Would you believe that snakes like to play just like any other pet? They enjoy burrowing and exploring, so a good addition to their terrarium could be a log or a branch. Fake items, rather than real wood, are often better since they are less likely to grow mold or carry spores.
The most important steps to a healthy fish tank happen in the planning stages when you're deciding on the right tank size, filtration specifications, and fish species. Taking time to understand the basics now will save you money and disappointment later.
Did you know that more people in the US die from bee stings than from snake bites? Despite common misconceptions, most of the world’s snakes are non-venomous and less than 2 percent of all snakes are considered harmful to humans.
Water is water, right? Not always. If you're using tap water in your aquarium, make sure to condition it by using additives to remove chlorine and make it habitable for your fish.
How can I be certain my pet bird will talk? There is no guarantee; however, if you are a patient trainer, most birds capable of speech will talk. Consult your avian expert before choosing a pet, particularly if it’s important that your bird can mimic human speech.
Seahorses have eyes like chameleons--they can move them each separately, meaning one could be looking straight ahead while the other looks back. They also have another trait in common with the chameleon: seahorses change colors to match their environment.
For many people, reptiles are the ideal pet. Why? They’re quiet, non-demanding, and virtually odorless. Many require only minimal care and very little space to thrive, so they fit easily into a bedroom, dorm room, or apartment.
If you have recently purchased an upside-down catfish and find it floating in the water upside down, do not be alarmed, as it is not dead. In fact, the upside-down catfish is unique among pet fish for its ability to enjoy their leisure time belly up.
When you’re introducing a bird to your family, it’s important to make sure everyone is on the same page with training and establishing boundaries. When you teach essential commands (like “step-up”), have everyone in the family learn it to avoid the bird forming a bond with only one person.
Birds are extremely clean animals, preening their own feathers regularly to stay clean. There are no grooming appointments, no shampoos and no flea or tick baths for birds. Grooming for dogs and cats take up considerable time and money.
Although some marine invertebrates and fish are farm (or tank) raised, around 90 percent are trapped in the wild from areas like the central Pacific Islands, the Philippines, the Maldives, and Sri Lanka.
Your fish will love feeding time. That is because most fish have taste buds all over their bodies to help them detect and locate food. Catfish have more than 27,000 taste buds; humans, on the other hand, only have about 7,000.
If you want a peaceful freshwater fish that interacts well in small groups, try the Neon Tetra. This fish is only one to two inches, but that belies its heartiness - the Neon Tetra can live as long as ten years with good care.
Many species of reptile can be tamed to the point where they can be held or will eat from your hand. If you're interested in taming your pet, you'll want to choose a variety of reptile that has a generally docile temperament and is easier to care for.
Snakes like to catch and kill their prey themselves, which is why it is best to feed them live food like mice or rats. If you decide to feed your snake dead prey, use forceps to dangle the dead mouse or rat so as to give the snake the impression of life.
Did you know that some species of fish can actually change their own reproductive organs and gender right on the spot to make mating possible? The clown fish is one example of a fish species that can do this.
Why get a bird as a pet? Birds provide as much companionship as a dog or cat without the same obligations of care and maintenance. Planning on working late today? Just put your bird inside his or her cage and you don’t have to worry about any issues inside your home.
Some of the best pet snakes are the corn snake, the Kingsnake, the Gopher Snake, and the Ball Python. Each of these pets has a generally good temperament, is not too particular as an eater, and does well in captivity under the right circumstances.
One of the most important things about keeping fish is to remember to keep their water fresh. Foul water is usually a product of wasted food and waste products, and can make the fish ill or die suddenly by depleting the water of oxygen. To keep water fresh, only feed your fish what can be completely eaten in two minutes or less.
Triggerfish are a great, easy-to-care-for saltwater species. Sporting bright colors and patterns on flat bodies, these fish have some flair. Just watch your hands -- triggerfish will nibble on anything, including your fingers.
Catfish are easily recognized by one or more pairs of barbels, but there are hundreds of different catfish species. Catfish don't have scales, and are known for a keen sense of hearing. They tend to stick along the bottom, and are a great bit of variety in an aquarium.
Reptiles are cold blooded animals which means that they depend on external sources, such as the sun, to maintain their body temperatures. As they don't burn energy to keep themselves warm, reptiles eat 30 to 50 times less food than mammals (warm-blooded animals) of a similar size.
Once you've set up your tank, you probably can't wait to add your new fish. However, you want to make sure that your water has settled and is at the right temperature. That's why it's good to wait 24 hours before you add them.
Many people are afraid of snakes because they think they are all poisonous, however most of the world’s snakes are actually non-venomous. Only less than 2% of all snakes in the U.S. are considered harmful to humans, and snakes make great pets.
A bird’s eye takes up about half of its head while the human eye take up around 5 percent of our heads. For comparison, our eyes would have to be the size of baseballs.
Poison arrow frogs, or dart frogs, are native to the rainforests of Central and South America. They live off insects and crickets. They got their name because Amerindian tribes used their poisonous secretions to tip the end of their arrows when hunting.
Sailfish are the world’s fastest fish, reaching up to speeds that a car would maintain on the highway. Though we don’t sell those, we do have the slowest fish: the seahorse. The slowest of seahorses is the dwarf seahorse, which will only travel five feet in one hour.
Many different criteria exist for judging which snakes are the most venomous in the world. While some experts use the so-called LD50 standard that measures venom potency, others rely more on the amount of venom the snake can produce with a given bite.
In a geographic fish tank, the fish are selected based on your interest in those species found in a particular geographical area. Common locations include African lakes, South America, and Southeast Asia.
Did you know that each year around 70,000 people contract Salmonella from a reptile or amphibian? If you are bringing a reptile into your home, it’s important that you maintain a clean environment and wash your hands often, especially after handling them.
Why are bearded dragons, powerful lizards between 1 and 2 feet long, such popular pets? These lizards are sought after because of their personalities. They can bond with their owners and often enjoy being stroked or scratched. It's common for a dragon to live 8 to 12 years if cared for properly.
There aren’t many pets that are cooler than a talking parrot. It’s important to know, however, that these are some of the most demanding and challenging birds in terms of training and care. But if you’re willing to make the commitment, it can be a very rewarding relationship.
Many reptiles such as iguanas can live many years if properly cared for (in fact, iguanas can live for 20 years or longer). To give your iguana the best chances of full-growth and long life, be sure that his terrarium is at least 18-feet long, well-humidified, and that the necessary darkness and ultraviolet light levels are maintained.
Along with your fish, you will need to purchase a variety of equipment. Fish food, a net, filter, gravel vacuum, water conditioner, heater, and a test kit should be purchased before you bring your fish home and everything set up and in place before you add your fish.
Always buy the largest and most well constructed cage you can afford. No matter the specific species, you want to get a big enough cage for them to be able to stretch their wings.
Live bearers are fish that bear live young rather than lay eggs. These species tend to breed rather easily, producing large numbers of young. Excellent fish in this category include swordtails, platys, black mollies, and guppies.
Did you know that cooking fumes can be dangerous to your pet bird? In fact, any of a number of different types of chemical fumes can be toxic to your bird. Part of bird-proofing your home should involve eliminating any sources of chemical fumes.
If you are looking for a unique gift this year, try fish. Fish are a wonderful way to teach children responsibility, or to just add beauty to a friend’s home. We have a wide range of fish in different colors, sizes, and water types to narrow your choices for that perfect gift.
Owning a pet parrot is a lot different from owning other types of pets. For one thing, parrots can be very long lived, as long as they are cared for properly. This means your parrot will likely be a member of your household for many, many years.
Proper nutrition is part of the crucial care for prolonging your fishes' lives. The correct diet has a direct effect on fish color and behavior. There are breed-specific foods available for several fish, including tropical fish foods and even goldfish-specific foods.
It’s important to keep in mind that, any time you add fish to an aquarium, their compatibility depends on several factors, including water quality, reproductive behavior, tank size, and number of inhabitants per gallon of water.
Turning a bright light on in a darkened room can startle resting fish and cause them to injure themselves trying to flee from an imagined threat. Prefer locating your aquarium in a room where the lighting is somewhat subdued or changes gradually from light to dark and back.
If you have a tortoise, be sure you choose an enclosure that’s low but quite broad. Because tortoises are ground dwellers, they need plenty of room to explore, roam, and ramble at their own deliberate pace.
Most reptiles do not tolerate cold very well: they prefer hot, dry climates such as those found in deserts. One notable exception is the Blanding’s turtle (Emydoidea blandingii) which can be found swimming under the ice in the Great Lakes region of the United States.
Did you know that there are 8240 species of reptiles in the world, covering every continent except Antarctica? The smallest know reptile is the Brookesia Micra Chameleon, at just over an inch, while the largest is the Estuarine Crocodile, as long as 23 feet and weighing close to 2,000 pounds.
Don't start small. Aquariums are a contained ecosystem and require adjustments to keep the conditions ideal. Larger tanks require less intensive monitoring than small ones, because small changes don't have as much of an impact.
If your pet is an assistant in the kitchen, be sure to be careful with onions. Actually diced or small pieces of onions can be dangerous to a bird’s digestive system, according to experts. Over time, a bird with access to onions can develop a potentially fatal blood disorder.
Lionfish are strikingly beautiful, with flowing fins, lots of color, and impressive spines. These fish can get to be large, so a big tank is necessary. A tank of at least 75 gallons is needed to house lionfish. If you love the look of lionfish, but don't have room for such a large setup, consider dwarf lionfish, which can be housed in 30- to 50-gallon tanks.
Unlike Popeye the Sailor, most herbivores should never eat spinach. Why? Spinach contains a natural compound called oxalate. Oxalates bind internally with calcium, blocking your pet’s ability to acquire and process this essential mineral.
Can you identify the largest fish in the world? It's the whale shark, which can grow as long as 50 feet. The fastest fish is the sailfish, which can swim as fast as 68 mph, according to experts.
Butterfly fish are beautiful additions to saltwater aquariums with, showcasing brightly colored bodies. They are relatively small fish, but can reach lengths of nine inches. Their size is dependent on the size of their environment. Generally, they are much smaller in a typical saltwater aquarium setup.
To keep your corn snake happy and stress free, fill its tank with plants and branches for curling around and boxes to hide in. Snakes can get traumatized when they have no place to hide, so give your snake both room to move and accessories to feel secure.
Butterfly fish are beautiful additions to saltwater aquariums with, showcasing brightly colored bodies. They are relatively small fish, but can reach lengths of nine inches. Their size is dependent on the size of their environment. Generally, they are much smaller in a typical saltwater aquarium setup.
Unfortunately, you won’t always be able to put all the fish you love to look at together in the same tank. Even if the fish are docile enough to coexist and small enough to fit together, the type of water they need to live may not always be compatible.
Many birds like to form single-person bonds that ultimately can lead to poor or even antisocial behaviors for other family members or friends who try to handle the bird. Make sure that your pet bird is handled by every family member in equal measure, which will make him or her more social.
To keep your corn snake happy and stress free, fill its tank with plants and branches for curling around and boxes to hide in. Snakes can get traumatized when they have no place to hide, so give your snake both room to move and accessories to feel secure.
Butterfly fish are beautiful additions to saltwater aquariums with, showcasing brightly colored bodies. They are relatively small fish, but can reach lengths of nine inches. Their size is dependent on the size of their environment. Generally, they are much smaller in a typical saltwater aquarium setup.
If you enjoy fishkeeping, you probably already know the saltwater hobby has become more popular over the last decade or so. Care to guess how many homes in the U.S. can boast the presence of a saltwater tank? That would be 700,000.
Snakes can survive on just one meal for weeks. A majority of snakes eat their prey whole, and then slowly digest it over the next week or two. A snakes metabolism is very slow compared to humans.
Unfortunately, you won’t always be able to put all the fish you love to look at together in the same tank. Even if the fish are docile enough to coexist and small enough to fit together, the type of water they need to live may not always be compatible.
Many birds like to form single-person bonds that ultimately can lead to poor or even antisocial behaviors for other family members or friends who try to handle the bird. Make sure that your pet bird is handled by every family member in equal measure, which will make him or her more social.
To keep your corn snake happy and stress free, fill its tank with plants and branches for curling around and boxes to hide in. Snakes can get traumatized when they have no place to hide, so give your snake both room to move and accessories to feel secure.
Butterfly fish are beautiful additions to saltwater aquariums with, showcasing brightly colored bodies. They are relatively small fish, but can reach lengths of nine inches. Their size is dependent on the size of their environment. Generally, they are much smaller in a typical saltwater aquarium setup.