Otters as pets in Japan....

They do have deceptively cavernous mouths! I had one once and assumed the other fish in the tank were too large to be eaten because it was quite small. I was incorrect and had to move the remaining fish to a new tank.

Very deceptive - and they're not above trying to fit things they think just might fit. One of the local fish stores had a particularly large specimen awhile back, and had it housed with a large pleco and some large Metynnis. While the Metynnis were large enough to not be eaten, that didn't stop the arowana from partially engulfing one of them and half-mauling it in the process. As the arowana continued its interest in attempting to eat the Metynnis they had to be promptly removed.
 
I've seen full grown arowana at the pet stores, but the other day, I saw a newborn which still had it's yolk sack!
 
Exotic fish include silver arowana, and Red Bellied Pirahnas, as well as several species of lungfish.
Not too unusual, really. Silver Arowana are very easy to obtain in the US, and Red-bellied Piranhas are definitely available. I've heard piranhas don't make great aquarium fish, but not for the reasons you'd expect! Often they are extremely timid, inactive and rarely come out of hiding. I'd imagine this could be negated by keeping them in a large shoal, but this is unfeasible for a hobbyist. Lungfish are a bit more unusual, but they can certainly be obtained. Even the protected Australian Lungfish is available in the US, but you'd have to jump though some hoops to get your hands on one.
 
Alr, those may be kinda common, but there is one thing. I saw a poster selling a baby caracal kitten, a African Eggeater Snake, and ...

A BABY SPOTTED HYENA!!!
 
Alr, those may be kinda common, but there is one thing. I saw a poster selling a baby caracal kitten, a African Eggeater Snake, and ...

A BABY SPOTTED HYENA!!!
I thought the government banned the private ownership of “specific” species (including caracals and hyena) as pets back at 2019. I guess the animals are being sold to other brokers and breeders.
 
I thought the government banned the private ownership of “specific” species (including caracals and hyena) as pets back at 2019. I guess the animals are being sold to other brokers and breeders.

Come to think of it, I guess that I haven't seen the poster since 2019.
 
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