﻿If you're looking for a classroom pet for students or for your small apartment or dorm,
here are some cool and cheap Low Maintenance Pets that don't require
a ton of space. Ants
When you're thinking of cute, cuddly pets, ants probably don't pop into your head.
However, keeping ants is a cool, interesting way to “own pets," without having much or the
responsibility of "taking care" of said pets. With an ant farm, the ants do pretty much
all of the work. All you need to do, according is keep a temperature of somewhere between 60 to
70 degrees, cover the ants at night, give them sufficient water with either a damp
cotton ball or a few drops, and provide foods like small pieces of fruits and vegetables. Also,
be careful not to move the ant farm once ants have built their tunnels, as it might cause a collapse,
which could kill or injure the ants. Otherwise, there’s not much more to do. You can
even buy the farms on Amazon and most have mail-in coupons for ants. I guess you could say this is
a Prime pet. Link in the description. Roach
People just kind of lose their minds when you tell them you have pet roaches.
But, Roaches are one of the more handlable critters on this list.
In fact, most of the footage you see here is of my 8-year-old daughter’s roach collection.
Two of the more popular species are Dubia and Madagascar Hissing Roaches.
The good thing about a roach for a pet is that it can eat almost anything. Entomologists
recommend fruits and vegetables, and dry cat or fish food that has been moistened.
It is important to research your specific type of roach to ensure you are feeding it correctly,
as not all species prefer the same foods. Organic foods, like fruits or vegetables,
should be removed from the cage before they start to rot, as fermentation gases can build up and
harm certain roach types. Leopard Gecko
A leopard gecko is a perfect pet for any family or apartment-dwelling young adult.
They have a docile nature that makes them easy to get along with and play with, but they also don't
need a lot in terms of care. A 15- to 20-gallon tank can easily hold your Leopard Gecko, and
they have a normal diet of crickets, wax worms, and mealworms or some of the babies that might
come from your Dubia roach communities. Not only that, but these reptiles can live up
to 20 years or more as pets, so they're perfect if you're not looking to say goodbye to your
animal too soon. Green Anoles
The green anole is native to the southeastern United States and the Caribbean. These little
lizards make a great pet for first-time reptile keepers. These pets are relatively small,
inexpensive, and easy to care for, but they need to be handled gingerly or not at all.
It is fairly easy to meet their housing and dietary requirements, although
some specialized equipment is required to set up a proper vivarium for anoles
as they are quite active little critters. You’ll spend a bit of time setting up heat,
lights, and humidity in your habitat. Tarantula
If you're not against keeping spiders as pets, a tarantula might be a good addition to your family.
Male tarantulas grow from two to ten inches, and most species only live up to seven years.
Tarantulas just need a suitable terrarium to roam around in, and they eat live insects like
crickets, mealworms, super worms, and roaches. The one thing to remember about these creatures
is that they need to be kept in a dark part of your room, away from sunlight. And, remember
they will bite. Scorpion
Spider not quite epic enough for you? This crawly creature only grows three to eight inches long and
lives anywhere from two to six years. With an adult scorpion, you only have to feed it every
other day, and its diet consists of insects like crickets, small mealworms, and wax worms.
The one thing you really need to remember about scorpions is the temperature of their environment.
Scorpions need a warm tank—anywhere from 80 degrees Fahrenheit at the coolest to 90 degrees
at the warmest. Axolotl
The axolotl, also known as the Mexican Walking Fish, is a hardy and very low-maintenance pet.
The axolotl is a salamander that remains suspended in the larval stage and does not
undergo metamorphosis like other salamanders, but instead remains water-bound with gills.
They are quite literally permanent babies. They do require you know how to maintain some
specific water parameters, ie temperature, pH, etc, but their
feeding needs are quite straightforward. Like all the animals on this list, make sure to do
the research before getting the pet. Aquatic Newts
Another type of Salamander is the aquatic newt species. Unlike the Axolotl, however,
newts develop lungs and breathe air and most require some land to rest on.
With several species to choose from, you’re likely a newt that fits your needs.
And most are low-maintenance but do your research.
Newts are to be handled as little as possible as you may damage their skin. Many newt species have
been found to produce this tetrodotoxin at varying levels. It can go from being a skin irritant
to toxic at varying levels. Praying Mantis
Keeping the Praying mantises as a pet is relatively easy and cheap. Actually, they are some
of the easiest invertebrates to take care of and they do not need much of your time but you should
first do some research to find which species need what, as not all are low-maintenance.
The best way to make sure nutritional needs are met is to feed a number of different kinds
of prey: fruit flies and aphids for nymphs, instars and smaller mantids, and a variety of
flying insects such as moths, fruit flies, and house flies along with an occasional cricket or
mealworm for larger ones. Tree Frogs
Maintaining a habitat for most tree frogs is not too difficult.
They are generally hard (and cute) little critters. They aren’t cuddly pets,
but they are fun to watch and listen to. Most tree frog species are quite vocal at night.
As the name might suggest, tree frogs are arboreal, spending most of their time in trees.
So, the height of their cage is more important than the floor space, so a tall terrarium is
best. I’ve linked one on the description. They’ll need light, heat, humidity, etc,
but afterwards a diet made up of mostly crickets and some other bugs will keep
your frog happy and healthy. Which Tree Frog should you get? Well,
that answer comes from your research. There are certainly many to choose from.
Feeling froggy? Here are a few more videos for you to jump on. And as always, catch ya next time.