Invertebrates
Insects
Tarantulas
Pet tarantulas have gotten more and more popular. They are a noiseless creature and many are quite docile. These pet spiders require very little space and are easy to care for and feed. You can find tarantulas widely available at pet stores, reptile shows, and online breeders and dealers. They can be handled, but they are not a pet you should handle due to the possibility of injuring the spider. If you want a unique and interesting pet, a tarantula would be a fine choice.
Stick Bugs
Stick Insects are ideal pets for children. Although they can be delicate when small, they have no smell, are fur, feather and dust free so will not cause any of the allergic reactions that may be associated with other pets, some have spines but never bite. In short they are easy to look after and an ideal introduction to the responsibilities of pet ownership. Stick insects will live up to about a year after hatching depending upon the species There are more than 2500 different types of stick and leaf insect but only a handful are regularly available.
The common Indian or Laboratory stick insect (Carausias morosus) feeds on privet and will tolerate lower temperatures than most others. It is normally green or brown in colour and grows to about 80mm long. Indian stick insects are normally all female and do not need males to lay fertile eggs. Although these may take more than six months to hatch, when they do the result can be a population explosion.Like many others, the Giant Spiny Stick (Exatatosoma tiaratum) is normally fed on bramble that is available throughout the year although there are several other alternative plants that may be taken. Females reach about 120mm and are really impressive insects. Males are smaller and slimmer and are required for viable egg.
Hissing Cockroaches
Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches are large, wingless, live-bearing cockroaches that may be the best starter cockroach species. They're relatively common, inexpensive, and very interesting additions to any collection, as well as great food items for reptiles, large tarantulas, and large centipedes. Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches have a tough exoskeleton for protection, for they do not possess wings like many other cockroach species. They can also produce a loud hissing sound to scare away predators. Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches generally live 2 to 3 years as adults, but some adults can live for up to 5 years. They can be raised in large numbers in a matter of months, yet are not a pest species. Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches have been used as creepy effects in movies for many years as well. The Madagascar Hissing Cockroach makes an amazing, exotic, and easy-to-care for insect pet! Babies and adults eat romaine lettuce, red leaf lettuce, apples, carrots, and other fruits and vegetables.
Praying Mantis
There are numerous (over 2000 and counting) species of mantids. Several of these are available within the insect hobby, such as the African Praying Mantis which are suitable for beginners. Mantids range from less than an inch up to 6 or more inches in length, depending on the species and sex. However, the most commonly kept pet species of praying mantis are in the range of 2-3 inches or so.
A variety of feeder insects should be provided for your praying mantis. The best way to make sure nutritional needs are met is to feed a number of different kinds of prey (fruit flies and aphids for nymphs, instars and smaller mantids, and a variety of flying insects such as moths, fruit flies, and house flies along with an occasional cricket or mealworm for larger ones). Make sure the prey has been gut loaded (feed a vitamin enriched food to the prey, which will be passed on to the mantis).
Mollusks
Yes even Mollusks can make great pets! What is a mollusk? Is a soft bodied invertebrate that sometimes has or lives in a shell. There are at least eight thousand species of mollusks are known including those belonging to the Mollusk group like Octopus, Squid, Ammonites Mussels, Limpets, Periwinkles, Clams, Chitins, Land Snails and Slugs.
Apple Snail
Apple snails are freshwater mollusks that are effective in cleaning out your tanks and also make a good pet for an aquarium. Although apple snails are considered an invasive species when in the wild, they are low-maintenance additions to any home aquarium and are able to coexist with a wide range of aquatic life. In order to make apple snails grow big, you need to make sure you feed them enough food and keep their tank clean, among other things.
Land Snails
Land snails are a marvel of nature and a fabulous pet for those who want to learn about the diversity of life. Snails are wonderful creatures to watch, and while they may not be the quickest pet, they're a safe pet for schools and for small children and are relatively low maintenance to care for. Look for one called the escargot snail (or elix), which is from the West.
Crustaceans
Many people make the mistake of believing a Hermit crab is a mollusk just because it may inhabit the discarded shell of a mollusk. They are in fact crustaceans just like lobster and sea crabs.
Hermit Crab
As the hermit crab grows in size, it has to find a larger shell and abandon the previous one. This habit of living in a second hand shell gives rise to the popular name "hermit crab", by analogy to a hermit who lives alone.
These omnivorous or herbivorous species can be useful in the household aquarium as scavengers, because they eat algae and debris.
Hermit crabs are often seen as a "throwaway pet" that would live only a few months, but some species such as Coenobita clypeatus have a 23 year lifespan if properly treated, and some have lived longer than 32 years.
In general, and despite their moniker, hermit crabs are social animals that do best in groups. In the wild they can be found in colonies of a hundred or more. Therefore, many sellers encourage the purchase of more than one crab. They also require a temperature and humidity-controlled environment, and adequate substrate that is deep enough to allow them to completely bury themselves while moulting.