There are many substrate options available for bearded dragon owners to purchase. When you walk into your local pet store, you may see a shelf ever so neatly lined with multi-colored sand. You may also find pebbles and reptile carpets. Well, don't walk, RUN away from that junk and save your money! Why, you ask?

I have never been a ‘people person.’ They are far too opinionated for my liking. That’s why I live my life with multiple species of animals, and just one human boyfriend who is the exception to my disliking of humans (In all honesty, he is just another living being that I love and care for). Now, I’m not saying I hate humans; in fact, there are a few I tolerate, and some I actually like, but I wouldn’t complain if I didn’t socialize with people, I would have my animals for company.

Here's a short list of five adorable animals you may never have considered having as a pet...before today, that is. Maybe you'll be like me and put a few of these on your "when I'm rich and famous pet goals" list.

Hello, my name is Manny Lizard Legacy Brown, but you can call me Manny. I am a one-year-old bearded dragon and I am currently living with an amazing family. When I was nine months old, my first family put me up for adoption, because they were afraid of me getting hurt by the larger lizard they had. On March 23rd, 2017 it was a normal day, maybe a little chilly out. I looked out my window and saw my old family put a blanket over the top of my tank and take me to their car. I hid under my log because I was afraid and didn't know what was going on. It felt like we were driving for a long time, but it was only a couple minutes. My old human picked up my tank and put it into another truck and I heard two females' voices. The next thing I know I was being driven to somewhere else, again it felt like forever. I moved around my tank to get a look at my surroundings and saw a human girl sitting next to me talking with the older female driver. After a moment the human sitting next to me got out of the truck. I saw the two human girls picking my tank up with the blanket still on the lid and they took me inside. I couldn't see where we were going, but the next thing I knew I was set down on a stand. I moved to the glass to get a look at my new home and I saw two big dogs and a small cat. I looked up and saw a human girl with red hair holding a phone and it looked like she was taking a picture of me. After she was done, an older looking girl looked at me and took of the lid to my tank off. I closed my eyes and the next thing I know I felt a finger pet my head. I looked up at the human and just stayed there. The human grabbed my roaches and dropped one in my tank, and I didn't know I was hungry, but I ate at least four of them. Then I was given worms next, which are my favorites. She put my lid on again and left to go do something. I fell asleep for a couple of hours and when I woke up I saw a man looking at me. I watched the man take off my lid and put a hand in to pet my head. I just stayed there and did nothing. He put the lid on my tank and sat in a chair watching TV. It was dark out when I saw the older human girl take my lid off, and lay her hand next to me. I don't know what I was thinking, but I climbed on her. I felt myself being picked up and it was a weird feeling because I had never really been held by my old human. I felt myself being put on her chest and she ran her hand down my back and told me that she loved me and that she would always make sure I had what I needed. The other girl came over and said the same thing. After a bit I was put in my tank with fresh water and food. I heard both humans say they loved me and I just didn't understand how they can have so much love for a little thing like me. My last thought before I went to sleep was that I was loved and I will love my new family just as much.

Bearded Dragons, also affectionately referred to as "beardies," are a type of desert reptile native to Australia that also happen to make awesome pets. As with any pet, there are things that you need to do in order to ensure they can live life to the fullest.

A few days before my birthday I really wanted a pot belly pig. I looked online for a baby pig around my area for sale but I didn't have any luck. A close friend of mine knew this lady who owned a farm and was willing to let me take home two female pot belly pigs for free! I was hesitant because no one gives away two healthy animals for free. When I met the lady at the farm she explained to me that the pigs are no use to her that she needs more room for other animals at the farm. She went into the pig pen and removed a plastic house that the two pigs stayed in. When I saw them they were both cuddled up next to each other one pig was pink and the other was black. To be honest I didn't know much about pigs at the time and I became nervous. You could tell the pigs weren't tamed and I started to think maybe this wasn't such a good idea. The lady put some food in a carrier and guided the pigs in there slowly. She quickly slammed the carrier door shut and put them in the backseat of my car. I asked her many different questions about the pigs but she didn't seem interested in answering them. I thanked her for the pigs and went straight home. When I arrived to my house I picked up the carrier with most of my strength and slowly got them inside. I remember getting a burst of excitement because I finally got what I've always wanted.

The day of the week doesn't matter. I couldn't remember it if I tried. It was summer though, June 2014. Haili and I were having lunch, went for a drive, picked up her little cousin — the usual things to keep you busy in a small town with nothing to do. We joked about going to get Cousin a new bunny to take home and surprise her dad. Too bad there weren't any bunnies at the feed store that day. They did have pot belly pigs, though.

I have had a passion for animals since I was a small child. My earliest memories consist of catching bugs from a nearby pond. Frogs and grasshoppers were my favorite.

Talk about being around to experience a first, here’s a chance for you to do just that. After all, when was the last time you read anything written by a pig? That said, let me introduce myself. My name is Rascal. A name given me by a very nice human female named Ruby. I am a very fortunate pig to be adopted into Ruby’s family back when I was just the littlest of piglets.

Snakes can be some of the most rewarding pets in any animal lover's collection. Choosing one of these stunning reptiles as a pet may seem a bit intimidating, however, there are several reasons why snakes make the perfect pets.

Tortoises are one of the oldest organisms on the earth today. They have survived meteors, volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, ice ages, etc. This makes them great pets because their resilience makes them very hard to kill. However, they do need proper care and attention. Tortoises are found all over the planet. The Sulcata (pictured above in my hand) is found in the grasslands of Africa. They are smaller than a golf ball at birth but within five years of proper care, they can reach the size of a pumpkin, with sexually-matured adults reaching the size of a beach ball. The Sulcatas are popular in warmer states such as Arizona, California, Texas, and Nevada. They roam around backyards and eat weeds and grass and can with stand temperatures of 120 degrees Fahrenheit in summer and 50 degrees in winter. But unfortunately, since these tortoises thrive here in the southwest, people tend to accidentally and purposely breed them all the time. If you are thinking about adopting or buying a Sulcata, here are some quick tips to make sure they stay healthy.

What is responsible breeding?