Ants

Ants have long been kept as pets, with ant farms standing as a popular “entry level” option for future entomologists to take care and maintain.

The Pixar hit A Bug’s Life successfully managed to revive the childhood fascination of keeping ant farms, drawing young and old alike into investing into the highly organized world of ants.

Formally known as Myrmecology – the studying and keeping of ants - maintaining an ant farm is not really all that challenging, offering an in depth look at what life is like for a colony of ants.

Ant Farms – Fascinating Pets to Have

The rewards of having an ant farm is far from that of having a cat or dog, but seeing a colony grow from scratch would be one.

The most challenging aspect in starting up an ant colony would take shape in fining a queen, given that most ant farms (typically those available in mail-orders) don’t come with queens, but with worker ants.

Asking for the aid of pet shop experts would come as great help for firing up an ant colony with the search of a queen, and it is highly advised that future ant farm owners should do so. Once a queen is found and settles in an ant farm enclosure, the relative ease of maintaining an ant farm is what’s up ahead.

The thing with ant farms is that feeding is quite easy. Ants would consume nearly anything, from table scraps to bits and pieces of dog food. Though certain ant species have a thing for particular diets, water and any type of food would do for most ant farms.

The occasional dead insect would even be seen as a treat for most ant colonies.

As feeding is easy for ant farms/colonies, the only thing which keepers should watch out for is ants escaping from enclosures. Other than that, the upkeep of ant farms is very easy, and their growth is rewarding and fun to witness.

Though it’s not really something for everyone, ant farms are quite fun to have, especially for those who appreciate seeing growth and progress happening in its varied and diverse forms.

 Ants Video

Insects and Arachnids as Pets

When talking about exotic pets, insects and arachnids are among the most often mentioned, with spiders generally at the top of most “most exotic pets” lists.

Often kept in enclosures, insects and spiders are relatively easy to keep as pets, not demanding when it comes to space, generally not all that picky when it comes to food, as well as not necessarily needy when regular baths or frequent clean up is being talked about.

Insects and spiders also don’t require that much interaction or attention from owners, unlike cats or dogs. In fact, they’re known to generally fair better without any socialization at all.

But pet insects and spiders also have their own list of particulars, a roster which pet lovers have to think long and hard about before going on an impulse and bringing them home.

Here are some exotic pet facts worth knowing about, before getting your first pet insect or arachnid.

Finding the Right One

For those looking in to keep insects or spiders as pets, specialty pet shops often suggest a “start small” approach, recommending insect or spider species which are less dangerous and/or not so temperamental to keep.

Ant farms are often suggested, especially for kids, given how easy they are to maintain. An escaped colony, though, is a home safety risk, which means that owners have to make sure ants don’t break out from enclosures.

Stick and/or leaf insects are also often recommended, though these require degrees of delicacy with their care. The hissing cockroach is also popular as an “entry level” exotic pet, given that they are pretty docile and large enough for an owner to handle.

Certain types of tarantulas are also often suggested, like the Costa Rican Zebra, the Mexican Redleg and the Chilean rose. These arachnids are venomous, but their venom-factor is somewhat similar to the venom of bees.

If one is not all that keen in keeping a venomous pet, it’d be best not to do so.

Background Information Before Getting One

It pays to do some fact checking before settling on a particular pet insect or spider.

For one, verify with your local agencies’ regulations regarding the legality of owning a particular insect or spider.

Also, gain specifics and particulars related to the care and keeping of insects or spiders, particularly with their feeding. Some tarantulas, for example, require feeding procedures akin to their natural environments. These could be tricky to feed. Though hissing cockroaches are generally easy to feed, stick and leaf insects are more picky with what’s in their diets.

Some insight related to the lifespan of a pet would also be necessary. Certain tarantulas, for example, live as long as 20 years, with females living longer than males

Bottom line, though the basics related to the care of insects and spiders are pets are quite easy to fulfill, in no way does this mean that they're not as “high maintenance” as having dogs or cats in the house.

So? Will you still be getting that tarantula just because it's so cool to have?