It’s been 50 years since eccentric artist Salvador Dali was photographed in Paris taking his pet for a walk, but this unusual animal remains popular with many modern-day exotic pet enthusiasts.

Particularly popular is the 10-pound tamandua — a diminutive relative of the giant anteater — which makes an adorable, nonviolent companion in many states. According to many experts, Tamanduas like to feast on termites and – you guessed it – ants, although this does not make them an effective form of pest control.

According to the World Wildlife Fund, about 5,000 tigers live in legal captivity in more than a dozen states — many as privately owned pets — while the wild tiger population has dwindled to about 3,890. child.

Owning a pet tiger sounds thrilling – Mike Tyson certainly thinks so – but caring for it can be a serious challenge. A tiger’s diet can include up to 88 pounds of meat in one sitting, and its enclosure must be as large as 40 square miles. While studies show that tigers can coexist peacefully with humans, any frustrated, caged cat is likely to become angry.

It may sound odd, but over the years wild foxes have been bred to live almost like dogs and cats – but not exactly because they are difficult to fully domesticate.

Today, pet foxes are legal in 15 states, but rules vary by breed. The most popular, the fennec fox, is an adorable and quite docile little animal – although it’s important to note that even these little furry friends have not been fully domesticated.

They may technically be warm and fuzzy, but tarantulas will shy away from human contact and often prefer a dark place to hide until their next meal. That meal often includes other creepy crawlies like crickets, mealworms and cockroaches.

While these supercharged spiders may not be your typical household pet, plenty of intrepid arachnids disagree — and it’s entirely fitting that they own poisonous spiders in many states. France.

Believe it or not, private ownership of these notoriously deadly reptiles is legal in several states, according to FindLaw, including the alligator’s unofficial home: Florida.

Pet owners tend to love baby alligators, which are less than a foot long and largely harmless. But adults can grow to more than 11 feet long, weigh up to 1,000 pounds and live up to 50 years, according to the Smithsonian National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute. Plus, their appetite for meat is practically insatiable – and pet owners can count on delicious meals.

Although kangaroos are native to Australia, some species have found their way into backyards across the United States. However, many animal advocates are fighting against laws allowing citizens to keep them as pets, arguing that inhumane conditions have led to too many kangaroo deaths at the hands of unscrupulous caretakers. Prepare in advance.

According to The Spruce Pets, Wallabies, a smaller and more docile type of kangaroo, are a bit more popular in the exotic pet world — Elvis Presley once had a pair — but like their larger counterparts, they also Can become dangerous when provoked.

The cool, unassuming llama is often employed as a therapy animal, which is why it makes a great family pet in states where it is legal.

According to Good Housekeeping, llamas make loyal, affectionate, clean pets and are generally low-maintenance as long as they have plenty of outdoor space — and preferably with a furry flock around, because llamas Llamas are animals that live in herds.

Need another compelling reason to adopt some of these cuties? According to Mother Earth News, it turns out that llama guard dogs have the ability to ward off predators.

According to PBS, most domestic skunks are raised in captivity, where they have their scent glands removed at a young age. Some animal advocates have called the practice inhumane, as deodorized skunks would likely not be able to survive in the wild if lost.

But those who call this surprisingly playful creature a pet in the 17 states where it is legal know that a skunk that is well-raised and receives plenty of attention, affection and discipline can won’t go far from home.

Yes, you can keep a hedgehog and some states allow you to keep a hedgehog as a pet. But handling these spiky rodents safely takes patience and skill. That lesson has been learned the hard way because too many curious dogs have found themselves on the receiving end of a quill attack.

Hedgehogs can be trained to some extent – and some even become affectionate towards humans – but remember that they are solitary creatures and can become violent when agitated .

Despite its ominous name, boa constrictors are quite gentle when properly cared for. According to The Spruce Pets, this typically involves customized enclosures with simulated tropical conditions and a diet that includes mice and rats killed weeks or months in advance.

Needless to say, this exotic, non-venomous pet is not for the faint of heart. But its docile nature — when unprovoked, of course — has helped it gain legal status in many states.

Feral cats are just that – wild. However, some US states allow you to keep them in captivity, according to Big Cat Rescue.

A popular choice for exotic pet owners is the cougar, which is obviously also a risky choice.

Although a privately owned cougar will eventually get used to its owner, it can never be domesticated like a dog or cat. The best you can hope for is a well-behaved – and sometimes playful – pet that won’t crush you to death with its powerful jaws.

Actress Kristen Bell went viral in 2012 after she publicly burst into tears after meeting a two-toed sloth. The internet largely agrees – these tree-dwelling creatures are irresistible. But they are also high-maintenance creatures, accustomed to wild, tropical habitats that pet owners cannot always replicate.

Although owning sloths is legal in some states, the Sloth Conservation Foundation warns not to mistake their slow-moving nature for comfort. Quietness is actually a defense mechanism that they develop to blend in when they feel threatened by predators.

Oh man, you can actually keep a bear as a pet in more than a dozen states — although that won’t be the case for long if the Humane Society has its way.

And although bears are known to form emotional bonds with their human caretakers, there are far too many cautionary tales of bears suddenly attacking and mauling humans after relationships. long term relationship. That’s because – whether pets or not – bears are wild animals with primal instincts that can be activated in the blink of an eye.

Sure, monkeys are cute and in some ways remind us of tiny humans – but that’s part of the reason why they’re kept so little as pets. According to the Primate Rescue Center, monkeys require constant care and attention and many can live up to 40 years.

That means four decades of diapers, not to mention aggressive behaviors like biting and poop throwing. Still, that doesn’t stop exotic pet owners across America from owning everything from mischievous capuchins (as Ross did on “Friends”) to high-maintenance chimpanzees. tall (think Michael Jackson’s chimpanzee Bubbles).