Leathery, bumpy and furry: Twin Ports tips on exotic pets - Duluth News Tribune

Posted: 20 Mar 2020 06:00 AM PDT

Gage Johnson, 12, saw bearded dragons on Snake Discovery, and he had his sights set.

"Once I saw the cost, I was kind of frowning on it," said Gage's father, Brian Johnson of Duluth. It gets spendy with heat lamps, he added.

The family landed on a leopard gecko, which they named Diego.

"They can't climb walls, so they're not true geckos," said Gage, but, "They look really cool. They're inspiring, almost."

A gecko walks on the shoulders of its owner Gage Johnson, 12, of Duluth. (Clint Austin / caustin@duluthnews.com)

The plus side of exotic pets like these are they're not tremendously expensive, and many don't need vaccinations or regular vet visits, but you have to do your research, said Justin Dahl, veterinarian and owner of Happy Tails Animal Hospital in Superior. They work with cats, dogs, horses, cows, goats, llamas, birds, reptiles, rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters, most anything but primates and fish. They see many problems with exotic animals that could have been prevented.

"Even something as innocuous as a little fish can need more than you think," Dahl said.

Much of it boils down to what these animals eat, he said, recalling a case regarding a lizard and pizza.

Justin Dahl (right) of Happy Tails Animal Hospital in Superior said, whatever the pet, he strongly encourages people do some research to ensure it's the right fit. (Geoffrey Bennett photo)

The top three pets they treat at Happy Tails — that aren't a cat or a dog — are rabbits, chickens and sugar gliders, a small possum similar to a flying squirrel that fits in the palm of your hand.

Rabbits and sugar gliders are fairly social, and most enjoy contact, and the process of familiarizing them with people is no different than with a dog or cat.

"It's not like you play catch with your rabbit or throw a Frisbee in the air for your sugar glider, but contact, bonding time; both of those animals like that," Dahl said.

Certain exotic pets are a lot of work, for instance, birds and reptiles have housing, diet, humidity and temperature requirements. And parrots can live for 50 years, which is something to plan for, he said.

Kristen Schell's 1-year-old ferret, Louise, gets shots once a year, but other than that, she hasn't had health issues.

Kristen Schell holds her 1-year-old ferret, Louise. (Submitted photo)

Schell's father took in several ferrets as a foster home for exotic pets, and Schell always wanted one of her own, she said by email.

Ferrets are "very sneaky," she said, and will steal anything they can pull around the house. And Louise is very smart. She's trained to use a litter box, she stays in a cage during the day and is out and about, in a doughnut bed by the couch or playing when Schell is home. Louise sleeps about 20 hours a day.

"She likes to hide anything she can carry under the couch," Schell said.

Along with their leopard geckos, the Johnsons have a chihuahua named Harley who was thrown off by the household addition. "He was barking like crazy," Gage said.

Months after getting Diego, the Johnsons added Goldie.

One of the geckos that is owned by the Johnson family. (Clint Austin / caustin@duluthnews.com)

A gecko walks on the hand of Wyatt Johnson. (Clint Austin / caustin@duluthnews.com)

Goldie had issues eating, and it was six or seven months before they realized it was because of inconsistent heat in the tank, said Brian Johnson. The general cost for everyday care is manageable, he said. They found a heating pad for about $30, and food (super worms) runs about $14 for two geckos.

Johnson had never held a gecko before, and they're "different," he said. "It's more like a leathery feeling and bumpy, and they don't weigh nothing."

Of their tiny claws, he said they're sticky, they get caught on your shirt and tickle when they walk up your bare arms. They like to fly under the radar. They usually are prey for birds in the wild, so geckos need a couple of hides in their tank.

And both have personality, Gage said. Diego is always timid, he snuggles up to the heat, and he rarely comes out. Goldie is "more adventurous," he likes to run around and have fun.

Wyatt Johnson, 6, of Duluth lets one of his pet geckos climb his shirt. (Clint Austin / caustin@duluthnews.com)

"They have claws that make them stick," he said. Their predators are "snapping turtles, mosquitoes and cats. And dogs," said Wyatt Johnson, 6, who said he plays with them "all the time."

Maintenance is minimal. Brian Johnson uses paper towels in their individual cages, but newspaper or reptile carpet is a good substitute, though, their claws can get caught in the latter, he said.

Figuring out their food needs has taken some trial and error. Leopard geckos are nocturnal, so they eat at night, and they seem to consume about five worms every other day. They do their business in one corner of the tank, so Johnson focuses regular cleaning there.

Dahl himself has animals at home, "Two- and four-legged ones, yes," he said, in a couple of cats, a dog and three children. He's not interested in adding to the pack, but he said guinea pigs are fairly talkative and smart creatures that like to be handled.

And they're fairly compact, weighing about 1.5 pounds and living five or six years, which is longer than gerbils, mice and hamsters at a couple years.

Whatever the pet, Dahl strongly encourages people do some research to ensure it's the right fit. And if you have questions, "call a vet," he said.

Gage Johnson, 12, Wyatt Johnson, 6, and Mikayla Johnson, 16 with the geckos they own. (Clint Austin / caustin@duluthnews.com)

Northland area pet owners shared their love of ferrets.

Here's what Leanne Martin of Ely had to say by email:

I currently have three ferrets, Graxel, Gwin and Gretchen.

Leanne Martin of Ely has three ferrets: Graxel, Gwin and Gretchen, and Martin has a special room in her home that they can run around in during playtime. (Submitted photo)

Ferrets are members of the mustelid, aka weasel family. They are intelligent animals and require as much time with their owners as a dog or cat.

My ferrets have a special room in my home that they can run around in during playtime. Graxel is my only male, and he is the largest of the "business." (A group of ferrets is called a business.) He is almost 4 years old and is my oldest ferret.

Gretchen, my youngest ferret, has a special condition known as Waardenburg syndrome. Due to her condition, she is deaf. That doesn't stop her from living a full life.

Ferrets sleep 14-18 hours a day. During the hours they are awake, they are extremely energetic. They hop around, jump on each other and steal any object light enough for them to carry.

I created a ball pit for my ferrets, which they thoroughly enjoy. Ferrets make wonderful pets, and I am so grateful to have these little critters in my life.

* * *

Echo Bos of Duluth has two ferrets, and several more before that. She wrote in to share about her furry friends.

Echo Bos of Duluth holds one of her ferrets. (Submitted photo)

Q: What are your ferrets' names? Ages?

A: Currently, we have Leo and Lizzie. I believe they are both around 3 years old. They were given to us from a family who didn't have the time for them. In the past we had: Wesker, Snickers, Boo, Mina, Sir Mittens, Miley, Nala, Sammy.

Q: How did you land on their names?

A: Usually, just look at the ferret and its temperament and the name just pops in.

Q: Tell me about their personalities.

A: Leo is very cuddly, crazy and fun. Lizzie is very independent, kind of a loner, playful but aggressive.

Q: Tell me about your introduction to them as pets.

A: We were told we could only have small caged animals at an apartment we were staying in. We did a lot of research and decided on a ferret. They can be caged when people are over and free roam when we are home.

Q: Have you always had exotic pets?

A: Nope. Always had cats, so this was very new.

Q: Tell me about what they eat, their social needs, their maintenance, costs for food and upkeep.

A: They are carnivores and love some red meat or egg yolks, ideally that would be their sole diet, however we do supplement their diets with kitten food. I know it's not ideal to all ferret owners, but it's what works for us.

Socially, they get out and play, run around the house and are always better in pairs.

Maintenance is pretty simple, keep their area (cage, room, etc.) clean, change their potty, their bedding. Feed and water regularly.

They do require a lot of time out of the cage to play — they are only high-maintenance in that aspect. Costs are mild, if they are healthy, it's basically just food, potty and toys like any other pet. Their cage can cost a couple hundred dollars. The cage we currently have is around 6 feet tall and cost us around $300.

Q: Have they ever needed a vet visit?

A: Nothing outside of normal check-ups.

Q: Any interesting tidbits about ferrets that you'd like to share?

A: Ferrets are amazing. They are smart, quick, adorable. They do have a slight musk to them if you pick them up and sniff them. Lots of people believe ferrets smell, but it's very realistic that it's their potty you're smelling, much like a litter box. They do require a lot more attention then a dog or cat, however it's completely worth it.

Q: Anything else we should know?

A: They all have a very distinct personality.

Do your research. They are not a "starter pet" for a child, be aware of what they require. If you get into a routine with them, it makes it a lot easier.

Ayla Syck of Duluth shared about her geckos and her fish.

Ayla Syck of Duluth has geckos and several fish tanks. (Submitted photo)

My two leopard geckos are brothers. They are 5 years old. Tiger and Mr. Beast.

Tiger is a very hyper gecko and always wants to run around and interact with everyone.

Mr. Beast sadly is blind and doesn't like loud noises, but he loves anything warm, so I'll take him out and let him sit on my neck. He's lazier than Tiger but loves food just as much.

My lizards are active creatures and like mental stimulation but also have their moods and like to be left alone.

I started my interest in my pets due to my dad. He always had fish and his last fish were red belly piranhas. Ever since then, he's helped me learn how to properly keep fish healthy.

Later on, it developed into interest in reptiles, so my dad let me get two leopard geckos which are the ones I have today.

A good chunk of my paychecks go to my animals.

I've gotten specifically into freshwater tropical fish. I have so many fish it's hard to name them all, so I give names to the fish with the most prominent personalities.

I have a koi angel who has an abnormally big forehead, so I named him Five Head. He's very aware of his surroundings, and I can see him watching me from his tank. He even has mood swings and can get annoyed.

Upkeep for all of my animals takes me anywhere from 12-24 hours a week.

I feed my lizards vitamin supplements and mealworms.

I have all types of frozen food for my fish: blood worms, brown shrimp, vinegar eels and live brine shrimp colonies for younger fish. Their food costs around $15-$20 a month, or more if I'm conditioning fish for breeding. Real aquatic plants and water changes are essential to keeping healthy water conditions for my fish.

Zoos Closed Over Coronavirus Continue Animal Livestreams - The Cut

Posted: 19 Mar 2020 05:01 PM PDT

Take a little panda break. Photo: Liu Jie/Xinhua News Agency/Getty Images

It's all very upsetting. Just, all of it. With wave after wave of acutely unsettling coronavirus information assaulting your eyeballs every time you look at a screen — which I bet you're doing more often than usual, given that self-isolation is limiting in terms of available activities — it is good, I think, to occasionally feed our brains small and pleasant distractions. Just a little something to take the edge off. You know, like five full minutes of polar-bear cubs discovering dirt. That kind of thing.

Many people won't actually be able to go anywhere for the foreseeable, but, as all this inside time is constantly reminding me, so, so much can be accomplished via webcam — including watching zoos. Luckily, lots of zoos have kept their livestreams on even as they close their doors to the public. Meaning you can now shelter in place with some sea otters. How soothing.

Smithsonian's National Zoo Giant Panda Cam
The Smithsonian's National Zoo in Washington, D.C., has an assortment of animal cams: You can watch naked mole rats, lions, elephants, and giant pandas in their enclosures. Personally, I like to watch the zoo's two giant pandas — Tian Tian and Mei Xiang — do their panda thing. For example: when last I checked, one of our compatriots was lounging on a rock pile, utterly unbothered and going absolutely ham on some bamboo. Imagine!

Cincinnati Zoo Home Safaris
You might know the Cincinnati Zoo as the place where Fiona the hippo lives, and while that is true (and while Fiona does have her own Facebook show, which you can also watch), the zoo will be introducing various other residents on its Home Safaris via Facebook live every day at 3 p.m. ET. Each one features a new animal, an exciting zoo roulette. Today's star: the sloth, as seen above.

San Diego Zoo Koala Cam
Koalas, as you know, have been having a terrible time of it lately, much of their natural habitat having been burnt up in the Australian bushfires. But the ones at the San Diego Zoo appear to be doing just fine, hanging out in trees and munching eucalyptus — classic koala stuff. Check it out. And while you're there, maybe cruise on over to the polar-bear enclosure, where one resident was napping with a log last I checked.

Monterey Bay Aquarium Sea Otter Cam
Oh, to be a sea otter right now, scooting around on your back with nothing to think about but bashing open the mollusk you just found. You may not be able to channel their calm, but at least you can watch them on the Monterey Bay Aquarium's livestream. Not to brag, but I just saw one of them do a little flip.

Shedd Aquarium Underwater Beauty Cam
Earlier this week, Chicago's Shedd Aquarium employees let some penguins out of their enclosure to ogle their fellow inmates — and now you can, too, via the Underwater Beauty live cam. It's just a bunch of brightly colored exotic fish — maybe a nice treat if you decide to dip into your edible stash tonight?

St. Louis Zoo Penguin and Puffin Coast Livestream
Speaking of penguins, you can watch the cohort at the St. Louis Zoo hang out with puffins live, every day from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Just a bunch of penguins at a penguin party.

Zoo Miami Meerkat Cam
Hello and welcome to Zoo Miami's meerkat cam where, at time of writing, one of these weird little weasel men was preening atop a stump, surveying his property. Allegedly the fennec foxes make occasional appearances, too, and while I have not yet seen one, I want to believe.

Ouwehands Zoo Polar-Bear Cam
There are two polar-bear cubs at the Ouwehand Zoo in Rhenen, the Netherlands. Owing to the zoo's coronavirus closure, the munchkins made their debut on Wednesday without an actual audience present. However, you can watch highlights of their antics so far here, and count down the days until they return to the stream, live, on March 26.

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