LIFELONG AMUSEMENT FROM EXOTIC PETS
BY CATHRYN JIANG
Pets are often the best companions that one can have
apart from one’s family and friends. Even though it
takes both time and energy to take care of them, pet-
lovers dedicate themselves to some of the most
unique and peculiar pets. At Shanghai Livingston
American School (SLAS), science teacher Mr. Brian
Delsandro owns exotic pets that add more
entertainment into his leisure time.
“It is my personal interest in taking care of and at the
same time also learning about my pets,” stated Mr.
Delsandro, “The lizard is the most complex animal that
I have and it is very needy of care.”
Mr. Delsandro owns a female bearded dragon, two
Chinese fire-belly newts, some tropical cichlids, and
a bristlenose pleco fish in his aquarium. A great
amount of attention is required to provide these pets
with a clean environment and a healthy diet. For
instance, the bearded dragon needs a warm, dry
environment and a balanced diet to stay alive. Its diet
consists of 25% of fruits and vegetables while the
other 75% is protein intake that includes roaches,
crickets, and even mice. According to Mr. Brian, he
keeps a bucket of live roaches to feed his lizard!
Moreover, the tropical cichlids are raised alongside
the bristlenose pleco, also known as the “trash-eating
8
fish”, because it consumes algae in the aquarium.
Furthermore, one needs to be quite cautious around
the Chinese fire-belly newts as they produce
neurotoxins that are harmful to humans and other
animals while a great amount of these neurotoxins
can cause death! Over time, these pets can also
become your great company.
“She has a calm personality, so I can just put her on
my shoulder when I’m watching TV,” Mr. Delsandro
smiled when speaking about his bearded dragon, “But
I need to disinfect and wash my hands carefully
afterwards to avoid possible microbes.” He also added
while laughing, “I really want to have a dog now since
I always had one until I came to Shanghai dogs can
interact with me more than fish!”
As can be seen, it truly takes a whole lot of skills to own
such special pets. In essence, taking care of a pet
requires more than just interest as it also takes
patience, knowledge, and also a sense of responsibility
in order to guarantee safety and comfort for both you
and your pets. Nevertheless, these fun little creatures
would definitely bring more amusement and pleasure
in your daily life! If you consider getting a pet of your
choice, you will be astonished!