Classes start in one week (there are also way too many meetings this week), and I’ve been housebound far too long, so this weekend is my last chance to escape for a bit before the crunch hits. And then I discover there’s an Exotic Pet Fair in Eau Claire this weekend. Perfect! It’s a twofer — I get to visit my granddaughter, and take her with us to go spider shopping. I’m in the market for a nice show tarantula for the lab, and maybe a black widow or two.
It’s not all spiders. They also have birds, reptiles, bunnies, guinea pigs, etc., so even a kid who isn’t that much into spiders should be entertained. I’ll also be glad to just get out for a day.
(Don’t worry — I’ll consult with experts, and won’t be getting any endangered species. If we get Latrodectus,I think I can keep them reliably confined. I don’t want to go do down in history as the guy who populated the basement with black widows, like the former professor who let cockroaches loose in the building.)
What, no pet bedbugs? They’re easily maintained and can be neglected for nearly a year without a problem.
No, I know where the door is. ;)
Bunnies and guinea pigs are considered exotic?
Had to deal with a bedbug infestation in a previous apartment. Little bastards are certainly persistent.
I recall a cute black & white fluffy critter that was in on two films a couple of decades ago that might suit you.
There was some important detail about what NOT to do that I don’t recall, but never mind. The name rhymed with “remlings” or something. .
Also, “dwarf cupachabra” is an underrated pet.
Weren’t cockraoches naturally present already and hygiene issues aside aren’t they relatively harmless and necessary detrivores?
For some reason I had a whole swarm of flies moving in with me yesterday.
Oh well, the cats had fun and the spiders are getting fat.
Oooh, have fun!
@2: Yes. Bunnies and guinea pigs require specialized vet care and are considered exotic pets. If you really want a pet rabbit, they are amazing, but they have very strict dietary requirements, need specialized care, and can be very fragile in certain situations. (They’ve quite literally gotten so stressed over loud noises that some of them have had strokes or heart attacks and died.)
Rabbits are not a cute and easy first pet for young children. On the contrary, most vets will tell you that children and bunnies don’t mix; older children and tweens have a better handle on caring for them. Bunnies are a 12 to 15 year commitment and you have to do your research before you get a couple. (Yes, a couple. They’re social and need friends!)
Source: doing research because my husband would love to get a couple.
Black widows are perfectly suitable basement inhabitants, particularly if crickets are present.
Saw a fat one one time under a table in the greenhouse I was using ( when I worked at the USDA honeybee lab in Tucson as an undergrad) with a mountain of desiccated cricket corpses underneath.
When I looked more closely there was webs under each of the table legs in the greenhouse, also with cricket corpses, split evenly between Black widows and brown widows; some of the latter has the most fantastical colors black-outlined tiger stripes and such each with a red hourglass on the abdomen with a white outline, and some with an additional black outline.
If you don’t bother them they won’t bother you…