Spiders are the most common exotic pet to have and thousands in the United Kingdom are kept as pets. Creating the right temperature and habitat for a spider such as the Tarantula is hard to do and even harder to maintain.

Snakes are the second most popular exotic animal to keep as a pet. From Pythons to deadly vipers, the more daring the owner, the more poisonous the snake.

 Exotic birds such as parrots and macaws are bought into homes as pets because they are brightly coloured, beautiful and elegant. Naturally birds have wings and nearly always fly but when parrots are taken in as pets, their wings are often clipped to stop flight. They are kept in a cage for their lives, but even the ones lucky enough to live in an aviary will pull out their own feathers through boredom.

 When the bird no longer looks beautiful it is given less and less attention. This only lets the birds’ condition deteriate further and will end with a sad and far less exotic looking pet.

 A common problem with keeping lizards is the skin complaints that they often suffer from being kept as a pet. Maintaining the right temperature and conditions for many reptiles should be left to the experts.

 Sharks and crocodiles are also kept as exotic pets along with rare and endangered animals like eagles and tigers.