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Exotic Pets: Serval

Servals are African wild cats and are also known as Leptailurus Serval. Its most distinctive features are the tall oval ears which are placed very closely to each other. It is mostly found in African countries such as Ethiopia, Benin, Tanzania, Mozambique, Congo, Angola, Togo, Uganda, Transvaal, and Algeria. Spread all over Africa, they are found where water can be found.

The average length of the body of a serval is about thirty-four inches and the tail is about sixteen inches long. It can live from twelve years to twenty years. Its weight can range from twenty to forty four pounds. It tawny fur has a pattern of round black spots. Some even have freckled spots. Servals have melanin in their skin which sometimes gives them the appearance of a black panther. A kind of serval is known to exist with white fur and grayish silver spots.

Servals which have high melanin content can be found in the mountains, while the rest belong to the savannas, bush lands, marshlands, grasslands, reed beds marsh, bamboo forests and open woodlands. It is not habituated to live in desert, semi-desert areas and its habitat should have a water body. Since its environment should have water and trees around, it also has the ability to swim and climb trees, when required. The servals have the longest legs among the cats, when the body and leg ratio is considered. Apart from having long ears, it also has long neck which helps it to see its prey when it is hiding in tall grass. The ears are so sharp that they can track rodents which are moving underground. It increases concentration while listening, by closing its eyes.

Before pursing its prey, it pauses for few minutes and listens to the animal’s movements. Serval relies on its hearing rather than its visuals. It has a characteristic hop which makes it easier to catch birds. They have terrific leaping and pouncing abilities. They can jump as high as ten feet and can make a precise jump from even as far as three to twelve feet. They can even dig burrows and look for rodents deep in the ground. With all these qualities, serval is a very good hunter. It feeds mainly on rodents apart from eating bird, fish, frog, insects, hare, reptiles and hyraxes. Servals eat their catch really fast and sometimes when the prey is big, it throws out the food as it gets stuck in its throat and chokes it. They hunt at mid-night and early morning.

When kept in captivity, everyday they need to be served with one to three pounds of raw meat with bones. Care should be taken that the meat shouldn’t be cooked. Apart from that, they can also be given premium natural cat food, beef, turkey, chicken, canned tuna, and canned salmon. No exotic pets can be trained to use the letterbox properly, but this habit can vary from animal to animal. Owners who don’t have time to devote to train a serval, shouldn’t go for one. Even after thorough training, the pet does develop undesirable bathroom habits. Pet servals have a fascination for water, so its better if the toilet lid is closed at all times.

The pregnancy period of female serval lasts for nearly three months. At a time, the female can give birth to two or three cubs. Very rarely, even five cubs are born at a time. They are brought up behind shrubs or even in abandoned burrows.

Because of the human interference with the natural habitats of servals, they are decreasing in number. They are diminishing in numbers because of large scale hunting for their fur. That is the reason why they have been given the endangered species tag and are being protected in many nations. They are classified as exotic pets which are not threatened with extinction but will be, if their hunting is brought to an end. They have now become rare in the Sahara and almost extinct in the South African Cape.

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Reptiles Have Special Needs

People have all kinds of different pets. Some people only feel safe with what is considered “normal” pets. This usually consists of cats, dogs, hamsters, or birds. Country folks may have farmyard animals for pets. Horses, cows, goats, bunnies, and so on are typical.

Then you have the people who pride themselves on being “outside the norm”. These people may be the sort who likes to consider themselves and their pets unique. Or maybe they just love animals of all kinds and welcome any and all types as pets. Reptiles have been kept as pets for many years, but as the number of pet stores has grown so has the number of reptiles kept as pets. Sometimes this is bad news for the reptiles. If a dangerous reptile is chosen, it could be bad news for the owner as well.

Sometimes the type of pet a person has depends on the area in which they live. Availability may make the choice for them. Environment is also a consideration. In south Louisiana, a child may be raised thinking an alligator is normal to keep for a pet! It would be impractical for a child who lives in the midst of the city to own a pet cow.

What types of reptiles are popular as exotic pets? Snakes, lizards and turtles make the choices wide. There are some, however, of each type that makes some better choices than others. Unfortunately, these types of pets are also the most often abused and neglected simply because of failure to learn about their proper needs prior to ownership. Once the new wears off, they become forgotten. Because reptiles are often quiet and contained, it is easy to forget they are around.

Corn snakes are often chosen because they are known to be easier to care for. They are excellent escape artists, though, so great care must be taken to keep the latches tightly closed on their enclosures. It may seem funny in the movies to see a snake escape and scare the family or guests, but it can cause great harm to your pet in reality.

Boas are a well-known reptile pet, but people often underestimate their lifespan and their great size when grown. A snake kept in an area it has outgrown will not be a happy, well-adjusted pet. It may cause the snake harm and you as well, should he choose to fight back because of his discomfort.

Those cute little reptiles grow up and will need different requirements for food and housing as they grow. A responsible pet owner will be prepared for the changes and willing to accommodate. Can you recreate the natural environment and maintain it? Think of it as being a person from the country who moves to the city, unwillingly, and never learns to adjust because they just don’t seem to fit into the new surroundings. Except this person has the ability to move back to the country, while the snake is unable to make this choice on his own. The right housing makes a happier pet.

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Gigantic Reptiles!

Of all the reptiles, we are usually most interested in the largest ones – alligators, crocodiles, komodo dragons, and the big snakes. These snakes have songs written about them, and the anaconda was even the star of a movie! Not only are these reptiles amazing due to their size, they also have many other interesting points.

Let’s begin with the standard question, exactly how big are they? The largest of the big snakes is the anaconda, which has been reported to grow to thirty-seven feet long. You can’t realize how long a reptile this is until you measure from your room down the hallway, probably well into the living room. A truly enormous snake, and one of the longest reptiles ever! This snake spends most of its time in the water hiding in the water plants of South America.

The other four giant snakes are pythons, and are found in Africa and Asia. They grow to between 22 feet and 32 feet, depending on the species. If you see a python in a zoo or other animal show, it is probably a reticulated python from Southeast Asia, due to its beautiful color pattern and the fact that it does well living in captivity. How do regular snakes compare with these giants? Most other snakes are much smaller, and even few rarely even grow to twelve feet.

The giant snakes can live up to twenty years in captivity. When they are young they can be eaten by hawks or other predators that eat smaller snakes, but no animal would try to threaten or eat a full grown giant snake. The only real enemies of these great reptiles are intestinal parasites, diseases, and man.

The giant snakes really can swallow a man whole! Very few cases of that have been reported though. Once a giant snake has had a large supper, it would be the same as if it ate four hundred average sized meals. This means that sometimes these reptiles might go a long time between meals, maybe as infrequently as once a year.

The giant snakes have extremely strong muscles, and use them both in movement and in hunting their prey. Their jaws are also very strong, but that isn’t as important as how wide their mouths open in order to eat their prey. Generally the giant snakes kill their prey before the snake begins to swallow them. The giant snakes rely on squeezing their prey (which is why they are often called constrictors), but they generally squeeze only hard enough to prevent the prey from breathing sufficiently, and eventually suffocate the prey. They do not need or intend to squeeze hard enough to crush or break bones, as people sometimes think.

A constrictor throws several coils around the body of its prey, very neatly, and at each breath simply applies a little more pressure until the prey can no longer breathe. There are stories of skulls of goats being broken, but this is not necessary and not even the way that the constrictors work. One interesting behavior is that sometimes the giant snakes will break bones in order to “fold” a victim in two in order to swallow it more easily.

Many snake handlers consider the giant snakes to be quite intelligent, and find that the giant snakes are easily handled and come to recognize and accept their trainers. They are among the most fascinating of reptiles, and make sure you visit them if they are in a nearby zoo or other naturalist area.

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Domestic Cat Breeds

Have you always wanted a cat, but heard some breeds make better pets than others? Maybe you have always wanted a cat, but do not know anything about them? There are plenty of ways to learn about cats and what breeds fit your personality. The choice can come from having an indoor, outdoor or indoor and outdoor cat. The tough and smart survive in the out of doors. Small cats are often pray for birds and other wildlife and should be kept indoors. Tomcats, a mixed breed, are great at surviving outdoors and mousers. So let us look at a few breeds of cats and then you will be able to choose which one may be right for your lifestyle.

Siamese: The Siamese cat can be a fickle creature. They often require a lot of attention when they determine it is necessary. They tend to meow quite a bit and can tear up a home if left alone for too long. These are the downsides. Siamese can be great pets, especially when raised from infancy. They are often white with brown ears and blue eyes. You may recognize them from Lady and the Tramp? Those two were a little mean and not the typical portrayal of a Siamese. Siamese are generally very affectionate. They are also one of the most intelligent of the cat species. They tend to be very social, which is why they meow or “talk” a lot. A sign for attention is usually a very vocal meow much like a babies cry. Siamese typically bond to one person very strongly and are territorial of that person.

Persian: The Persian cat breed is one of the oldest cats around. They are longhaired cats with beautiful shinny coats. They are very soft and friendly; however, they are prone to health problems such as allergies. The Persian does not always play as much as other breeds, but they do enjoy a bit of fun for exercise especially in a social situation. They love to have other cats around to play with as well as have a lap available when they are in need of a lap. Persians are a variety of colors from solid black, white or a mix of white and browns around the face. A popular Persian is the Himalayan.

Manx: The Manx is known for its stubby tail or having no tail. The downside to Manx cats is the lack of tail. Often a Manx can suffer from worms and other parasites due to improper cleaning and not having the protection of a tail. This does not mean you should discount the Manx as a breed. The Manx breed is extremely intelligent and playful. They are a lot like dogs in the play area because they can fetch when you through toys and bring them back to you. They are very social animals and depend on human care. They don’t like to be left alone for too long, so it is wise to have other cats to play with when you are gone during the day. The best home for a Manx is one filled with children.

These are just three of the more popular breeds of cats. There are over a dozen cat breeds to choose from and finding the one to fit your lifestyle is important. Cats are very social and intelligent, but some breeds can be loners. Most often, a cat chooses when the time is right and what type of attention they want at the time. The phrase “you do not own a cat it owns you” is very true.

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Exotic Pets: Tortoise

Tortoises are turtles, which live on land and belong to the reptile family of the order Testudines. They too have shell like sea turtles. The top part of the shell is known as carapace and the bottom side is known as plastron. They have both exoskeleton and endoskeleton. They are active during the day and are very shy animals.

They are very fascinating animals, but their dietary habits are different than others. Different species have a different diet. They consume huge amounts of food and the calcium and phosphorous balance should be maintained in their diets. The tortoises are also temperature sensitive. Usually it is a good idea to bring the tortoise indoors at night. And when the weather is cold, they should be kept inside totally. But this can be a big problem if the tortoises are big in size. Some species also hibernate during winter. This can be really stressful for the animal as well as the owners. The owners should provide the pet with special provision for hibernation otherwise the pet will suffer with stress.

A pen can be constructed in the yard, where the tortoise can live. The pen should be really strong and the fences should be buried deep as some of the tortoises have fascination of digging. They are also very strong reptiles. They can easily break weaker walls. Also some tortoises are good climbers, so the pen should also be provided with a roof. The roof also saves the tortoise from other dangers such as dog bite, bird attack, etc. The owner must check out for possible threat to the pet, also within the pen itself. Some plants can be harmful if the tortoise feeds on them. So plants that are edible only should be planted or kept in the den.

They should also be provided with water, but the water body should be shallow, so that the tortoise won’t drown in it. Other things which are sharp or which can be chewed and not digested by animal shouldn’t be kept in the pen. Steps should also be avoided within the pen, because while they are climbing they can trip and fall over their back, which is very deadly for them.

Some species grow really big, so this factor should also be considered while building the pen. In fact, this factor should be considered when buying itself. Different species grow to different sizes; have different dietary habits, living conditions, and temperature adaptability. Beginners should certainly go for a captive bred, as they are less troublesome than the ones that come directly from the wild. Also when tortoises are captured from the wild and transported, there are chances that they can fall ill or even die because of high levels of stress. Also such types of animals carry a wide range of parasites, which can be harmful for the owner as well. When the potential owner thinks of buying a tortoise, it should get it thoroughly examined for parasites and other diseases from a vet.

Tortoises prefer to stay alone. They shouldn’t be mixed with other pets and no two male tortoises should be kept together as they can fight and injure each other very seriously. Tortoises have a very long lifespan. They can live up to hundred years. There can be possibility of the pet outliving the owner, so the owner should have everything planned and should make a lifetime commitment.

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