Five Unusual Pet Choices for the Strong of Heart

Trying to find the right pet is usually about looking at the potential owner, and then matching the pet to the personality. If you have a potential pet owner that loves soft and furry animals that are highly sociable, for example, you might consider a nice dog or cat. Others want a pet that is easy to maintain such as a fish or a hamster. What about those unusual folks that love the unusual? What if the potential pet owner loves intrigue and giving those people around them the willies? Here are five unusual pet choices for this type of potential pet owner:

Note: All of these pet choices assume that the owner is knowledgeable and capable of keeping them. Some of these unusual pets could be deemed dangerous and should be afforded the proper circumstances as far as habitat, safety and experience in keeping them. It is never a good idea to keep a pet that you are not qualified to keep. It puts both the pet and owner in potential danger and should be avoided.

Bearded Dragon

The bearded dragon is one of the most dynamically interesting pets on the planet. There are many species that are native to Australia, but they are widely kept as pets all over the world. They are known for spreading their beard when they feel threatened, but ironically this is not very common in captivity. Bearded dragons are generally very docile pets, but they do require several nutritional and habitat modifications that require specific expertise and equipement.

Ball Python

Of all the pythons, the ball python is generally considered to be the best beginner snake. The reasons for this is their docile nature, and smaller size in comparison to the larger python species. Though the ball python is a good bit smaller in size, they still get large enough to be intimidating to anyone that is not used to snakes. They are beautiful reptiles that are easy to keep, and they make wonderful unusual pets for people that love snakes.

Piranha

Just the name piranha brings most people fear, and the real deal is a bit disappointing as far as being scary. While they do grow large, and are set up with an imposing set of teeth, the piranha is not nearly as dangerous as the movies and Hollywood would have you believe. They they have the ability to harm humans, they just are not that aggressive as a pet. Piranhas as a group are much more aggressive, but a singular piranha as a pet is not generally going to attack you. Some say even a group of piranhas are not nearly as dangerous as they are made out to be, but I do not plan on diving into the water with them to find out.

Baboon Spider

The baboon spider family is a group of large, hairy spiders that are known for their aggressive nature and incredible size. The king baboon spider, for example, is one of the largest growing to the size of a small dinner plate. These unusual pets are not for everyone, as there is some real danger involved in keeping them if you do not know what you are doing. Baboon spiders are incredible to look at, but not the right fit for many pet owners simply because of the danger.

Hissing Cockroach

The hissing cockroach is just what it sounds like - a cockroach that hisses. What makes them such unusual pets is their massive size. The Madagascar hissing cockroach grows to the size of your hand, and is routinely used in the movies and on television for shock value. The hissing cockroach is largely harmless, however, in spite of their imposing stature.

Sources:

"Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches", nationalgeographic.com