There are more than 1000’s of animals surviving in Mother Earth. In that, there are some fascinating exotic animal living around which adds a special value to the fauna family. These are considered as exotic because of their different style from usual. Nowadays, some of these exotic animals are considered pets due to their admiring characteristics. Thus below are some of the 10 most exotic ones which are classified based on each of their special characters.
1. The Most Smallest Ones
The Etruscan pygmy shrew or the white-toothed pygmy shrew is the smallest known mammal by mass, weighing only about 1.8 grams on average, and which is of 1.6 in of body length. The Etruscan shrew favors warm and damp habitats covered with shrubs, which it uses to hide from predators.
For such a tiny animal, however, it has a huge appetite it typically eats about twice its own body weight every day!
2. The Most Nervous One
The Squirrel Monkey is an adorable little primate that lives in the forest of Central and South America. They are the only genus in the subfamily Saimirinae. They are the most nervous and cuddly exotic animal around. Its size is of 12.5 inch length with its non-prehensile tail of 16 inches which often curls when it’s at rest.
These are very agile, they often run throughout the forest on branches. They are diurnal, and activities are usually centered around a source of water.
3. The Exclusive One
The Tamandua is often known as “a lesser anteater” because it is much smaller than its relative, the giant anteater. This interesting animal has its home both in trees and on the ground. The tamandua is most active at night, often nesting during the day in hollow tree trunks. It has small eyes and poor vision but can hear and smell quite well. It has a specialized mouth and tongue which let tamanduas eat up to 9,000 ants in a single day! Tamanduas don’t have teeth to chew their food; instead, their stomach grinds the food after it is swallowed. A 16-inch-long (41 cms) sticky tongue with small barbs on it is just right for stealing ants and termites from their home. Its special feature is that, if a predator does get too close, the tamandua may hiss and then release a very unpleasant odor, similar to a skunk’s, from a gland at the base of its tail. Thus the bad smell lets other animals know where the tamandua is and usually sends them in the opposite direction.
4. The En-dangered One
The White Lion is one of the unique species in the cat family. They carry the recessive gene known as a colour inhibitor of the Kruger subspecies of lion (Panterha leo krugeri).These cats have a dwelling in their population ,thus they are considered as vulnerable.
These only have a different colour from the normal one.
5. The Most ugliest One
Believe it or not, the Aye-Aye often misspelled as eye-eye is a primate, in the same family as chimpanzees, apes and even humans! They are omnivore and their life expectancy is of approximately 20 years. The population of its native is in Madagascar. Some consider it an omen of ill luck and unfortunately for that reason, the Aye-aye is in extreme danger of extinction. So today they are protected by law.
Thus Aye-ayes spend most of their lives in rain forest trees and avoid coming down to earth. They are nocturnal, and spend the day curled up in a ball-like nest of leaves and branches. The nests appear as closed spheres with single entry holes, situated in the forks of large trees.
6. The Wily and Cutest One
The Fennec Fox must be the cutest exotic animal of the list. It is habitat to dry regions and its long ears serve to dissipate the heat. It is the smallest of all the world’s foxes, but its large ears, measuring six inches, appear to be on loan from a bigger relative. It weighs between 2.2 and 3.3 pounds. It is cream-colored with a black-tipped tail.
Fennec foxes dwell in the sandy Sahara desert and elsewhere in North Africa. Their nocturnal habits help them deal with the searing heat of the desert environment, and some physical adaptations help as well. These foxes are opportunistic eaters. They forage for plants but also eat rodents, eggs, reptiles, and insects. Like most desert dwellers, the fennec fox has developed the ability to go for long periods without water.
Their adorable appearance makes fennec foxes favorites of the captive pet trade, and local people also hunt them for their fur. Little is known about their population status.
7. The most Springy one
The Wallaby is a miniature version of the kangaroo. Wallabies belong to a group of animals called macropods – Latin for “Big Foot.” They are affectionate, playful and mischievous ones.
They are native to Australia. Wallabies can be trained to live indoors, but beware: these affectionate, playful creatures have the ability to open cupboards, jump on counters and other high places. Wallabies are herbivore and they possess powerful hind legs which are not only used for bounding at high speeds and jumping great heights, but also to administer vigorous kicks to fend off potential predators. Wallabies also have a powerful tail that is used mostly for balance and support. The tails are also known to knock even the strongest of predators with one tail whip. The young wallabies are known as “Joeys”.
8. The Bush Babies
The Galagos are little night monkeys. They are also known as curious little nocturnal primate which are native to Africa. They have larger eyes which provide them good night vision and they possess acute hearing level like bats. They also have remarkable jumping ability and in a series of leaps, they could cover ten yards in mere seconds.
Grooming is a very important part of galago daily life. Galagos often autogroom before, during, and after rest. Social grooming is performed more often by males in the group. Females will often reject the attempts made by the males to groom them.
9. The Stinkiest One
The Striped Skunks are native to America. Their name in Latin is meant as “Stinks”. Skunks have extraordinary intelligence, memory and problem-solving ability. You cannot train or correct a skunk like any other animal. It takes patience and love. Skunks show a lot of human traits ,as they can be warm, funny and affectionate at times, as well as demanding, obstinate and aloof. These are mammallian and belongs to the family Mephitidae and the order Carnivora. Captive-bred skunks weigh from 7-10 lbs. They are about the size of a pet cat. Life Span is approximately 10 years. They come in a variety of colors. Once descented, they have an odor similar to that of a dog.
10. The Most Rolling One
As well as being able to roll into a tight spiny ball when frightened, African Pygmy Hedgehogs, consist of bundles of personality, loyalty, and activity. They can be trained to use a litter box, are virtually odor free, and will happily spend the day riding around in your breast pocket. Hedgehogs make a very quiet, small friend and are not aggressive .They virtually fit in the palm of your hand! Most people have no allergic reactions to hedgehogs. They have virtually no odor, are clean, and can be litter box trained. Thus they are harmless and cute ones.