Most people never lose their fascination with and enjoy keeping insects, spiders, scorpions, and millipedes as pets. Atthough these are not cuddly pets, they can certainly be entertaining and educational. Before deciding on your new invertebrate pet, it is important to educate yourself on their captive care requirements as there are some critical factors you should consider before choosing.

Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches are known for the hissing sound they make by forcing air through spiracles, or respiratory openings, on their abdomen. This hiss can be made because of different situations: disturbance, mating, and fighting, but only males use the latter two. Another distinction between the two genders is the thicker antennae found on males. Unlike most cockroaches, these are wingless. Despite this, they are very good at climbing and can even climb up smooth glass.

Chilean rose hair tarantulas (Grammostola rosea and Grammostola portier), also referred to as Chilean fire tarantulas or just Chilean rose tarantulas are large spiders that reach a leg span of 5-6 inches. Their relatively long life spans, hardy nature, and reluctance to bite make them among the most common arachnid pets. These spiders are native to the deserts and scrubland of western South America, and are relatively recent to the pet trade, only becoming widely available in the 90s.  Males generally live 4-5 years, but females can live 15-20 years.

Here are some tips and tricks for getting your fish to the veterinarian and being prepared for the appointment when you arrive.

Enrichment is a continuously growing and evolving concept in animal care which centers around the idea of keeping captive animals stimulated in their environments by allowing them to engage in as many natural behaviors as possible and giving options on how to interact with their environment (essentially giving them choices). Enrichment is widely utilized in zoos and most commonly with large mammals; however, many other species including birds, reptiles, and small mammals are often overlooked.

Poison dart frogs are relatively difficult to care for and are not recommended for beginners. Moreover, the term "poison dart frog" encompasses many species and subspecies, which will each have their own individual needs. Please read trustworthy guidelines for your species and subspecies of frog for more specific guidelines.

Wallabies are charismatic wild marsupials native to Australia and New Guinea. Wallabies belong to the family of Macropods (meaning long foot) which consist of wallabies, kangaroos, and rat kangaroos.  Common captive species include the Bennet’s/red-necked wallaby (Macropus rufogriseus) and the Agile wallaby (Macropus agilis). Adult wallabies range in height from 2-3 feet and weigh between 30-50 lbs (depending on species). If kept appropriately, these animals can live 12-15 years in captivity.  

Corn snakes (Pantherophis guttatus) are a species of rat snake native to North America. They are found predominantly in forests and woodlands of the southeastern US. These snakes make popular pets as they are docile, non-venomous, and come in a large variety of color and pattern morphs. Corn snakes reach 2-5 feet in length as adults and may live upwards of 20 years in captivity.

Tree Monitors are native to forest areas in Papua New Guinea, Indonesia and parts of Australia.  They come in a varsity of colors including the blue (Varanus macraei), black (Varanus beccari), green (Viranus prasinus) and yellow (Varanus reisingeri) with the blue tree monitor being the largest. The average male is approximately 42 in (3.5 ft) and females tend to be about 4 inches smaller in size. The other sub-species range in size from 24-36 in (2-3 ft).

Caseous lymphadenitis, or lymph node abscessation, is most commonly caused by Streptococcus equi subspecies zooepidemicus, but can be caused by other Streptococcus species of bacteria. It manifests as encapsulated abscesses within the cervical or submandibular lymph nodes in guinea pigs. Guinea pigs often show no other signs of disease, but in cases where the bacteria spreads systemically, other pathologies can arise. These can include, but are not limited to pleuropneumonia, ear infections, septicemia, or sudden death.