I own red eared slider turtles, while not exactly exotic it’s funny that the three things they are known for by owners are things normal folks would not expect.

  1. Turtles are escape artists. Because they need so much water to swim in and need basking areas, you’ll generally want to fill your tank up as high as you can, and then have a basking platform up there. They will use those and filters to try to escape. They may succeed. There are a ton of questions/guides online to address this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHbV5nsDCb8&ab_channel=TheTurtleGirl
  2. They are destructive. You will want to have a filter for them, and they will attack the filter with the fury of a bored creature attacking the thing making a noise. Many filters will fall to their wrath. If you google it you’ll find ton of stories of turtles destroying filters/water heaters. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cnD3cKuFOa0&ab_channel=HMoore
  3. They smell. How can such a small creature smell so powerfully? Magic.

Any other pet owners have secrets about their type of pet?

  • Aviandelight @mander.xyz
    48·
    11 months ago

    Parrots need the same level of commitment and resources as a child. Think of having a permanent 3 year old that welds scissors constantly (beak) for a minimum of 30 years.

    • mahrimba@beehaw.org
      23·
      11 months ago

      My neighbor has one parrot, and it’s her baby! I think she had it for more than a decade now, and it’s beautiful to see him flying around the apartment (it’s a big place, and all the windows are screened, so he’s free to roam around), but it’s such a commitment.

      I actually started socializing with them because when I moved in they sent me a small basket with snacks and stuff, with a letter explaining about Kiwi (the parrot), and how he can be a bit loud sometimes.

      I don’t really mind tho, I actually love hearing him sing, joke, laugh. Such a happy bird!

    • AttackBunny@kbin.social
      16·
      11 months ago

      I maintain that they are tiny dinosaurs. Adorable tiny dinosaurs, but dinosaurs none the less.

      Also, don’t forget about how loud they are. They can hit some notes that I’m not sure kids can.

      I have made friends with a salmon crested cockatoo, he’s in his mid 50s, and awesome. So yeah, they live forever.

    • kat@lemmy.ca
      15·
      11 months ago

      Also, don’t make the mistake that smaller parrots mean less commitment. Parrotlets and lovebirds are smart, feisty, bite pretty hard, are extremely loud, and still live like 25 years. Budgies are a bit dumber and nicer, but still live a long ass time. Cockatiels have a very nice personality and are musical, but they have 25 year life spans. Consider any small parrot to be a “25 to life” deal.

      Also chances are, your parrot (of any kind) either won’t talk, or won’t shut up about the wrong things. Hope you like hearing the Teams call music at all hours.

    • ericbomb@beehaw.orgOP
      8·
      11 months ago

      Yeah they’re so smart! I know some are considered to be as smart as a 5 year old.

      So they deserve all the love and enrichment of a 5 year old, which would mean a variety of food, new toys, lots of exercise, and lots of interaction.

      I never had one but I still feel bad for all the birds that just end up in a cage for 70% of their lives because they are so smart.

      Not really adding anything, just agreeing with you whole heartedly.

    • VoxAdActa@beehaw.org
      4·
      11 months ago

      My ex had two sun conures.

      The thing I would like people to know is that they make the kind of noise that will literally drive you insane if your brain doesn’t adapt to tune it out. It’s loud, high-pitched, and constant.

      It’s not about just making phone calls difficult or making it hard to hear what your friends are saying (especially if the parrots decided they hate your friend, which is a whole 'nother parrot problem). It’s so pervasive that it actively changes how your senses perceive your environment.

      Years after they both died (at about 20 years old, the female died from getting eggbound and the male died of a broken heart soon after), my brain was still putting parrot noises into the background sounds of my house. I’d be doing my normal daily thing, then stop and be like “Wait, why have I been listening to parrots screeching for the past two hours? They’ve been dead for three years” and my brain would go “Oops, sorry,” and I’d stop hearing it for a while.

      • Aviandelight @mander.xyz
        3·
        11 months ago

        This week my African grey has decided that the smoke alarm beep is his noise of choice and there is nothing I can do about it.