The keeping of exotic pets including reptiles, birds, amphibians, and small mammals raises welfare concerns rooted in the complexity of meeting their specialized needs.
Exotic pet keeping creates welfare problems that stem from fundamental mismatches between animal needs and the environments owners can provide. Specialized lighting, temperature, humidity, diet, and social requirements for most exotic species cannot be met by typical owners. The high mortality in the trade and poor welfare in typical captive conditions make most exotic pet keeping ethically problematic.