Hedgehog flea

Transcription

If this were TV, we'd start with something like, "Cute, cuddly and deadly. These are the pets you CAN'T own, but wish you could!" Hey everyone, welcome to DNews! I'm Trace and pets are fun, right? Until they're not pets and they're wild animals... but who decides where that line is? The federal government says pets don't include exotic or wild animals, but what is EXOTIC? Well, the definition is SO broad, that there's no easy way to define it. In the Dictionary, it's defined as anything non-native to the region in question -- but that's even BROADER. In the U.S. it comes down to state laws, but then some states classify new cat and dog breeds as exotic pets, while others have zero regulations for a-typical pets. We almost got a ferret when I was a kid. They're regulated or banned in many states and are the poster-child for illegal pets that you just want to cuddle. A ferret is the domesticated version of a European Polecat. They're related to the weasel and the mink and are primarily from, you probably guessed, Europe! They were declared bloodthirsty vermin under the reign of Elizabeth the First, and were almost extinct in Britain -- though they've since rebounded. Owning a ferret as a pet can be tricky, they're cute, but they smell due to natural scent glands on their backsides. In California, they've been illegal since 1933 because they're non-native, but really if a ferret was to get loose and procreate with another ferret or a related species... there wouldn't be a natural predator to control the population and well, that would stink. Other pets like hedgehogs and chinchillas tow the exotic line as well. The African Pygmy hedgehog is the pet you'd usually see on the 'net, and they're illegal to possess in California, Georgia, Pennsylvania and Hawaii and restricted in Maine and Arizona, but most states are cool with them. Being an African species, the worry is their ability to start invasive, non-native populations and overrun the natural environment. Hedgehogs require a lot of socialization when they're young to keep them from stabbing you with their spines when nervous. They might be cute, but they can definitely be a difficult pet to own. One of the most exotic, interesting pets people try to own are chimpanzees. Twenty-one states ban the possession of non-human primates, and 12 more have regulations for their ownership. Even so, many jump in without doing research which can be downright devastating. Chimpanzees share 99% of their genetic information with humans. Getting a chimp is akin to getting a child for 50 to 60 years that is seven times stronger than an adult man, and will never be fully domesticated. They've got their own physical, emotional and mental needs, and when they're not met... terrible things can happen. In 2009, a 55-year-old Connecticut woman was attacked by her friend's pet chimp and was permanently disfigured. The illegal pet trade is kind of ridiculous. For example, there are more tigers kept as pets than there are tigers in the wild! Owning definitively exotic animals have come back to bite in some places. One man in Ohio owned over 50 lions, Bengal tigers, wolves, cheetahs, leopards, monkeys, apes, a grizzly bear, ... he had a lot. In 2011, he freed the animals and committed suicide. Yeah. That being said, there are plenty of people who still crave the feeling of bringing the wild into their home. Some feel it's a connection with nature, others love the uniqueness of owning something no one else has... But wild animals are still wild. And yet there are a lot of exotic beasts that you CAN own, at least in certain states. If you wanna know what some of the weirdest ones are, be sure to check the video on it from our friends over at Animalist News. What exotic pet would you own if you could and why? Tell us down below, and be sure to subscribe for more DNews. Thanks for watching!