedgehog
Lesser hedgehog tenrec
African pygmy dormouse
Egyptian fruit bat
Fancy mouse
Multimammate mouse
Fancy rat
Dumbo rat
Semi-naked rat
Edible dormouse
Arabian spiny mouse
Mongolian gerbil
Fat-tailed gerbil
Syrian hamster
Western winter hamster
Roborovski hamster
Harvest mouse
Chinchilla
Degu
Ring-tailed lemur
Meerkat
Yellow mongoose
Common marmoset
Giant rabbit
Mara
Capybara
Guinea pig
Red-necked wallaby
Alpaca
Llama x alpaca hybrid
Pygmy goat
Pygmy pygmy goat
Nubian goat
Dwarf goat
Mediterranean miniature donkey
South American coati
Ferret

Birds
Green-winged macaw
African grey parrot
Rainbow lorikeet
Goffin's cockatoo
Laughing kookaburra
Emu
Greater rhea
Broiler chicken
Diamond dove
Swift parrot
Red-fronted kakariki
Java sparrow
Pekin robin
Zebra finch
Bengalese society finch
Bronze turkey
White-cheeked turaco

Reptiles
Crested gecko
Crocodile skink
Fire skink
Arafura filesnake
Roti Island snake-necked turtle
Pancake tortoise
Musk turtle
Frilled dragon
Asian brown tortoise
Fly River turtle
Philippine sailfin lizard
Giant day gecko
Plumed basilisk
Fiji banded iguana
Prehensile-tailed skink
Matamata
Giant New Caledonian day gecko
Neon blue girdle-tailed lizard
Soft-shelled turtle
Jardine's turtle
Cuban anole
Green tree monitor
Rhinoceros iguana
Asian water monitor
American alligator
Western fox snake
Carpet python
Corn snake
Great Plains rat snake
Garter snake
Eastern garter snake
Kenyan sand boa
Tropical girdled lizard
Common wonder gecko
Leopard gecko
False water cobra
Berber skink
African clawed gecko
Fat-tailed gecko
Ocellated uromastyx
Mandarin rat snake
Glass lizard
Blue-tongued skink
Indian star tortoise
Bell's hingeback tortoise
Spur-thighed tortoise
Plated lizard
Bearded dragon
Egyptian uromastyx
Sudan uromastyx
Hog Island boa
Horsfield's tortoise
Marginated tortoise
Burmese star tortoise
Royal python
Spiny-tailed monitor
Pine snake
Japanese rat snake
Tangerine milk snake
Korean rat snake
Western hognose snake
Californian king snake
Grey banded king snake
Liquorice rat snake
Speckled Madagascan hognose snake
Mexican black king snake
Bull snake
Viper boa
Blood python
Red-eared terrapin
Common snapping turtle
Hermann's tortoise
Jackson's chameleon
Mountain horned dragon
Chinese water dragon

Amphibians
Milky tree frog
Red-bellied warty newt
Yellow-and-black poison dart frog
Green-and-black poison dart frog (Ancon morph)
Green-and-black poison dart frog
Budgett's frog
African bullfrog
Two-toed amphiuma
Chacoan horned frog
Long-nosed horned frog
Argentine horned frog
Tiger salamander
Oriental fire-bellied toad
Grey foam nest tree frog
Blanford's tree frog
Cane toad
Spanish ribbed newt
African clawed frog
Surinam toad
Fire salamander
Maroon spotted toad
Senegal running frog
Golden Bells tree frog
False tomato frog
Foam nest tree frog
Axolotl
Marsh frog

Fish
Freshwater angelfish
Neon tetra
Corydoras
Royal plec
Banded archerfish
Blind cave fish
Siamese fighting fish
Guppy
Red-tailed shark
Zebra danio
Goldfish

Invertebrates
Madagascar hissing cockroach
Burrowing cockroach
Giant African land snail
Giant African land snail (albino)
Brazilian black tarantula
Trapdoor spider
Emperor scorpion
Indian tiger centipede
Chinese giant centipede
Jungle nymph
Giant thorny stick insect
Freshwater red crab
Desert scorpion
King baboon tarantula
Chilean rose bird-eating tarantula
Giant millipede
Cobalt blue tarantula
Rusty red baboon tarantula
Chilean beautiful tarantula
Salmon pink bird-eating spider
Costa Rican zebra tarantula
Red-knee bird-eating spider
Indian ornamental tarantula
Hermit crab

Not all of the species I have listed here are exotics obviously, but thought it easier to put the whole list up rather than pick out the few domestics within the list!

Also some of the species are unknown for actual species or subspecies so I have just listed them as generic name.

We can in theory work with all of these species, but on a traffic light system, if the animal is listed as green we can work with them on our own, yellow we can work with on our own in theory (we consult the technicians in case of any changes) and red we are strictly not allowed to work with (alligators, false water cobra, baboon tarantulas etc).
 
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may I ask where it is that you two work/study/etc to be looking after all these exotic animals (Water Dragon and Komodo99)? They are obviously not pets.
 
Chlidonias said:
may I ask where it is that you two work/study/etc to be looking after all these exotic animals (Water Dragon and Komodo99)? They are obviously not pets.
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Some of these animals i have worked with we have at my animal unit, a few i have worked with when i did a keeper for the day experience, two i own as pets(bearded dragons and royal python), most of those reptiles i have interacted with are due to the fact i am part of a reptile club and interacted with the wallabies/kangaroos during a trip to Australia.
 
Not officially ever been a keeper but here is my list of species fed, and/or cleaned out by me.

MAMMALS
Persian leopard
tiger
Reticulated giraffe
Asian elephant
addax
Chapman's zebra
eastern bongo
Linne's two-toed sloth
Shawmeyer's tree kangaroo
golden hamster
clawed jird

BIRDS
Humboldt's penguin
black-footed Penguin
king penguin
long-crested rockhopper penguin
Nepalese moustached parakeet
Meyer's parrot
Solomon Islands eclectus parrot
white-eyed conure
painted conure
common pheasant
budgerigar
cockatiel

REPTILES
inland bearded lizard

FISHES
common goldfish
golden orfe
zebra danio
black molly
twig catfish
neon tetra
golden nugget plec
dwarf ram cichlid
common angelfish
long-finned barb
black widow tetra
salifin plec
pearl gourami
bronze cory
emerald brochis
irridescent shark catfish
salifin plec
 
Like Rob, these are species I have fed/cleaned out

Mammals
Hybrid Giraffe
Rothschild's Giraffe
Kordofan Giraffe
African Elephant
Ring-Tailed Lemur
Meerkat
Bennett's Wallaby
Guinea Baboon
White-Collared Brown Lemur
Mongoose Lemur
Red-Ruffed Lemur

Bird
Humboldt Penguin

Reptile
Radiated Tortoise
Black Caiman
American Alligator
Inland Bearded Dragon
 
ShonenJake13 said:
Indian tiger centipede
Chinese giant centipede
Click to expand...

Having a particulair interest in invertebrate husbandry, but little to no desire to keep giant centipedes at my private collection (for obvious reasons), may I ask what it's like to work with them? They are one of the few "commonly" kept insect groups I haven't had the pleasure to work with yet.
 
Mr. Zootycoon said:
Having a particulair interest in invertebrate husbandry, but little to no desire to keep giant centipedes at my private collection (for obvious reasons), may I ask what it's like to work with them? They are one of the few "commonly" kept insect groups I haven't had the pleasure to work with yet.
Click to expand...

Incredibly risky! For obvious reasons we barely work with them, and only the degree level students are allowed anywhere near them (that includes myself), the BTEC students are allowed nowhere near! All I've ever done is toss a locust in with the Indian tiger once the technician opened the lid for me, and the speed with which the centipede reacted was incredible! Fantastic species, but would not recommend keeping them! :')
 
ShonenJake13 said:
Incredibly risky! For obvious reasons we barely work with them, and only the degree level students are allowed anywhere near them (that includes myself), the BTEC students are allowed nowhere near! All I've ever done is toss a locust in with the Indian tiger once the technician opened the lid for me, and the speed with which the centipede reacted was incredible! Fantastic species, but would not recommend keeping them! :')
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Thanks for your quick reply. As I said, for the reasons you note (among others), I've no desire to keep them myself. I suspect quite a lot of people buy them on impuls without the right knowledge, given the high numbers for sale and the low number of people actually able and willing to take good care of them. :(
 
I used to work at a pet store and will probably never work at one again. However I've caught and moved very young Silver arowanas before, and I've got to interact with Sun conures. Cleaning Convict cichlid tanks can be a pain when they're protecting their young, for even young convicts can give quite a bite for their size xD
I've bagged multiple fish for customers before, from guppies to oscars to feisty tetras (Neons, Columbians, Blind caves, you name it). The African cichlids are especially difficult to catch and I've had to scoop up 5? or so at one point. I've cleaned various tanks as well.

I haven't necessarily worked with a lot of animals but I've got to hold/"handle" them not too long ago. When I visit my LHS (local herp shop) I tend to ask about handling various snakes or lizards. I've held a boa constrictor (Kahl albino), Woma python, Pueblan milk snake, sand boas (Indian, Tartar, Russian) various ball pythons, and some other reptiles before.

Reptile-wise I currently keep 2 crested geckos, 1 gargoyle gecko, 2 checkered garter snakes (1 whom which is albino), 1 leopard gecko, 1 Kenyan sand boa (he's a favorite among many, even to those not fond of snakes), and 1 corn snake. Amphibian-wise I have a Cranwell's horned frog and an American green tree frog (due to college issues I'm planning on giving the frogs to a friend of mine). I've kept various other animals in the past but they probably weren't kept properly and whatnot plus I'm too lazy. Insect-wise I have a colony of Dermestid beetles which are unfortunately not doing so hot, 2 Blue death-feigning beetles and a Madagascar hissing cockroach. I also have a dog but dogs aren't exotic.

I've briefly interacted with a lot of animal species before, so I'll probably save that for another time.
 
Nowadays II don't work with animals... er... actually yes, but they're crustaceans kept temporarily in tanks for sale on food markets. Not counting the animals that I had in my home (mostly fishes), nor the crustaceans that I work with now, these are the non-domestic species that I cared for as part of my job in the past:

MAMMALS
Asian palm civet (Paradoxurus hermaphroditus)
Cape genet (Genetta tigrina)
Common genet (Genetta genetta)
Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx)
Fallow deer (Dama dama)
Flying squirrel (Glaucomys volans)
Prevos's squirrel (Callosciurus prevostii)
Red fox (Vulpes vulpes)
Wild boar (Sus scrofa)

BIRDS
American kestrel (Falco sparverius)
Ashy-headed goose (Chloephaga poliocephala)
Bahama pintail (Anas bahamensis)
Bar-headed goose (Anser indicus)
Barbary partridge (Alectoris barbara)
Barn owl (Tyto alba)
Black crowned crane (Balearica pavonina)
Black francolin (Francolinus francolinus)
Black kite (Milvus migrans)
Black swan (Cygnus atratus)
Black-headed caique (Pionites melanocephala)
Black-throated finch (Poephila cincta)
Blue-faced parrotfinch (Erythrura trichroa)
Blue-fronted amazon (Amazona aestiva)
Blue-headed parrot (Pionus menstruus)
Booted eagle (Hieraaetus pennatus)
Burrowing owl (Athene cunicularia)
California quail (Callipepla californica)
Cape eagle owl (Bubo capensis)
Carrion crow (Corvus corone)
Chaco owl (Strix chacoensis)
Chilean flamingo (Phoenicopterus chilensis)
Cinnamon teal (Anas cyanoptera)
Cockatiel (Nymphicus hollandicus)
Collared dove (Streptopelia decaocto) (not sure if they can be considered "exotic" when they're wild-caught by myself)
Common blackbird (Turdus merula)
Common buzzard (Buteo buteo)
Common kestrel (Falco tinnunculus)
Common peafowl (Pavo cristatus)
Common quail (Coturnix coturnix)
Common shelduck (Tadorna tadorna)
Coscoroba swan (Coscoroba coscoroba)
Crested fireback (Lophura ignita)
Crested wood partridge (Rollulus roulroul)
Cut-throat finch (Amadina fasciata)
Diamond firetail (Emblema guttata)
DuCorps' Cockatoo (Cacatua ducorpsii)
Eastern rosella (Platycercus eximius)
Eclectus parrot (Eclectus roratus)
Emperor goose (Anser canagicus)
Eurasian eagle owl (Bubo bubo)
Eurasian scops-owl (Otus scops)
Eurasian sparrow hawk (Accipiter nisus)
European turtle-dove (Streptopelia turtur)
Ferruginous hawk (Buteo regalis)
Galah (Eolophus roseicapillus)
Golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos)
Golden pheasant (Chrysolophus pictus)
Golden-collared macaw (Ara auricollis)
Gouldian finch (Erythrura gouldiae)
Great grey owl (Strix nebulosa)
Great horned owl (Bubo virginianus)
Greater sulphur-crested cockatoo (Cacatua galerita)
Grey buzzard-eagle (Geranoaetus melanoleucus)
Grey crowned crane (Balearica regulorum)
Harris's hawk (Parabuteo unicinctus)
Hooded merganser (Mergus cucullatus)
Hooded siskin (Carduelis magellanica)
Hyacinth macaw (Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus)
hybrid falcons (Falco) (gyrfalcon x saker and peregrine x barbary)
Illiger's macaw (Ara maracana)
Kalij pheasant (Lophura leucomelana)
Keel-billed toucan (Ramphastos sulfuratus)
Lady Amherst's pheasant (Chrysolophus amherstiae)
Lanner falcon (Falco biarmicus)
Laughing kookaburra (Dacelo novaeguineae)
Little owl (Athene noctua)
Long-tailed finch (Poephila acuticauda)
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)
Mandarin duck (Aix galericulata)
Maned duck (Chenonetta jubata)
Mute swan (Cygnus olor)
Nanday parakeet (Nandayus nenday)
Northern cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis)
Northern goshawk (Accipiter gentilis)
Palmnut vulture (Gypohierax angolensis)
Pearl-spotted owlet (Glaucidium perlatum)
Peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus)
Purple starling (Lamprotornis purpureus)
Red siskin (Carduelis cucullata)
Red-breasted goose (Branta ruficollis)
Red-crested cardinal (Paroaria coronata)
Red-crested turaco (Tauraco erythrolophus)
Red-tailed black cockatoo (Calyptorhynchus banksii)
Red-tailed hawk (Buteo jamaicensis)
Ringneck parakeet (Psittacula krameri)
Ringneck pheasant (Phasianus colchicus)
Rock eagle owl (Bubo bengalensis)
Saker falcon (Falco cherrug)
Salmon-crested cockatoo (Cacatua moluccensis)
Satyr tragopan (Tragopan satyra)
Scaly-headed parrot (Pionus maximiliani)
Scarlet macaw (Ara macao)
Scarlet-chested parrot (Neophema splendida)
Silver pheasant (Lophura nycthemera)
Snowy owl (Bubo scandiacus)
Southern boobook (Ninox boobook)
Spotted eagle owl (Bubo africanus)
Spotted owlet (Athene brama)
Star finch (Neochmia ruficauda)
Steppe eagle (Aquila nipalensis)
Superb parrot (Polytelis swainsonii)
Superb starling (Spreo superbus)
Swinhoe's pheasant (Lophura swinhoii)
Verreaux's eagle (Aquila verreauxii)
Victoria crowned pigeon (Goura victoria)
White-cheeked turaco (Tauraco leucotis)
White-faced whistling duck (Dendrocygna viduata)
White-fronted amazon (Amazona albifrons)
Wood owl (Strix aluco)
Yellow-naped amazon (Amazona auropalliata)
Yellow-necked francolin (Francolinus leucoscepus)
Yellow-rumped cacique (Cacicus cela)
Zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata)

REPTILES
Red-eared slider (Trachemys scripta)

FISHES
Eastern mosquitofish (Gambusia holbrooki)
Goldfish (Carassius auratus)
Guppy (Poecilia reticulata)

INVERTEBRATES
Giant mealworm (Zophobas atratus)
Jamaican field cricket (Gryllus assimilis)
Mealworm (Tenebrio molitor)

I miss a lot these times when I was working with animals... I wish to have the chance again!
 
Perhaps not too exotic (especially in comparison to the listed exotics!) but maybe moreso than the average dog/cat/rabbit:

Volunteering at my local SPCA -

-Degu
-Wolf hybrid
-Bengal Cat
-(possible) Savannah Cat
-Spiny Mouse
-Ferret

At home:

Mongolian Gerbil
Fancy Rat
 
Eublepharis said:
Insect-wise I have a colony of Dermestid beetles which are unfortunately not doing so hot, 2 Blue death-feigning beetles and a Madagascar hissing cockroach.
Click to expand...

I know this is a late reaction but your hissing cockroach might be the reason why your beetles aren't doing so well. Cockroaches and beetles in the same collection without a good hygiene protocol is asking for trouble.
 
Some impressive lists here! My list is quite short, but when I used to volunteer at Reid Park Zoo I got certified to handle these education animals over the years:

Mammals
Domestic ferret (with non-handleable marbled polecat in adjacent container)
Hairy armadillo

Birds
trumpeter hornbill

Reptiles
ball python
blue tongued skink (two varieties, not sure which)

Invertebrates
giant cave roach
hissing cockroach
 
Allow me to just expand on my list :)
The new ones are in bold:

Mammals
Scottish Wildcats
Ring-Tailed Lemur
Red-Fronted Brown Lemur
Emperor Tamarin
Pygmy Marmoset
White Tufted-Ear Marmoset
Meerkats (I made a truce with them:p)
Patagonian Mara
Gambian Pouched Rat
Steppe Lemming
Pygmy Dormouse
Fat-Tailed Jird
Degu
Egyptian Spiny Mouse
Azara's Agouti
British Red Squirrel
Swinhoe's Striped Squirrel
African Pygmy Hedgehog
Belanger's Tree Shrew
Long-Nosed Potoroo
Rodrigues Fruit Bat
(Still waiting for those flipping sugar gliders)

Birds
Common Emu
Eastern Grey Crowned Crane
Golden Pheasant
Demoiselle Crane
Eastern Crested Guineafowl
Himalayan Monal
Ring-Necked Parakeet
Senegal Parrot
Nanday Conure
Indian Myna
Budgerigars
Java Sparrows
Zebra Finches
Goldfinches
Cockatiels
Three Lovebird Species (I will check later)
Rook
Indian Red-Bied Blue Magpie
Roul-Roul Partridge
Violet Turaco
A few more species of passerine but I will check later

Reptiles
New Caledonia Crested Gecko
New Caledonia Gargoyle Gecko
Pueblan Milk Snake
European Glass Lizard
Corn Snake
Egyptian Uromastyx
Moroccan Uromastyx
Blue-Tongued Skink
Ornate Box Turtle
Central Bearded Dragon
African Plated Lizard
Royal Python
Sulcata Tortoise
Red-Footed Tortoise
Kimberly Rock Monitor
Chinese Water Dragon:):):)
Panther Chameleon
Collared Iguana
Tokay Gecko
Electric Blue Gecko

Amphibians
Red-Eyed Tree Frog
White's Tree Frog
Waxy Monkey Frog
African Bullfrog
Asian Horned Frog
Blue Poison Dart Frog
Powder Blue Poison Dart Frog
Oriental Fire-Bellied Toad
Cane Toad
Knobby Newt
(Have had African Clawed Frog, Spanish Sharp-Ribbed Newt, and Axolotls in the past)

Fish
Guppy
Honey Gourami
Flying Fox
Red-Tailed Black Shark
Clown Loach
Bronze Corydoras
Congo Tetra
Penguin Tetra
Sterba's Corydoras
African Lungfish
Maybe a few more but there was a cichlid at one point too but it died :(

Invertebrates
Leaf Cockroaches
Deathshead Cockroaches
Dubian Cockroaches
Giant African Land Snail
Sun beetle
Thorny Stick Insect
Peleng Stick Insect
Giant Lime Green Stick Insect
Maclaey's Stick Insect
Leaf Insect
Caribbean Hermit Crabs
Chilean Rose Tarantula
(In the past there was also a salmon pink tarantula, millipede, and praying mantis. I have also worked with butterflies before.)
 
Mr. Zootycoon said:
I know this is a late reaction but your hissing cockroach might be the reason why your beetles aren't doing so well. Cockroaches and beetles in the same collection without a good hygiene protocol is asking for trouble.
Click to expand...
They're not in the same container? The beetle passed way before I got the roaches.
 
Mammals:
Pygmy hippo
Ocelot
Palawan binturong
Capybara
Fossa giant anteater
Gorilla
Bornean orangutan
Fennec fox
Kinkajou
Matschies Tree kangaroo
Amur tiger
African lion
Three banded armadillo
Hedgehog
Hedgehog tenrec
Chinchilla
Prehensile tailed porcupine
Reptiles: boa constrictor
American alligator
Crested gecko
Leopard gecko
Bearded dragon
Ball python
Box turtle
Pancake tortoise
Hingeback tortoise
Black rat snake
Milksnake
Cornsnake
Prehensile tailed skink
Blue tounged skink
Birds:
Kestrel
Great horned owl
Blue and gold macaw
Eastern screech owl
Scarlet macaw
Barn owl
Mandarin duck
Amphibians:
Milk frog
 
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