Starter species of exotic pets
Are you new to the hobby and unsure what exotic pet is best for beginners?
This page is designed to serve as a guide to help people such as yourself decide. All pets, regardless of how beginner friendly they are, need to be researched properly; failure to do so is just irresponsible. Use this page as a guide. The suitability of various pets to various people is highly variable depending on what the person can provide and what the person wants from a pet (something to look at, something to bond with, etc).
Beginner snake species
Corn Snake – Pantherophis guttatus guttatus (formally elaphe guttata guttata) – A comprehensive corn snake care sheet can be found here.
Royal Python – Python Regius (please note with this species, always get a captive bred specimen as they can be tricky feeders. Make sure you do enough research)
Beginner lizard species
Leopard Gecko – Eublepharis Macularis
Bearded Dragon – Pogona vitticeps
Beginner amphibian species
White’s Tree Frog – Litoria caerulea
Fire Bellied Toad – Bombina orientalis
Beginner Tarantula species
Chilian Rose Tarantula – Grammostola rosea
Mexican Red Knee Tarantula – Brachypelma smithi (note this species is somewhat skittish and being a new world tarantula has the ability to flick hairs).
Beginner Scorpion species
Emperor Scorpion – Pandinus imperator
Heterometrus spp. (Please note, most scorpions don’t have common names so will just be referred to as their scientific names, sometimes with a made up common name. As a general rule any species from the heterometrus family will make a good beginners scorpion, especially spinifer and laoticus).
Desert Hairy Scorpion – Hadrurus arizonenesis/spadix (note, although two seperate species hadrurus arizonenesis and hadrurus spadix are both referred to as Desery Hairy Scorpions and require identical care)
Starter stick insect species
Indian Stick Insect – Carausius morosus
Pink Winged Stick Insects – Sipyloidea sipylus
Note. With thorough research a lot of the commonly available stick insects can be kept with relative ease as long as the temperature, humidity and food is correct.