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When we think about owning an unusual pet, we often think about snakes and lizards. They make great pets but there are so many unusual pets out there to choose from, so here’s five you might not have considered:
Octopus
Octopuses are incredibly beautiful creatures and it is possible to keep them in a home aquarium. You’ll need a pretty large aquarium so consider dwarf or pygmy options as well. They need live food like shrimp and crab which can be expensive to buy, but on the plus side, you’ll spend hours watching them shape-shift and move around the aquarium. Be aware even with the best pet care, they only tend to live about 12 months.
Axolotl
A funny looking creature; a bit like a newt, and a bit like a Pokemon! With the right pet care, they’re really easy to keep as pets. They need a fairly dark aquarium, of at least 45 litres capacity, although you can put in low lighting if you want to watch them. Feed them bloodworm and brine shrimp, which you can buy frozen at pet food stores.
Painted turtle
One of the most popular unusual pets, these turtles live for up to 50 years! To keep this turtle well and happy you’re going to need a large tank with at least 100 gallons of water plus space for the turtle to bask out on land, which it can spend a lot of time doing. You can buy pellets for turtles to eat but also make sure they get their leafy greens and vegetables too!
Emperor scorpion
A fairly large and scary looking creature, the emperor scorpion lives for up to eight years. Scorpions are best observed, rather than handled due to their sting. Keep them alone as they tend to fight, and prefer their own company. Their preferred food is black and brown crickets, with mealworms as a treat!
African pygmy dormice
Looking a bit like a miniature squirrel this dormouse has a bushy tail as long as it’s body. Make sure you get two, preferably of the same sex! These mice need a secure home, as they try to escape often. They need a varied diet so feed them seeds, fruit and vegetables and protein such as mealworms and crickets.
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