Corn snake
Snake · from the south-eastern United States
- Size
- 1.2 to 1.5m long
- Lives for
- 15 to 20 years
- Suits
- Beginners: the gentlest pet snake
A slender orange snake with red saddle-shaped blotches edged in black down its back.
The tortoise that follows you
This page has the pets with no fur at all: scales, shells and smooth damp skin. Move your pointer and one will slide, plod or hop after you. Choose a different one at the bottom, and tap the notes to open them.
01 · AgeIt may outlive you
A Hermann's tortoise can live for seventy-five years or more. It needs a plan for who will look after it next.
02 · ShellThe shell is alive
The shell is part of its skeleton, joined to its backbone and ribs, and it can feel a touch on it.
03 · TeethNo teeth
It has a sharp, horny beak in place of teeth.
04 · WeedsIt eats weeds
Its best food is garden weeds: dandelion, clover and plantain. Fruit and lettuce are bad for it.
05 · SleepIt sleeps through winter
In the wild it hibernates for the coldest months.
06 · SpeedFaster than you think
On a warm day a tortoise can cover a surprising distance, and climb, and dig.
The play mat
Bring your tortoise onto the play mat to play
Move your pointer onto the play mat and wait for your pet to arrive.
Meet them all
Six scaly and slippery pets
Royal python
Snake · from West and central Africa
- Size
- 1 to 1.5m long
- Lives for
- 20 to 30 years
- Suits
- Patient owners: a shy, slow-moving snake
A thick-bodied, dark brown snake with large tan blotches along its sides and a small, neat head.
Hermann's tortoise
Tortoise · from southern Europe
- Size
- 15 to 20cm long
- Lives for
- 50 to 100 years
- Suits
- Families with a sunny, secure garden
A small tortoise with a high, domed shell of yellow and black, scaly legs and a horny tip to its tail.
Yellow-bellied slider
Turtle · from the south-eastern United States
- Size
- Up to 30cm long
- Lives for
- 30 to 40 years
- Suits
- Keepers with space for a very large tank or pond
A dark olive turtle with yellow stripes on its head and neck, a yellow underside and webbed feet.
Axolotl
Salamander · from two lakes near Mexico City
- Size
- 20 to 30cm long
- Lives for
- 10 to 15 years
- Suits
- Careful keepers who enjoy looking after a tank
A pale pink salamander with a wide, smiling face, tiny dark eyes and three feathery gills on each side of its head.
White's tree frog
Frog · from Australia and New Guinea
- Size
- 7 to 11cm long
- Lives for
- 15 to 20 years
- Suits
- Beginners to frogs: calm and hardy
A plump, smooth, bright green frog with big round toe pads and a sleepy smile.
Good to know
Six things about these pets
Snakes escape
A snake can push through any gap its head fits into. Tanks need tight, locking lids.
Frozen mice
Pet snakes eat whole mice or rats, bought frozen and thawed. Not everyone is comfortable with that.
Tortoises need sunshine
A tortoise needs to live outdoors in warm weather, and under a heat and ultraviolet lamp indoors.
The winter sleep
Some tortoises hibernate. It has to be done carefully, with a vet's advice.
Do not handle frogs much
A frog's skin soaks up whatever is on your hands. Wet, clean hands only, and not often.
Never set them free
Released terrapins and other exotic pets harm wildlife, and letting them go is against the law.
Reptiles and amphibians: 1 more group
Where next?
Photo gallery
Real photos of the pets on this page. Tap one to see it bigger.
Corn snake
Royal python
Hermann's tortoise
Yellow-bellied slider
Axolotl
White's tree frog
Photos are from Wikimedia Commons and are used under free licences. They have been resized, and cropped where they appear in link previews. Open a photo to see who took it.
A pet for half a lifetime
A tortoise bought for a child may be inherited by that child's grandchildren. These are quiet, undemanding animals, but they are for keeps.
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