All About Animals: ‘Exotic’ Animals

Did you know that snakes can quickly learn about their environments or that reptiles communicate with one another in a number of different ways? It’s true! But in captivity, many of these intelligent animals suffer horribly because snakes, spiders, lizards and iguanas have really special needs, and people don’t always understand those needs. Animals like these need the right temperature, humidity level and amount of light.

Some snakes live for more than 20 years and grow taller than grown-ups. They need lots of special care, along with fresh water, the right temperature, special treatments to keep them safe from bugs like mites and large, spic-and-span tanks.

Green iguanas also need a lot of care. Many people find out too late that they can’t take good care of an iguana. When that happens, many lizards are given away or left outside alone. Iguanas can live for more than 20 years and grow to be 2 metres long! If an iguana is kept in a cage, the cage must be really big with controlled temperatures and a special kind of light called “ultraviolet light”. Iguanas also have a very special diet. If they aren’t given the right food, they can easily die. Do you think an iguana would rather live in a cage or in the forest?