Prairie Exotics

Lizards & Geckos

Central Bearded Dragon (Wikipedia)
Scientific Name Pogona vitticeps
Also known as Beardies
Where They're From Australia
How Long They Live 10-20 years
Fun Facts Beardies communicate through color displays, posture, and physical gesture like arm waving and head bobbing. They have the chameleon-like ability to change colour during rivalry challenges between males, and in response to temperature change and other stimuli.

Frill-necked Lizard (Wikipedia)
Scientific Name Chlamydosaurus kingii
Also known as Frilled Dragon, Frillies
Where They're From Australia and Southern New Guinea
How Long They Live 10-20 years
Fun Facts Frillies have the ability to run on their hind legs making them very fast. They can also flare out the frill on their neck like a satelite dish to scare away predators. In the film Jurassic Park, the dinosaur Dilophosaurus was portrayed with a fictional neck frill, which was raised during attack, similar to that of a frill-necked lizard

Weber's Sailfin Lizard (Wikipedia)
Scientific Name Hydrosaurus weberi
Also known as Sailfin Dragon
Where They're From Indonesia, it is endemic to Halmahera and Ternate Islands of Maluku
How Long They Live 10-20 years
Fun Facts The largest of the agamid family, these water-loving lizards are usually found basking in or near mountain streams. They flee at the first sight of danger, typically running bipedally into the water until they sink and swim away. Their ability to hide underwater for up to an hour helps to ensure any threats pass.

Blue Tree Monitor (Wikipedia)
Scientific Name Varanus macraei
Also known as Macrae's Monitor
Where They're From Indonesia
How Long They Live 30 years
Fun Facts Not much is known about this monitor lizard since it was only recently discovered. The monitors have a partially prehensile tail which is used to anchor their body, to dangle from a branch, or as an aid for climbing. The term prehensile means "able to grasp", from the Latin prehendere, the root of "comprehend" and "apprehend".

Savannah Monitor (Wikipedia)
Scientific Name Varanus exanthematicus
Also known as Savanna Monitor, Bosc's Monitor in Europe
Where They're From Africa
How Long They Live 10-12 years
Fun Facts They find and track prey by using their Jacobson's organ which is located in the roof of their mouths. The Jacobson's organ is a secondary olfactory sense organ for many animals including reptiles. Once a savannah monitor senses food it goes into an overdrive. These monitors have such an appetite they will eat themselves to death if provided the chance. In 1984, the skins of over 1,000,000 dead savanna monitors were exported for the leather trade as opposed to a mere 900 live specimens for the pet trade.

Argentine Black and White Tegu (Wikipedia)
Scientific Name Tupinambis merianae
Also known as Argentine Giant Tegu
Where They're From South America
How Long They Live 15-20 years
Fun Facts This is the largest species of tegu. It is believed that individuals of this species sometimes actively seek human attention, as would for example a cat or dog. They make good pets as they have a tendency to become attached to their owners and are generally quite docile as adults. Tegus are also very intelligent and have even been trained to use a litter box!

Irian Jaya Blue-tongued Skink (Wikipedia)
Scientific Name Tiliqua sp
Also known as Blue-tongues and IJ BTS
Where They're From Indonesia, specifically the Irian Jaya territory
How Long They Live 15-20 years
Fun Facts As of right now, the "Irian Jaya" blue tongue is not classified with any latinized name. It's official name at this time is "Tiliqua sp." which essentially just means "species". Part of the argument is attributed to the animal's wide range of differentiating color, markings, and general size and appearance. IJ BTS will give live birth to 5-15 babies depending on size.

Madagascar Giant Day Gecko (Wikipedia)
Scientific Name Phelsuma madagascariensis grandis
Where They're From Northern Madagascar
How Long They Live 10-20 years
Fun Facts Phelsuma grandis is often found on different trees where it can be seen basking. They also inhabit human dwellings due to the number of appropriate basking spots, and the level of insect activity which these dwellings attract. The climate is rather dry, though heavy rainfalls are quite common. This means that there is a constant level of high humidity throughout the year. The day geckos may move slowly, but when they are startled they can move very fast. They are known for being very good at escaping their enclosures. Giant day geckos have no eyelids. To keep their eyes clean, they often lick them.

Dull Day Gecko (Wikipedia)
Scientific Name Phelsuma dubia
Where They're From Western Coast of Madagascar
How Long They Live 10-20 years
Fun Facts

 

 

 

Leopard Gecko (Wikipedia)
Scientific Name Eublepharis macularius
Also known as Leos
Where They're From Southern Central Asia
How Long They Live 15-20 years
Fun Facts Unlike most geckos, leos have eyelids. Leos will shed and eat their skin every month. They also have the ability to drop and regrow their tail if they need to. Leos are known to have temperature-dependant sex determination, meaning that more females can be produced at 26-30 degrees with more males produced at 31-33 degrees. "Hot Females" can be produced at 34-35 degrees but have a more aggresive behavior and are unable to reproduce.

African Fat-tailed Gecko (Wikipedia)
Scientific Name Hemitheconyx caudicinctus
Where They're From Western Africa
How Long They Live 15-18 years
Fun Facts They are terrestrial, nocturnal, have moveable eyelids, have vertical pupils, and no adhesive lamellae (sticky feet). Their habitat is dry and arid, although they will spend most of their time in a dark, humid hiding place. The Fat-tailed gecko is equipped with the natural defense of being able to lose their tails when attacked by a predator. The tail is also where they store their fat, an important energy reserve. If the tail is lost the new tail will look more similar to the head (fat and stubby), and may not match the coloration patterns of the body of the gecko. With its tail, an African fat tailed gecko can go days on end without food.

Crested Gecko (Wikipedia)
Scientific Name Rhacodactylus ciliatus
Also known as New Caledonian Crested Gecko, Guichenot's Giant Gecko, and Eyelash Gecko, Cresties
Where They're From New Caledonia
How Long They Live 15-20 years
Fun Facts This species was thought to be extinct until it was rediscovered in 1994 after a tropical storm. Cresties have the ability to drop their tails when threatened or caught by a predator. The tail will move independently of the body for 2–5 minutes. The loss of their tail is not problematic, and most adults in the wild do not have their tails. Cresties have no eyelids and keep their eyes moist by using their tongues to clear away debris. Cresties come in many different color and pattern morphs with their colors brighter and more prominent at night.

Gargoyle Gecko (Wikipedia)
Scientific Name Rhacodactylus auriculatus
Also known as New Caledonian Bumpy Gecko
Where They're From New Caledonia
How Long They Live 15-20 years
Fun Facts This gecko has a thin prehensile tail which will regenerate if it drops off.

 

Tokay Gecko (Wikipedia)
Scientific Name Gekko gecko
Where They're From Northeast India & Bangladesh, throughout Southeast Asia, Philippines to Indonesia and Western New Guinea
How Long They Live 10-20 years
Fun Facts Tokays are the second largest gecko species. They are known to eat dangerous prey such as scorpions and giant centipedes. Tokays are renowned for their loud vocalizations. Their mating call, a loud croak, is variously described as sounding like "token", "gekk-gekk" or "Poo-Kay" where both the common and the scientific name as well as the family name Gekkonidae and the generic term gecko come from. The Tokay is also considered the "pitbull" of the gecko world due to the fact that when they bite, they often won't let go for a few minutes or even up to an hour or more, and it is very difficult to remove without causing harm to the gecko. It's bite is very powerful and for this reason it is considered to be best as an ornamental animal for experienced reptile owners.

Little Bahama Curly-tailed Lizard (Wikipedia)
Scientific Name Leiocephalus carinatus armouri
Also known as Cuban or Norther Curly-tailed Lizard
Where They're From It is endemic to Bahama Islands, restricted to Grand Bahama Island and the Abacos, but was released intentionally in Palm Beach, Florida in the 1940s
How Long They Live 5-7 years

Snakes

Ball Python (Wikipedia)
Scientific Name Python regius
Also known as Royal Python
Where They're From Africa
How Long They Live 20-30 years
Fun Facts The name ball python refers to the animal's tendency to curl into a ball when stressed or frightened. The name royal python (from the Latin "regius") is based in part on the story that Cleopatra supposedly wore the snake around her wrist. There are many different color and pattern morphs available.

Corn Snake (Wikipedia)
Scientific Name Elaphe guttata guttata
Also known as Red Rat Snake, Common Corn Snake
Where They're From North America
How Long They Live 15-20 years
Fun Facts Our corn snake is an Okeetee color morph which is just one of many different color, pattern, compound morphs, intergrades, and hybrids.

Brazilian Rainbow Boa (Wikipedia)
Scientific Name Epicrates cenchria cenchria
Also known as BRB
Where They're From Central and South America
How Long They Live 20 years
Fun Facts Rainbow boas are so named because of the iridescent sheen imparted by microscopic ridges on their scales which act like prisms to refract light into rainbows.

Red-tailed Green Ratsnake (Wikipedia)
Scientific Name Gonyosoma oxycephalum
Where They're From Southeast Asia
How Long They Live 15 years
Fun Facts When the snake is stressed, it may inflate a bag of air in its neck, making it appear larger in size. Our female is a Silver Phase version of this species. This snake is not for beginners and is known to have a bitey temperment.

Black Rat Snake (Wikipedia)
Scientific Name Pantherophis obsoletus
Also known as Pilot Black Snake or Black Snake
Where They're From North America, specifically Eastern/Central USA and lower Ontario, Canada
How Long They Live 15-20 years
Fun Facts It prefers heavily wooded areas and is known for having excellent climbing ability, including the ability to climb the trunk of large mature trees without the aid of branches. During winter it hibernates in dens, often with copperheads and timber rattlesnakes. Adults can become quite large and are known to reach up to eight feet, being the largest snake found in Canada. The record length is 101 inches (2.6 m), making it (officially) the longest snake in North America.

Rough Green Snake (Wikipedia)
Scientific Name Opheodrys aestivus
Also known as Green Grass Snake
Where They're From United States and Mexico
How Long They Live 15-20 years
Fun Facts It grows to just under 4' in total length and is very thin. Unlike many snakes it is largely dirunal meaning active during the day. It's diest consits mostly of insects and other terrestrial anrthropods but some snails and tree frogs are eaten as well. This snake is not a constrictor, most prey are grabbed and simply swallowed alive.

 

Dumeril's Boa (Wikipedia)
Scientific Name Boa dumerili
Where They're From Madagascar and Reunion Island
How Long They Live 20-30 years
Fun Facts The color pattern consists of a gray-brown ground color with darker patches, forming an effective camouflage against the leaf litter of the forest floor of their native habitat. Females give birth to litters of 6-28 neonates that are 12-18 inches long. They are also known to be quite docile.

Turtles/Tortoises

Eastern Hermann's Tortoise (Wikipedia)
Scientific Name Testudo hermanni boettgeri
Also known as Hermann's Tortoise
Where They're From Southern Europe, specifically Greece and Turkey
How Long They Live 70-100 years
Fun Facts Hermann's are a small to medium sized tortoise with the Eastern species being 9-11 inches and the Western only 6-8 inches. Experiments have shown that they possess a good sense of direction, of time, the position of the sun, the magnetic lines of the earth, and for landmarks which allow them to return to the same shelter repeatedly after scavenging for food.

Leopard Tortoise (Wikipedia)
Scientific NameStigmochelys pardalis
Where They're From Eastern and Southern Africa
How Long They Live 70-100 years
Fun Facts The leopard tortoise is the fourth largest species of tortoise in the world, with typical adults reaching 18-inchs and weighing 40-pounds. Large examples may be 28-inchs long and weigh up to 120-pounds. An adult's maximum shell length can reach a 24-inchs diameter. Like most tortoises, they can retract their head and feet into their shell in defense when threatened. Also like all tortoises and turtles, their mouth is a "beak". The rear legs are very trunk-like, the front legs are almost paddle shaped and "pigeon-toed" with a row of small "nails". They can move very fast on these legs, and maneuver over rocky terrain easily They can also climb and go underwater for up to 10 minutes.

 

Amphibians

Cranwell's horned frog (Wikipedia)
Scientific Name Ceratophrys cranwelli
Also known as Chacoan Horned Frog, Pacman Frog
Where They're From Argentina
How Long They Live 5-12 years
Fun Facts Horned frogs are often considered Pacman frogs because of their uncanny resemblance to the popular video game character of the same name. The Horned frogs' most prominent feature is it's mouth which accounts for roughly half of the animals overall size. Horned frogs are well known for their fearless reputation and their attempt to consume animals sometimes the size as themselves.

Cane Toad (Wikipedia)
Scientific Name Bufo marinus
Also known as Giant Neotropical Toad, Marine Toad
Where They're From Central and South America
How Long They Live 15-25 years
Fun Facts Because of its voracious appetite, the cane toad has been introduced to many regions of the Pacific and the Caribbean islands as a method of agricultural pest control. Originally, cane toads were used to eradicate pests from sugarcane, giving rise to their common name. "Prinsen", a cane toad kept as a pet in Sweden, is listed by the Guinness Book of Records as the largest recorded specimen. It reportedly weighed 2.65 kilograms (5.84 lb) and measured 38 cm (15 in) from snout to vent, or 54 cm (21 in) when fully extended. When threatened the cane toad is able to secrete a sepcial toxin from it's enlarged parotoid glands behind the eyes, this toxin has been used as arrow poison.

African Bullfrog (Wikipedia)
Scientific Name Pyxicephalus adspersus
Also known as Pixie Frog
Where They're From Africa
How Long They Live 6-8 years
Fun Facts It is one of the biggest frogs in the world, second only to the Rana goliath of the Congo. They can weigh up to 2 kilograms (4.4 lbs), the male can be up to 24 cm (9.5 in) long and the females are about 12 cm (4.45 in). It has very strong hind legs, which it uses to dig holes in ground, so that it can enter estivation during the dry season. It makes a dry, watertight cocoon for itself, which prevents the evaporation of body fluids; it loses approximately half of the water that a frog without a cocoon looses. The frogs can actually survive for several months in dry soil by absorbing water stored in their bladder. Once the rainy season starts, the moisture will seep into the ground and soak the cocoon. Once it softens enough to split open, the frog eats it. They lay about 4,000 eggs in shallow water. Tadpoles hatch from thesee eggs about 2 days after being laid. About 18 days after hatching, the small frogs are 20 mm long and are able to leave the water to live on dry land.

Cuban Tree Frog (Wikipedia)
Scientific Name Osteopilus septentrionalis
Where They're FromCuba, Bahamas, Cayman Islands
How Long They Live 5-10 years
Fun Facts Cuban Tree Frogs can change colors depending on their temperature and environment. Cuban treefrogs are infamous hitchhikers, and were likely introduced accidentally in cargo shipments from the Caribbean. Introduction incidents have been reported in Florida, South Carolina, Georgia, and Texas. It hitchhikes on vehicles or ornamental plants, spreading to new areas, and has been transported as far North as Canada. When handled, Cuban tree frogs secrete a toxic mucus from their skin which can cause an allergic reaction or burning sensation to the eyes and nose, and even trigger asthma.

Australian Green Tree Frog (Wikipedia)
Scientific Name Litoria caerulea
Also known as Green Tree Frog , White's Tree Frog, or Dumpy Tree Frog
Where They're From Australia and New Guinea
How Long They Live 10-20 years
Fun Facts The Green Tree Frog is one of the most popular pet frogs throughout the world. Its docile nature, often cartoon-like appearance, and long life expectancy make it an attractive choice for exotic-pet owners. The Green Tree Frog was the first Australian frog scientifically classified; the specimen found its way into the collection of Sir Joseph Banks, but was destroyed with the German bombing of the Hunterian Museum at the Royal College of Surgeons in London in World War II.

Red-eyed Tree Frog (Wikipedia)
Scientific Name Agalychnis callidryas
Also known as RETF
Where They're From Central America
How Long They Live 5-10 years
Fun Facts The red-eyed tree frog has three eyelids and sticky pads on its toes. Phyllomedusid tree frogs are arboreal animals, meaning they spend a majority of their life in trees, which also makes them great jumpers.

Brown-backed Tree Frog (Wikipedia)
Scientific Name Leptopelis flavomaculatus
Also known as Yellow-spotted Tree Frog
Where They're From Africa
How Long They Live 5-10 years
Fun Facts

 

Arachnids and Invertebrates

Chaco Golden Knee Tarantula (Wikipedia)
Scientific Name Grammostola pulchripes
Where They're From Paraguay, Argentina
How Long They Live Males: 3-5 years | Females 10-20 years
Fun Facts One of the larger species of tarantula, the Chaco Golden Knee can be expected to reach between 20–22 cm (8.5 in). The Chaco Golden Knee tends to be one of the more docile and calm species of tarantula.

Chilean Rose Tarantula (Wikipedia)
Scientific Name Grammostola rosea
Also known as Chilean Flame, Chilean Fire, Chilean Red-haired, Chilean Rose Hair
Where They're From Chile
How Long They Live Males: 3-5 years | Females 10-20 years
Fun Facts After the male and female mate the male dies while the female goes on to lay 500 spiderlings. As with the majority of tarantulas from the Americas (New World tarantulas), they have small spine-like hairs on their abdomen that they kick off or release when threatened as a defense, you must be caucious not to get these hairs in your eyes when handling.

Honduran Curlyhair Tarantula (Wikipedia)
Scientific Name Brachypelma albopilosum
Where They're From Central America: Honduras to Costa Rica
How Long They Live Males: 3-5 years | Females 7-10 years
Fun Facts

 

Mexican Red-kneed Tarantula (Wikipedia)
Scientific Name Brachypelma smithi
Where They're From Mexico
How Long They Live Males: 10-15 years | Females 20-40 years
Fun Facts

 

Giant Desert Hairy Scorpion (Wikipedia)
Scientific Name Hadrurus arizonensis
Where They're From North America
How Long They Live 5-10 years
Fun Facts This scorpion is the largest scorpion inhabiting the South-West of North America attaining a length of 14–15 cm (5.6–6 inches). Its large size allows it to feed readily on other scorpions and a variety of other prey, including lizards and snakes. This species is usually yellow with a dark top and has lobster-like pincers. It gets its common name from the brown hairs that cover its body. These hairs help it to detect vibration in the soil. This is an aggressive and active scorpion, which, as with all scorpions, is nocturnal. Like all scorpions, the giant desert hairy scorpion gives birth to live young, which remain on the mother's back for a week or more before leaving. Although this scorpion is big, its venom is not very potent, and its sting is commonly perceived to be about as painful as a honeybee's sting.

South African Flat Rock Scorpion (Wikipedia)
Scientific Name Hadogenes troglodytes
Also known as Flat Rock Scorpion, South Africa Rock Scorpion
Where They're From South Africa
How Long They Live 5-10 years
Fun Facts The Flat Rock Scorpion is the longest scorpion among the different species and one of the largest species existing. Some males have been observed to reach over 21 cm, while a typical female reaches 15-20cm and can weigh 30-40g.

Emperor Scorpion (Wikipedia)
Scientific Name Pandinus imperator
Also known as Imperial Scorpion
Where They're From Africa
How Long They Live 5-10 years
Fun Facts The emperor is one of the largest species of scorpion in the world, with adults averaging about 8 inches (20 cm) in length. The pinch is surprisingly powerful and the sting, although toxic, has varying affects on humans; some report no problems while others suffer severe pain. Emperor scorpion venom contains a toxin called imperatoxin.[3] The sting feels somewhat like a bee sting. Emperor scorpions are not cannibalistic and do not seem to have a ritualistic mating dance of some kind. The mother emperor cares for her babies in a number of ways, such as fiercely defending them and killing prey for them. Like all scorpions, the young emperors ride on the mother's back when very small. If they stay too long, she will start to kill her young. Despite being near-black in color, the emperor glows a bluish-green when exposed to ultra-violet light.

Insects

Indian Walking Sticks
Scientific Name Carausius morosus
Also known as 'Common', 'Indian' or 'Laboratory' Stick Insect
Where They're From India
How Long They Live 1 years
Fun Facts Culture stocks originate from an original collection from Tamil Nadu, India. Like the majority of the phasmatodea, they are nocturnal. Culture stocks are parthenogenetic females that can reproduce without mating. There are no reports of males, although in captivity gynandromorphs (individuals with both female and male characteristics) are sometimes reared. When disturbed the major defence method is feigning death, the body becoming rigid, and the legs held along the line of the body. Feeding occurs at night, when the insects are active. During the day they rest (often with legs in line with the body) on their foodplants. Accidental introductions have been recorded around the world, including South Africa, Great Britain and the United States of America. The last has been more problematic than most, with many reports from gardeners of the insects reaching pest proportions, especially in Orange County.

Silkworms/Silkmoth
Scientific Name Bombyx mori
Also known as Silkworms
Where They're From Northern China, Korea, Japan and Eastern Russia
Fun Facts The silkworm is the larva or caterpillar of the domesticated silkmoth. The silkmoth is an important economic insect since it is the producer of silk. It is entirely dependent on humans for its reproduction and no longer occurs naturally in the wild. The cocoon is made of a thread of raw silk from 300 to about 900 meters (1,000 to 3,000 feet) long. The fibers are very fine and lustrous, about 10 micrometers (1/2,500th of an inch) in diameter. About 2,000 to 3,000 cocoons are required to make a pound of silk. Based on 1 kilometer (about 1,100 yards) per cocoon, ten unraveled cocoons could theoretically extend vertically to the height of Mount Everest. At least 70 million pounds of raw silk are produced each year. Silk produced yearly is not only consumed in the fabric industry for clothing, but is also used in the medical industry. Like many insect species, silkworm pupae are eaten in some cultures.

Mini Mealworm/Darkling Beetle
Scientific Name Tenebrio obscurus
Also known as Mini Mealworms
Fun Facts Mini mealworms would probably remain largely unknown, if not for the reptile pet industry. In the search for easy to raise insects to use as food for captive reptiles and amphibians, mini mealworms have recently attracted interest as an ideal food item for tiny species. Like all holometabolic insects, they go through four life-stages: egg, larva, pupa, and adult.

Mealworm/Darkling Beetle
Scientific Name Tenebrio molitor
Also known as Mealworm Beetle, Mealworms
Fun Facts Mealworms are the larva form of the mealworm beetle, Tenebrio molitor, a species of darkling beetle. Like all holometabolic insects, they go through four life-stages: egg, larva, pupa, and adult.

Superworm/Darkling Beetle
Scientific Name Zophobas morio
Also known as Superworms, Zophobas
Fun Facts Zophobas morio is a species of darkling beetle, whose larvae are known by the common name superworm. Superworms are common food source in the reptile pet industry. Superworms are often chosen as an educational project for children. Their large size and easy care make them excellent classroom subjects for demonstrating insect life cycles with a complete metamorphosis. Once the worms reach maturity they will being to pupate and become a pupae. They then become bettles that mate and lay more eggs so the process continues.

Waxworms/Greater Wax Moth
Scientific Name Galleria mellonella
Also known as Wax Worms, Waxies, Honycomb Moths
Fun Facts In the wild they live as nest parasites in bee colonies and eat cocoons, pollen, and shed skins of bees, and chew through beeswax, thus the name.

 

Madagascar Hissing Cockroach
Scientific Name Gromphadorhina portentosa
Also known as Hissing Roach, Hisser
Where They're From Madagascar
How Long They Live 5 years
Fun Facts The Hisser is one of the largest species of cockroach, reaching 2–3 inches at maturity. Unlike most cockroaches, they are wingless. They are excellent climbers and can scale smooth glass. Males can be distinguished from females by their thicker, hairier antennae and the pronounced "horns" on the pronotum. Females carry the ootheca (egg case) internally, and release the young nymphs only after the eggs have hatched. As in some other wood roaches, the parents and offspring will commonly remain in close physical contact for extended periods of time. Madagascar cockroaches can also be kept as pets. They cannot fly like some species of roaches, and they are not aggressive and do not bite.

Dubia Cockroach
Scientific Name Blaptica dubia
Also known as Orange Spotted Roach, Guyana Spotted Cockroach
Where They're From South and Central America
How Long They Live 2.5 years
Fun Facts Dubia roaches are a medium/large species of cockroach, measuring about 4.5 cm long. They are sexually dimorphic; the males have wings while the females have only tiny wing stubs. It is said that although the males have wings, they do not fly, they can hover 1-2 inches in the air; however, in practice it has been proven that the males rarely do seem to fly greater distances. Neither adults or juveniles climb smooth surfaces. Dubias are prolific and give birth to anywhere between 20 to 40 live young in a month.

Discoid Cockroach
Scientific Name Blaberus discoidalis
Also known as Discoids, False Death's Heads
Where They're From South and Central America, Mexico
How Long They Live 2 years
Fun Facts They can grow up to 7.6 cm (3.0 in) long and although they have wings as adults, they do not fly. They also can not climb smooth surfaces such as glass.

House Cricket
Scientific Name Acheta domesticus
Where They're From Native to Southwestern Asia but have spread worldwide
Fun Facts They are commercially bred as food for pets such as amphibians, arthropods, birds, and reptiles, but can be kept as pets themselves, as has been the case in China and Japan.

Others

Marbled Crayfish
Scientific Name None
Also known as Marmorkrebs
Where They're From Discovered in Germany
How Long They Live 2-4 years
Fun Facts They were discovered in the pet trade in Germany in the 1990s. The location of natural populations (if any) of this species is unknown. Information provided by one of the original pet traders as to where they were obtained was deemed "totally confusing and unreliable". Marmorkrebs appear to be closely related to North American crayfish in the genus Procambarus, particularly Procambarus fallax, rather than European crayfish, suggesting that they are not native to Europe. This species currently has no formal scientific name.

Halloween Crab
Scientific Name Gecarcinus quadratus
Also known as Moon Crab, Mouthless Crab, or Harlequin Land Crab
Where They're From Mexico south to Peru (Central America)
How Long They Live 8-10 years
Fun Facts It spends at least some of it's adult life in mangrove, sand dunes and rainforest, but needs to return to the ocean to breed. This nocturnal crab digs burrows — sometimes as long as 1.5 metres (4.9 ft).

Goldfish
Scientific Name Carassius auratus auratus
Also known as None
Where They're From China
How Long They Live 20-30 years
Fun Facts The goldfish is a freshwater fish that was one of the earliest fish to be domesticated, and is one of the most commonly kept aquarium fish. A relatively small member of the carp family (which also includes the koi carp and the crucian carp), the goldfish is a domesticated version of a less-colorful carp (Carassius auratus) native to east Asia. It was first domesticated in China more than a thousand years ago, and several distinct breeds have since been developed. Goldfish breeds vary greatly in size, body shape, fin configuration and coloration (various combinations of white, yellow, orange, red, brown, and black are known).

Plecostomus
Scientific Name Pterygoplichthys multiradiatus
Also known as Plecos, Plecs
Where They're From South America
How Long They Live 25-35 years
Fun Facts It is named for its sail-like dorsal fin, the part of its scientific name multiradiatus means "many-rayed" and refers to the rays of the dorsal fin. Pterygoplichthys multiradiatus is one of a number of species commonly referred to as the common pleco by aquarists, it is also sold on the market under the name common algae sucker.

No Longer With Us

Goliath bird-eater Spider
Scientific Name Theraphosa blondi
Also known as Goliath Birdeater
Where They're From Northern South America
How Long They Live Males: 3-7 years | Females 15-25 years
Fun Facts The Goliath Birdeater is considered to be the second largest spider (by leg-span) in the world, the Giant huntsman spider is the largest currently. These spiders have up to an 12 inch (30 cm) leg span and can weigh over 6 ounces (170 g). The spider was named by explorers from the Victorian era, who witnessed one eating a hummingbird. Wild Goliath birdeaters are a deep-burrowing species, found commonly in marshy or swampy areas, usually living in burrows that they have dug or which have been abandoned by other burrowing creatures. The Goliath birdeater is fairly harmless to humans, as are most species of new world tarantulas. Like all tarantulas, they have fangs large enough to break the skin of a human (.75 to 1.5 inches or 1.9 cm to 3.8 cm). They carry venom in their fangs and have been known to bite when threatened, but the venom is relatively harmless and its effects are comparable to those of a wasp's sting. Also when threatened they rub their abdomen with their hind legs and release hairs that are a severe irritant to the skin and mucus membranes. They are urticating hairs that can even be harmful to humans. Tarantulas generally bite humans only in self-defense, and these bites do not always result in envenomation (known as a "dry bite").

Spiny Flower Mantis
Scientific Name Pseudocreobotra wahlbergii
Where They're From Kenya
How Long They Live 10-14months
Fun Facts The female lays egg cases almost three times its size. The Pseudocreobotra is a fairly small species, growing from 4-5 cm in length.

 

Tomato Frog
Scientific Name Dyscophus antongilii
Also known as Crapaud Rouge De Madagascar
Where They're From Madagascar
How Long They Live 6-8 years
Fun Facts When threatened, a tomato frog puffs up its body. If a predator grabs a tomato frog in its mouth, the frog's skin secretes a thick substance that gums up the predator's eyes and mouth, causing the predator to release the frog to free up its eyes. The gummy substance contains a toxin that occasionally causes allergic reactions in humans. The allergic reaction will not kill a human and the frog secretes it only when frightened.

African Common Toad
Scientific Name Amietophrynus regularis
Also known as Square-marked Toad, African Toad, Egyptian Toad, and Reuss's Toad
Where They're From Africa
How Long They Live 10-20 years

Chinese Water Dragon (Wikipedia)
Scientific Name Physignathus cocincinus
Also known as Asian Water Dragons, Thai Water Dragons, and Green Water Dragons
Where They're From India, Northern & Southern China, Eastern & Southeastern Asia
How Long They Live 10-20 years
Fun Facts Like many other reptiles the Chinese water dragon possesses a small, iridescent, photosensitive spot between their eyes referred to as the pineal gland (or colloquially as the third eye) that is thought to help thermoregulate their bodies by sensing differences in light to assist with basking and seeking shelter after sunset. Since it recognizes differences in light, the pineal gland can also help the lizard avoid predation from birds and other aerial threats. The dragons spend most of their time in the trees (arboreal) and if threatened will drop from the trees into the water and either swim to safety or remain submerged for up to 25 minutes.

Indonesian Blue-tongued Skink (Wikipedia)
Scientific Name Tiliqua gigas gigas
Also known as Blue-tongues and BTS
Where They're From Indonesia
How Long They Live 15-20 years
Fun Facts