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Top 10 Most Popular Exotic Pets

Here’s an overview of the most popular types of exotic pets!

We present you exotic animals that you can keep as pets. They include reptiles such as the bearded dragon and the tortoise as well as unusual pets such as beetles and insects. Even amphibians can be kept as pets, like the axolotl. The factsheets will give you a few tips on keeping and caring for these pets.

Why Keep an Exotic Pet?

What does an exotic pet have that cats, dogs etc. don’t have? Well, they don’t have fur. So you can’t stroke them or cuddle up on the sofa with them. Just watching might seem boring at first, especially as their activities can be very subdued, but it can be super relaxing.

Not everyone needs or wants a pet as lively as a Jack Russell or a Siamese cat at their side. Small pets tend to be very calm and are great for watching, but guinea pigs, for example, need lots of space and birds need a secure room to fly around in. Here are 10 exotic pets that are fascinating and easy to keep!

All Exotic Pet Species:

More Exotic Pet Species

What, that’s it? Just 10 pets? Of course, there are plenty more exotic pets out there. But not many people keep them, as they require a lot of experience, a lot of money and a lot of time spent on care.


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• Frogs

Here we have the African clawed frog, African dwarf frog, fire-bellied toad and northern leopard frog. These amphibians have very complicated needs, especially when it comes to humidity.

• Scorpions

The emperor scorpion is a really impressive large scorpion that can be kept as a pet. Really? But scorpions are venomous, right? Yes, that’s right. But only 25 out of around 2,000 species have a venom that can kill humans. Still: if an emperor scorpion stings you, it’s just as painful as a bee sting and can lead to allergic reaction. As a pet for children? Not suitable.

• Cockroaches

The Madagascar hissing cockroach is a very “special” pet, as it’s a type of cockroach. It’s around half the size of a human hand and feels like polished wood. An exciting animal that’s easy to keep. As most people’s skin may have started crawling already, we’ll spare you the factsheet ;)

• Snakes

What about snakes? Anyone interested in reptiles should find out more about corn snakes. It’s a good choice as it’s non-venomous. But you do have to feed them (dead) mice. You can buy them from stores as “ready meals” but you’ll need to get used to feeding your pet.


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• Raccoons

Can you keep a raccoon as a pet? Raccoons might look adorable but they are wild animals and incredibly clever “thieves”. There are plenty of funny raccoon videos but keeping them as pets isn’t always fun. You also have to fulfil special requirements when it comes to their care and enclosures and you need an official permit.

• Skunks

Can you keep skunks as pets? In Germany, the Animal Welfare Act forbids removing a skunk’s scent gland to keep it as a pet. Rightly so! And with that, the number of people wanting to keep skunks has dwindled down to zero.


If you’re looking for good names for tortoises, bearded dragons, leopard geckos, crested geckos or other reptiles, you’ll find what you’re looking for in our pet name lexicon!


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