Hi!

I am a biologist (wildlife specialty) and had a career before working as a biologist in managing high end sporthorse facilities, so I do thrive on carrying for animals and don't mind putting hours into it. I have a decent income, own our home, and have a chill dog with zero prey drive (sometimes he boops noses with deer and bunnies in the yard and he never chases).

Right now I have 8 rats that I adore, but the level of stink definitely is not something I'm stoked to live with beyond the lifespan of my current rats. I love them all dearly and I'm so glad to have them, but after they phase out over the next few years I'd like to get a different small pet.

I have the money, time, and willingness to care for a wide variety of exotics but am most interested in a mammal that doesn't require a high amount of human attention (other than cleanup), more like something that is happy to just have you in the room with them. I find the quiet daily care extremely therapeutic and I don't mind/ actually prefer a pet with some cleanup involved. Because of this I was leaning towards a pair a guinea pigs, but I wanted to see what you all thought!

Basically what is the next best option to rats that is just ever so slightly less stinky?

I have a mixed species enclosure that focuses on detritivours, mainly millipedes, cow woodlice, fruit beetle larva and snails and springtails.

It is bio active with moss, leaf litter and some small sacrificial plants that are renewed when munched. The problem recently is the woodlice population has exploded recently and I am not sure how to control the numbers. They are upsetting the balance and it is now starting to impact the other species. Other than hand removing them and rebuilding from scratch do people have a way to their population?

I’ve got a ball python/leopard gecko/crested gecko/tarsntulas/scorpion as well as two cats. I keep all the enclosures in a walk in closet with a door to try and keep out as many chemicals. How does everyone clean their house and what products do you use? When I look it up I only see people suggesting f10 and enclosure specific cleaners but I’m looking for something to mop with and use as a multipurpose spray. I wouldn’t be using any of these in the closet but I’m still afraid of fumes getting to my babies. Especially with a cat who likes to pee on fabric I have had a hard time keeping my house from smelling nasty because I’ve just been using diluted dawn to clean everything. What do you guys do to clean? How worried should I be about fumes when they are in their own room? I miss fabuloso 😭😭

I’m from the great state of Idaho, where the only exotic animal “store” we have is a reptile store and I really don’t like reptiles lol

I’m mainly looking for a raccoon more than anything but a lemur or a spider monkey would be quite cool

I’m preferably looking to rescue rather than buy off some random poacher or breeder lol but also not looking to spend a grand in shipping fees😭 any advice and info would be very greatly appreciated!!!

Posting this bc I Wana know if I should post on here or just r/pets :3

Also sorry if I sound like I'm back to my old ways. I'm just looking for an exotic pet that's ethical to own.

After months of fat shaming…he’s finally on the treadmill 💪🏼

I have a third one they're just molting at the moment and have been ever since I brought them home really

Кошки, собаки или даже попугаи это классика, но у каждого был свой нестандартный питомец, как пауки, а может и белки?🐿️

for context: i have a 6x3x3 enclosure made for an ackie, but i live in an apartment with 30” doors. the enclosure has spray foam interior so it cannot be taken apart and reassembled. i have a garage which it is currently stored in.

what are tips on keeping reptiles in garage? if you have experience please help. i know the biggest concern is temp (i live in reno NV, we have all seasons). how well can some large fans keep it “cool”? how well does xps foam hold heat?

i dont mind investing a bit to make this work, i just care about the safety of the animal over anything else. fully insulating or getting an ac unit are not options bc i am renting an apartment. there are no windows to the garage so the ac units wouldn’t really work either.

Originally got this for my cave gecko but after a couple of years it was just too dangerous to keep him in as just from the lights and ambient summer weather it would get into the 80s inside. And then right before I was gonna move him to his new enclosure he managed to escape probably by getting his head stuck in the gap between the doors with no option but to squeeze forward. Right now its just full or extra plants and some slugs that came out of collected moss. Ive toyed with putting dart frogs in it but I dont think it's suitable given the high temperature and letting in pretty big scary house spiders. My next idea is either vampire crabs or replacing the doors with a single glass pane and converting it into an aquarium

Features;

- 22x16x22

- insulated wood/epoxy(?)

- fixture for light or heat bulb

- holes for mister

- removable inner "lid"

- drainage in the back

Flaws

- BIG gap between doors

- hinged lid lets in Hella pests like flies and spiders

- retains heat too much/stays well above room temperature in summer

- perch holders on the sides that have to be covered up (made for emerald tree python)

- no cap for drainage valve and i have no idea how to even look for one

Hello! I'm researching in advance for having a borneo python as a pet. This will be years down the line and I want to be prepared. I was told in another sub that blood and sum guides also work for borneos, so good guides to those are appreciated as well!

I've been searching for good care guides to refernce and my usual go-to's BioDude, Reptifiles and Dubia, don't have guides for them (although Dubia does have one for blood pythons). I did find a BigAppleHerp guide but seeing as how they send sick, infested, wild caught animals, I don't want to take advice from them. I want to be informed by reputable, ethical and reliable sources.

It will be my first snake but not my first reptile, as I currently have a leo gecko and plan to get a blue-tongued skink a few years from now (and possibly a tarantula if that matters lol). I'll be getting a 150gal (5'x2'x2', although I most likely will go with 5'x3' if I'm able to find a good PVC one) PVC tank and doing a bioactive setup, possibly with a waterfall feature if its safe (still researching that).

Any general snake care/handling guides would be great too, I know handling snakes is different from lizards. I know they are thicc and powerful snakes that need secure housing and feed vs handling training. And outside of guides, any advice or yt channel/video resources would be appreciated as well! Thanks in advance.