Freakish Pets

BattleRifleG3 · 10-13-2003, 12:36 PM

No, I'm not talking about frankenpetting or crossbreeding!

So, I'm wondering about what it would take to domesticate animals that aren't in the pet store. I realize there are issues surrounding this so one would want to find out absolutely everything pertinent before getting involved in the lives of any animals.

I'm thinking along the lines of North American rodents. I'd love to have an armadillo, but I've read that the northern climates are absolutely wrong for them. My girlfriend, as just a quirky idea, said she really wanted a chipmunk. When I was younger, I dreamed up how I'd domesticate chipmunks by creating a habitat similar to their own and gradually train them to accept humans.

Anyone know about such things? Are there sources of information out there on chipmunk nutrition and all the stuff people would need? Or has BattleRifle finally gone off the deep end?

BTW, I do have experience with caring for hamsters, and I've done quite a bit of study on rodents.

pmspinnerb8 · 10-13-2003, 01:35 PM

Be careful with the 9-banded armadillo, they are a known carrier of leprosy. You do not want to capture wild creatures. Most animals if reared from young will imprint off of you and are easily domesticated. Just read up on cross species diseases that your freaky animal might carry. Also check up on state laws regarding the matter, there might be animals on the endangered species list that you are not allowed to raise.

BattleRifleG3 · 10-13-2003, 01:38 PM

I gave up on the armadillo idea because it's a little big for a cage and not well suited for the north.

Anyone know what organizations out there would have info on regulatons on how you're required to go about it? I'm thinking chipmunk, since it's their natural region and their natural food is everywhere. Apparently they're popular in Europe as pets, sold in pet stores. They're the right size for a lot of pet accessories geared for Gerbils, Hamsters, and Mice.

pmspinnerb8 · 10-13-2003, 01:40 PM

Probably find something through US Fish and Wildlife Services.

Big Dog · 10-13-2003, 01:42 PM

No Chipmunks, but I've known people with "pet" squirrels.
The little buggers never truly get domesticated - rodents just don't have the capacity, IMHO.
Same with Raccoons, skunks and others. They always have a "wild streak" in them.

pmspinnerb8 · 10-13-2003, 01:55 PM

A buddy of mine in East Texas has a pet yearling White-tail buck. It has nubbings right now. It lives in their house and is more like a dog than a deer. They are going to take him to a wildlife preserve when he gets a little more mature. That is a pretty neat pet.

Klaus · 10-13-2003, 02:15 PM

Armadillos are not rodents and all can carry leprosy. Squirrels are impossible to tame. They become very irritable when caged. Rodents have very short lifespans, anyway. Most live 3 years tops. Rats and mice die around 2 years, if nothing eats or steps on them.

BattleRifleG3 · 10-13-2003, 03:06 PM

I think Chipmunks have an unusually long lifespan, like 5 or more, some say even 10 years. I know Armadillos aren't rodents, in fact neither are Rabbits and Pikas.

NRAJOE · 10-13-2003, 03:09 PM

"Wild" animals are called that for a reason. They are never truly domesticated...look what happened to Roy after 50 years of handling tigers!

jerry · 10-13-2003, 04:44 PM

Here ya go. Perfect!
Just be careful, your GF may get jealous

Snakebite · 10-13-2003, 06:09 PM

I have had hundreds of rodents I bought over the years. They all got fed to my pet snake.
Squirrels are tasty but I cant imagine trying to keep one as a pet. I know from experience they can bite hard.
I now have 2 desert tortoises as pets. Very easy to keep but I can never put them back into the wild because they can carry a disease in captivity that wild ones dont have. That could destroy the wild population. They are truly a lifelong pet and there are many rules to owning one. They arent endangered but are classified as protected.
I thought armadillos were born dead on the side of the road.

pmspinnerb8 · 10-13-2003, 06:44 PM

Crazy things about 'dillos from a Texan,
- When armadillos are challenged to cross a stream or a small body of water, they do not swim. They walk along the bottom. I have proven this myself. I caught an armadillo one afternoon while out deer hunting and took him to a stock pond on the place. The stock pond was only a couple of feet deep so I threw him in. Sure enough he sank to the bottom and walked to the other side. i thought it was so neat I did it three more times and each time he sank and walked. Finally the last time he was too tired and dog paddled to the side. i guess I now have the world's first armadillo swim class.

- The other fact about these tough creatures is that their startle reflex is to jump. So when a good samaritan tries to straddle them with the car, they jump and brain themselves on the undercarriage.

- Since 1* has been running a lot of recipe threads, here is an armadillo recipe for you all:
1 armadillo
1 potato wrapped in tin foil

eviscerate armadillo and clean cavity. Place wrapped potato in cavity and bake at 375 degrees for 1 hour. Take out of oven. Throw away armadillo and eat potato.

P22 · 10-13-2003, 09:37 PM

At the "Road Kill" cafe, armadillo is called "Possum on the Half Shell"

tommy · 10-13-2003, 09:44 PM

well over the year's the only wild animals i had was two gators and a few coons but i gave a few of the coons away and only kept one

they a handful to keep up with. i had a iquana too.and a few hampsters and some rabbits too. one of the rabbits was house trained he would use the litter box .and right now i got 5 house cats two go outside at night and three stay inside and i have two dogs and two hermit crabs.

Klaus · 10-14-2003, 07:56 AM

Armadillos do swim. The only problem is, they have to prepare by puffing up. If some cruel person throws them into water, they do not have time to puff up and they sink. They then scramble out to avoid drowning. That is NOT how they normally cross water. If someone dropped you in the ocean, 1 mile from land, and you swam to shore, would that mean that swimming is the way you prefer to cross oceans?

pmspinnerb8 · 10-14-2003, 09:07 AM

http://www.everwonder.com/david/armadillo/ If you would take a look under Armadillo Facts on this page you will see that armadillos do indeed walk along the bottom of a stream or river, and no where on the site does it say that anyone threw him in. Yes I will admit that it was probably cruel, but I was 15 years old and experimenting with something that I had learned.

Klaus · 10-14-2003, 09:26 AM

Yup, it says they can walk along the bottom, which I did not dispute. They normally swim though, and the site even has a video of a swimming armadillo.

tommy · 10-14-2003, 10:26 AM

oh forgot about the ferret too.we called him slinky.

Stopper · 10-14-2003, 01:49 PM

Myself and a friend ate an armadillo in E&E school out in Nevada some years back. Talk about desperate, we were so frick'n hungry, we saw that little bugger and ran for 1.5 hours catching the little sucka. Tasted like what I think chit would taste like.
Found out about the leprosy thing later, niether one of us got it, but we had stomach aches for a couple of hours. Don't know if it was from the 'dillo or the fact we had been 4 days without food. Probably a little of both.

Dogs are the best pets. Bar none.

10-13-2003, 12:36 PM	#1
BattleRifleG3 Super Moderator Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Western PA Posts: 11,401 Trader Rating: (0)	Freakish Pets No, I'm not talking about frankenpetting or crossbreeding! So, I'm wondering about what it would take to domesticate animals that aren't in the pet store. I realize there are issues surrounding this so one would want to find out absolutely everything pertinent before getting involved in the lives of any animals. I'm thinking along the lines of North American rodents. I'd love to have an armadillo, but I've read that the northern climates are absolutely wrong for them. My girlfriend, as just a quirky idea, said she really wanted a chipmunk. When I was younger, I dreamed up how I'd domesticate chipmunks by creating a habitat similar to their own and gradually train them to accept humans. Anyone know about such things? Are there sources of information out there on chipmunk nutrition and all the stuff people would need? Or has BattleRifle finally gone off the deep end? BTW, I do have experience with caring for hamsters, and I've done quite a bit of study on rodents. __________________ Trust is earned, not... GIVEN away. - Worf

10-13-2003, 01:35 PM	#2
pmspinnerb8 Senior Member Join Date: May 2003 Location: Lonestar State Posts: 286 Trader Rating: (0)	Be careful with the 9-banded armadillo, they are a known carrier of leprosy. You do not want to capture wild creatures. Most animals if reared from young will imprint off of you and are easily domesticated. Just read up on cross species diseases that your freaky animal might carry. Also check up on state laws regarding the matter, there might be animals on the endangered species list that you are not allowed to raise. __________________ Two in the chest and one in the head and even the Green Giant falls down dead.

10-13-2003, 01:38 PM	#3
BattleRifleG3 Super Moderator Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Western PA Posts: 11,401 Trader Rating: (0)	I gave up on the armadillo idea because it's a little big for a cage and not well suited for the north. Anyone know what organizations out there would have info on regulatons on how you're required to go about it? I'm thinking chipmunk, since it's their natural region and their natural food is everywhere. Apparently they're popular in Europe as pets, sold in pet stores. They're the right size for a lot of pet accessories geared for Gerbils, Hamsters, and Mice. __________________ Trust is earned, not... GIVEN away. - Worf

10-13-2003, 01:40 PM	#4
pmspinnerb8 Senior Member Join Date: May 2003 Location: Lonestar State Posts: 286 Trader Rating: (0)	Probably find something through US Fish and Wildlife Services. __________________ Two in the chest and one in the head and even the Green Giant falls down dead.

10-13-2003, 01:42 PM	#5
Big Dog Moderator Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Tallahassee, Florida Posts: 10,020 Trader Rating: (0)	No Chipmunks, but I've known people with "pet" squirrels. The little buggers never truly get domesticated - rodents just don't have the capacity, IMHO. Same with Raccoons, skunks and others. They always have a "wild streak" in them. __________________ Moderator of: AR15/M16, M14/M1A, New/Beginning Shooters and Militaria/Collectables.

10-13-2003, 01:55 PM	#6
pmspinnerb8 Senior Member Join Date: May 2003 Location: Lonestar State Posts: 286 Trader Rating: (0)	A buddy of mine in East Texas has a pet yearling White-tail buck. It has nubbings right now. It lives in their house and is more like a dog than a deer. They are going to take him to a wildlife preserve when he gets a little more mature. That is a pretty neat pet. __________________ Two in the chest and one in the head and even the Green Giant falls down dead.

10-13-2003, 02:15 PM	#7
Klaus Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Cypress, Texas Posts: 2,383 Trader Rating: (0)	Armadillos are not rodents and all can carry leprosy. Squirrels are impossible to tame. They become very irritable when caged. Rodents have very short lifespans, anyway. Most live 3 years tops. Rats and mice die around 2 years, if nothing eats or steps on them. __________________ "Gee, Wally, Eddie Haskel's mom puts out!"

10-13-2003, 03:06 PM	#8
BattleRifleG3 Super Moderator Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Western PA Posts: 11,401 Trader Rating: (0)	I think Chipmunks have an unusually long lifespan, like 5 or more, some say even 10 years. I know Armadillos aren't rodents, in fact neither are Rabbits and Pikas. __________________ Trust is earned, not... GIVEN away. - Worf

10-13-2003, 03:09 PM	#9
NRAJOE Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Toledo,OH Posts: 18,999 Trader Rating: (0)	"Wild" animals are called that for a reason. They are never truly domesticated...look what happened to Roy after 50 years of handling tigers! __________________ U.S. Army 1976-1979 237th Combat Engineers Heilbronn, Germany

10-13-2003, 04:44 PM	#10
jerry Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Posts: 10,759 Trader Rating: (0)	Dude! Here ya go. Perfect! Just be careful, your GF may get jealous __________________ Last edited by jerry; 07-14-2007 at 02:24 PM.

10-13-2003, 06:09 PM	#11
Snakebite Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Tucson, Mexico Posts: 1,837 Trader Rating: (0)	I have had hundreds of rodents I bought over the years. They all got fed to my pet snake. Squirrels are tasty but I cant imagine trying to keep one as a pet. I know from experience they can bite hard. I now have 2 desert tortoises as pets. Very easy to keep but I can never put them back into the wild because they can carry a disease in captivity that wild ones dont have. That could destroy the wild population. They are truly a lifelong pet and there are many rules to owning one. They arent endangered but are classified as protected. I thought armadillos were born dead on the side of the road.

10-13-2003, 06:44 PM	#12
pmspinnerb8 Senior Member Join Date: May 2003 Location: Lonestar State Posts: 286 Trader Rating: (0)	Crazy things about 'dillos from a Texan, - When armadillos are challenged to cross a stream or a small body of water, they do not swim. They walk along the bottom. I have proven this myself. I caught an armadillo one afternoon while out deer hunting and took him to a stock pond on the place. The stock pond was only a couple of feet deep so I threw him in. Sure enough he sank to the bottom and walked to the other side. i thought it was so neat I did it three more times and each time he sank and walked. Finally the last time he was too tired and dog paddled to the side. i guess I now have the world's first armadillo swim class. - The other fact about these tough creatures is that their startle reflex is to jump. So when a good samaritan tries to straddle them with the car, they jump and brain themselves on the undercarriage. - Since 1* has been running a lot of recipe threads, here is an armadillo recipe for you all: 1 armadillo 1 potato wrapped in tin foil eviscerate armadillo and clean cavity. Place wrapped potato in cavity and bake at 375 degrees for 1 hour. Take out of oven. Throw away armadillo and eat potato. __________________ Two in the chest and one in the head and even the Green Giant falls down dead.

10-13-2003, 09:37 PM	#13
P22 Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: N.E. TEXAS Posts: 17 Trader Rating: (0)	At the "Road Kill" cafe, armadillo is called "Possum on the Half Shell"

10-13-2003, 09:44 PM	#14
tommy Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: schriever la Posts: 3,889 Trader Rating: (0)	well over the year's the only wild animals i had was two gators and a few coons but i gave a few of the coons away and only kept one they a handful to keep up with. i had a iquana too.and a few hampsters and some rabbits too. one of the rabbits was house trained he would use the litter box .and right now i got 5 house cats two go outside at night and three stay inside and i have two dogs and two hermit crabs.

10-14-2003, 07:56 AM	#15
Klaus Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Cypress, Texas Posts: 2,383 Trader Rating: (0)	Armadillos do swim. The only problem is, they have to prepare by puffing up. If some cruel person throws them into water, they do not have time to puff up and they sink. They then scramble out to avoid drowning. That is NOT how they normally cross water. If someone dropped you in the ocean, 1 mile from land, and you swam to shore, would that mean that swimming is the way you prefer to cross oceans? __________________ "Gee, Wally, Eddie Haskel's mom puts out!"

10-14-2003, 09:07 AM	#16
pmspinnerb8 Senior Member Join Date: May 2003 Location: Lonestar State Posts: 286 Trader Rating: (0)	http://www.everwonder.com/david/armadillo/ If you would take a look under Armadillo Facts on this page you will see that armadillos do indeed walk along the bottom of a stream or river, and no where on the site does it say that anyone threw him in. Yes I will admit that it was probably cruel, but I was 15 years old and experimenting with something that I had learned. __________________ Two in the chest and one in the head and even the Green Giant falls down dead. Last edited by pmspinnerb8; 10-14-2003 at 09:23 AM.

10-14-2003, 09:26 AM	#17
Klaus Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Cypress, Texas Posts: 2,383 Trader Rating: (0)	Yup, it says they can walk along the bottom, which I did not dispute. They normally swim though, and the site even has a video of a swimming armadillo. __________________ "Gee, Wally, Eddie Haskel's mom puts out!"

10-14-2003, 10:26 AM	#18
tommy Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: schriever la Posts: 3,889 Trader Rating: (0)	oh forgot about the ferret too.we called him slinky.

10-14-2003, 01:49 PM	#19
Stopper Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Kansass Posts: 2,209 Trader Rating: (0)	Myself and a friend ate an armadillo in E&E school out in Nevada some years back. Talk about desperate, we were so frick'n hungry, we saw that little bugger and ran for 1.5 hours catching the little sucka. Tasted like what I think chit would taste like. Found out about the leprosy thing later, niether one of us got it, but we had stomach aches for a couple of hours. Don't know if it was from the 'dillo or the fact we had been 4 days without food. Probably a little of both. Dogs are the best pets. Bar none. __________________ They should have stopped at "Congress shall make no law"