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If you recently bought Archer fish for your fish tank, you may be wondering what other types of fish you can pair with the species. Archers can be a little temperamental, even aggressive, so it’s important to confirm compatibility before giving them a new friend in their tank. The Archer family is made up of the following six species: Toxotes blythiToxotes chatareus (common, seven-spot, largescale archer)Toxotes jaculatrix (banded archer)Toxotes lorentzi (primitive archer)Toxotes microlepis (smallscale archer)Toxotes oliglepis (western archer) Taxotes chatareus and Toxotes jaculatrix, are the two species regularly seen for sale in pet shops....

History Temperament Speech and Vocalizations Colors and Markings Care Common Health Problems Diet and Nutrition Exercise Where to Adopt or Buy Further Research Origin and History Species Overview Like many exotic pet parrots, this species is endangered in the wild. They are threatened due to deforestation and illegal trapping. Temperament Speech and Vocalizations These parrots may not screech as much as some, but they will get very loud on occasion....

The general consensus is that new riders and horse owners will be safer with an older horse to learn on. Riding coaches and instructors often have a few older horses they know they can put any beginner on for a safe ride. These older horses are the type that a beginner will want to take home and start learning to ride, handle and care for. Younger horses may not be as suitable....

What Is Feline Calicivirus? Symptoms Causes Diagnosing Treatment Prognosis Prevention Upper respiratory issues occur fairly commonly in cats and are often caused by infectious diseases. Feline calicivirus (FCV) is is a common virus that usually causes upper respiratory infections in cats, causing sneezing, runny nose and eyes, and sometimes painful sores inside the mouth or even sudden lameness. This highly contagious disease can easily spread throughout a population of cats, making it a major problem in animal-shelter environments....

Behavior and Temperament Housing Diet Vet Care Similar Pets Purchasing Frequently Asked Questions The term fiddler crab refers to around 100 species and subspecies of crabs from the genus Uca. They are found along beaches and brackish (a mixture of saltwater and freshwater) waterways around the world. Male and female fiddler crabs are easily distinguished by looking at their claws. The females have small claws while the males have one distinctive large claw....

Attempting to keep a wild bird as a pet is a questionable idea in the vast majority of cases, and depending on where you live, it could also be illegal. In the United States, it is against the law to keep any sort of wild native bird captive, and anyone who is caught doing so could be charged with a felony. The law sometimes even extends to things like feathers and eggshells—meaning that to possess any feather of a wild native bird, an egg, an eggshell, or anything of the sort is illegal as well....

Not all invertebrates are “reef safe.” Many of them will tear up corals, consume fish and otherwise destroy other tank inhabitants. The invertebrates listed below are some that are generally considered by experienced reef tank keepers to be safe for reef tanks. Keep in mind that nothing is foolproof when it comes to living animals. There are renegades in any species, so if your new tank critter doesn’t work out, remove it before it can do serious damage....

Up until fairly recently, seahorses have been considered to be difficult to keep alive in an aquarium for any length of time. The first attempts were made using wild-caught seahorses. These specimens usually perished in a few months either from starvation or infections. But once the seahorse-keeping pioneers determined how to breed them in captivity (aquaculturing) keeping seahorses in an aquarium long term became doable. Unlike wild-caught seahorses, captive-bred seahorses will readily take hand-fed food....

An integral part of any aquarium is the substrate. For most tanks, your substrate will contribute to your nitrogen cycle and provide a critical component of your overall environment. Depending on what fish and invertebrates you keep, your substrate may be critical to provide housing, feeding and reproductive support. Live sand contains the macro- and microbiota necessary for the health of your reef tank, acting as a biological filter and supporting the well-being of your fish....

When it comes to domesticated pet ferrets (not to be confused with wild European polecats or North American black-footed ferrets), there is actually only one breed—despite some being referred to as Angora, European, or Standard breeds. Part of the weasel family, the Latin name for the ferrets we care for as pets is Mustela putorius furo, but pet ferrets can vary somewhat in size and come in a variety of different fur colors, lengths, and patterns....

It used to be believed that cats can’t be trained like dogs can. Whether it’s because they’re “less domesticated” than dogs or more independent and aloof than dogs, this has been a common belief for years. However, more and more people are discovering that, not only can cats be trained, but they can actually be trained using the same techniques used to train dogs. The Basics of Operant Conditioning B. F....

Thanks to celebrity teacup pup parents and social media outlets (we’re looking at you, Instagram!), teacup dogs, otherwise known as micro-dogs, have become increasingly popular over the last decade. From various celebrities’ purses to some of the most adorable videos on the internet, it seems like teacup dogs are everywhere. There’s no denying that these tiny doggies are absolutely adorable, but do teacup dogs actually stay that small? Do they make good pets?...

What Are Anchor Worms? Symptoms Causes Diagnosing Treatment Prognosis Prevention Anchor worms are macroscopic parasites, meaning they can be seen by the naked eye. They are commonly found on koi and goldfish, but can be found on many freshwater fish species. The “worm” part extending out of the fish’s skin into the water is actually the female reproductive structure. Treating these parasites can be challenging depending on your aquarium setup and the parasite load....

Female cats will undergo their first estrous, or heat cycle, when they become sexually mature. This can occur as early as four months, but the typical age is somewhere between six and nine months of age. Estrus is the period when a female is receptive to mating with a male, shows signs of being in heat, and can become pregnant during this time. If the female does not become pregnant, she will continue through the estrous cycle and will go into heat every few weeks until she either becomes pregnant or is spayed....

Characteristics Breed History Training and Care Health Problems Diet and Nutrition Where to Adopt or Buy Czechoslovakian Wolfdog Overview Further Research The Czechoslovakian vlcak (Czechoslovakian wolfdog) is a large working dog breed from Czechoslovakia with a straight double coat. As its name suggests, the Czechoslovakian wolfdog resembles a wolf in its body shape, movement, coat texture, coat color, and facial markings. When well-trained, these dogs are loyal and energetic family pets....

Just like people, dogs need regular dental care, but unfortunately, dental hygiene for dogs is sometimes overlooked. Many people seem to just expect dogs to have bad breath, and few people brush their dogs’ teeth frequently enough. Plaque builds up on the teeth and turns into hard tartar, also called calculus. Plaque and tartar harbor bacteria that eat away at the teeth and gums. Halitosis, periodontal disease, oral pain, and tooth loss can occur....

There are several reasons why horses can be underweight. Food alone may not be the entire issue—bad teeth can make it painful for the horse to chew, cause the horse to swallow poorly masticated food, or make it chew very slowly. Internal parasites may also be stealing nutrition from your horse as well as damaging the digestive tract. If your horse is underweight make sure it has had a recent fecal examination for parasites and had its teeth checked by a veterinarian before simply adding more feed to its diet....

Anaphylactic shock is a severe form of a hypersensitivity or allergic reaction to an allergen. This type of reaction can be life threatening if not treated immediately. Knowing how to be recognize the signs of anaphylactic shock could potentially save your dog’s life. What Is Anaphylactic Shock in Dogs? Hypersensitivity reactions can occur when a dog is exposed to an allergen. Reactions can be localized on the external surface of the body (i....

In the past, the now defunct Freshwater and Marine Aquarium Magazine (FAMA) and other aquarium periodicals referenced the idea of a refugium as part of a saltwater aquarium. It resulted in a flurry of “how-to” and “why for” articles that occupied many pages in aquarium magazines and continues to be the subject of new inquiries. Essentially, a refugium is nothing more than a refuge from predation. Sessile invertebrates, such as corals and anemones, and other delicate species need a place to call their own, and the advent of the refugium was just the ticket....

Horses are expensive to keep. The initial purchase price of your horse, pony, donkey, or mule is only a small part of its overall cost, and there is no such thing as a free horse. Whether they are $100 horses or $10,000 horses, basic horse care can cost the same. Your horse needs daily care, and that can be costly and the costs can vary due to a number of uncontrollable factors....