Some pets are exotic, but in Maryland, they are also legal for tenants to own.
Many people in the United States have pets as part of their lives. Most of the time, we see people with dogs and cats of every breed imaginable. In plenty of cases, people have rodents like guinea pigs, rats, mice, or hamsters as pets, or even reptiles like lizards and snakes. Meanwhile, some tenants may like to own exotic pets. While some are illegal to own in Maryland, be prepared to deal with pets you might not imagine being legal at first.
Pets Your Tenant Cannot Own
While plenty of exotic pets are legal, some are illegal as well. These banned animals of Maryland include: wild cats, wild dogs, bears, reptiles like alligators, caimans, and crocodiles, some poisonous snakes, raccoons, skunks, foxes, and any kind of primate.
Maryland requires permits for handling animals regarding falconry and wildlife propagation, rehabilitation, and damage control.
Pets Your Tenant Can Legally Own
Exotic pets that tenants can legally own in Maryland include a cornucopia of rodents, marsupials, other mammals, and smaller creatures.
- Cabybara: The capybara is the largest rodent in the animal kingdom. Hailing from South America, these animals can weigh up to 140 pounds. They are semi-aquatic, having webbed feet and enjoying time both in and out of the water. They are social creatures that need plenty of space to roam.and have a mainly vegetarian diet. The cabybara generally lives up to 12 years in captivity.
- Chinchilla: Chinchillas are more common as exotic household pets. They are rock-dwelling rodents from South America and are famous for their exquisitely soft fur. While they make for clean, entertaining, and fastidious little animals, they do not do well with young children, as they can be high-strung in nature. Chinchillas live around 12-20 years.
- Hedgehog: The African pygmy hedgehog is an adorable pet that bonds with its owner. It is a nocturnal animal that eats an array of food, from plants to insects to eggs. To defend itself, it will roll up into a ball and away from the scene. A downside is that they cover themselves with spit containing whatever new scent they find. The greatest risk is that their stool can carry Salmonella.
- Pot-bellied Pig: A pot-bellied pig needs plenty of space to roam. Owners often have trouble handling them over the 20 years of their lives, especially as they are hefty and potentially aggressive creatures. On the bright side, pot-bellied pigs are intelligent creatures that enjoy the same things that many dogs do.
- Tarantula: While classically frightening, tarantulas are the mildest of arachnids. If your tenant has one of these animals as pets, you can expect up to 30 years of good behavior from it.
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