Hedgehogs Hedgehogs are mammals that have been around for millions of years. These animals naturally live through most of Africa and in southern Europe. They are primarily insectivores, but will eat a variety of different animal and plant matter when available. They are nocturnal and spend most of the day sleeping and become active at dusk. A hedgehog’s most distinctive trait are his quills. Quills are sharp hollow hairs that are used as a defense. When threatened, a hedgehog is able to curl up into a ball with its quills extended. The quills usually have white tips with brown bands and act as camouflage. Other color variations can be brown, black, cream, gray, and even albino.
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Tarantulas comprise a group of large and often hairy arachnids belonging to the Theraphosidae family of spiders, of which approximately 900 species have been identified. This article only describes members of Theraphosidae, although some other members of the same suborder are commonly referred to as "tarantulas". Except in cases of anaphylaxis (severe allergic reaction) no species of tarantula are dangerous to humans, and some species have become popular in the exotic pet trade.
The ball python (Python regius), also known as the royal python, is a python species found in sub-Saharan Africa. Like all other pythons, it is a non-venomous constrictor. This is the smallest of the African pythons and is popular in the pet trade, largely due to its small size and typically docile temperament. No subspecies are currently recognized. Life expectancy in captivity is as much as 47 years, though such outcomes require regular care and a clean, well-maintained living environment. The name "ball python" refers to the animal's tendency to curl into a ball when stressed or frightened. The name "royal python"(from the Latin regius) comes from the fact that rulers in Africa would wear the python as jewelry.
Ants belong to the taxonomic group Hymenoptera, just like wasps and bees. All ant species live in colonies, there are no solitary ant species. Inside a colony of ants the tasks are very stricly divided: the queen lays eggs, the workers take care of the larvae, collect food and build the nest. All worker ants are females. Some species of ants have different worker types, they look different than the other works to be able to perform a specific task better. The worker types are called castes (one caste, two castes) and can be specialized in defending the colony, getting big or small food items to the colony or even storing food in their body. One example of an ant caste is the soldier ant. Soldier ants are usually larger than the other workers and have big mandibles used to bite. They will defend the nest against intruders. Once a year the colony will produce new queens and kings. These ants are different than the workers because they are able to mate and lay eggs. The new kings and queens will leave the colony to start a new colony somewhere else. There are around 22.000 different species of ant on Earth. Ants can be found on every continent except antartica and can be called very succesfull creatures in evolution: if you add all the dry biomass of all animals on earth up, 15 to 25% of this biomass is from ants.
| average adult size: | 3 inches long |
| average life span: | up to 3 years with proper care |
| diet: | omnivore |
| Health Issue | Symptoms or Causes | Suggested Action |
|---|---|---|
| Diarrhea | Loose stool caused by poor diet, stress, internal parasites, unclean housing, or other illness. | Consult with a veterinarian to determine cause and treatment. |
| Malocclusion | Overgrown teeth. | Consult with a veterinarian to have teeth trimmed regularly. |
| Mites | External parasites that cause mice to lose patches of hair. | Consult a veterinarian for treatment. |
| Tumors | Abnormal lumps. | Consult a veterinarian. |
Sugar gliders are native to Australia, Tasmania, Indonesia and Papua-New Guinea. Their descriptive name comes from their love of sweet foods and a membrane that allows them to glide. Sugar gliders are marsupials which means that they raise their young in a pouch on the mother’s belly. They are small mammals and adults weigh between 4 and 5 ounces.
