What constitutes an exotic pet depends upon context; generally speaking, anything other than domesticated animals is generally considered exotic. There can be slight variance in definition between companies, people, state governments and associations as to what exactly qualifies as exotic – some people might see goats or ferrets as exotic while for others only things such as tigers and poisonous snakes are exotic; what’s commonplace to one may not always be common to all. Within the veterinary community however, exotic pets typically refers to anything other than domesticated domestic dogs, cats or farm animals.
Legality of Exotic Pets
Each state imposes different rules and regulations regarding exotic pet ownership, and may define what an exotic pet is differently. As a result, some states prohibit owning certain exotic species while others allow you to care for any kind of animal as your companion pet. Most states ban pet ownership which they consider harmful or invasive to either the environment or people; other reasons could exist as to why some types of exotic pets may not be legal to own as pets in that location. If in doubt, always check the relevant state laws prior to adopting one as this will help make sure everything runs smoothly!