I own red eared slider turtles, while not exactly exotic it’s funny that the three things they are known for by owners are things normal folks would not expect.

  1. Turtles are escape artists. Because they need so much water to swim in and need basking areas, you’ll generally want to fill your tank up as high as you can, and then have a basking platform up there. They will use those and filters to try to escape. They may succeed. There are a ton of questions/guides online to address this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHbV5nsDCb8&ab_channel=TheTurtleGirl
  2. They are destructive. You will want to have a filter for them, and they will attack the filter with the fury of a bored creature attacking the thing making a noise. Many filters will fall to their wrath. If you google it you’ll find ton of stories of turtles destroying filters/water heaters. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cnD3cKuFOa0&ab_channel=HMoore
  3. They smell. How can such a small creature smell so powerfully? Magic.

Any other pet owners have secrets about their type of pet?

  • Aviandelight @mander.xyz
    4·
    1 year ago

    Parrots need the same level of commitment and resources as a child. Think of having a permanent 3 year old that welds scissors constantly (beak) for a minimum of 30 years.

    • VoxAdActa@beehaw.org
      2·
      1 year ago

      My ex had two sun conures.

      The thing I would like people to know is that they make the kind of noise that will literally drive you insane if your brain doesn’t adapt to tune it out. It’s loud, high-pitched, and constant.

      It’s not about just making phone calls difficult or making it hard to hear what your friends are saying (especially if the parrots decided they hate your friend, which is a whole 'nother parrot problem). It’s so pervasive that it actively changes how your senses perceive your environment.

      Years after they both died (at about 20 years old, the female died from getting eggbound and the male died of a broken heart soon after), my brain was still putting parrot noises into the background sounds of my house. I’d be doing my normal daily thing, then stop and be like “Wait, why have I been listening to parrots screeching for the past two hours? They’ve been dead for three years” and my brain would go “Oops, sorry,” and I’d stop hearing it for a while.

    • mahrimba@beehaw.org
      1·
      1 year ago

      My neighbor has one parrot, and it’s her baby! I think she had it for more than a decade now, and it’s beautiful to see him flying around the apartment (it’s a big place, and all the windows are screened, so he’s free to roam around), but it’s such a commitment.

      I actually started socializing with them because when I moved in they sent me a small basket with snacks and stuff, with a letter explaining about Kiwi (the parrot), and how he can be a bit loud sometimes.

      I don’t really mind tho, I actually love hearing him sing, joke, laugh. Such a happy bird!