While everyone knows what a porcupine is, many have not seen or heard of the funny-looking, tree-dwelling, prehensile-tailed porcupine from Central and South America.
Agoutis are rodents from South America that swim very well. Agoutis live in monogamous pairs just like maras and are sometimes kept as pets.
These magnificent animals resemble cats crossed with ferrets but are neither; however, they are relatives to both, being feliforms. These animals can be skittish, and they will not hesitate to scale their owner's body as though its a tree to escape from "danger.
These tiny antelope species have been kept as pets in the past, but today they seem to have left the pet trade. When they were sold a few years ago, they fetched a hefty $6000 price tag, though I'd say it's worth it.
This bear-looking creature is also called a "bearcat," but it is a viverrid, like the spotted genet. They are famous for smelling like popcorn, and despite their size, they can be surprisingly gentle.
Pictured above is a white or leucistic raccoon dog (also called tanuki). The normal-colored animal has an uncanny resemblance to a typical raccoon, but it is a canid from East Asia. They are one of the few federally banned species in the United States, but they are often kept in Europe.
The Prevost squirrel is stunningly beautiful; many people find their coloration hard to believe, but it is all-natural. They also make decent pets for a squirrel. Being a member of these active rodents, they require large housing and a lot of enrichment,
While this animal resembles a marmot or some other common rodent, the fascinating thing about hyraxes is that they are the closest living relative to elephants. They are also related to manatees. These quick little mammals actually have small
Tayras are in the weasel family, and they are kept as pets in very limited numbers. They are not readily available because they breed poorly in captivity and are also challenging animals to work with if they are going to have human interaction. They are found in Central and South America in the wild.
While they look more like spotted genets, they are actually related to raccoons. People who don't live in western states are usually unfamiliar with ring-tailed cats in general and certainly that they can be kept as pets.