Introduction
Toucans are known to make excellent pets to have around. In addition to their stunning appearance and high intelligence, these creatures are known for their lively and warm personalities. Are Toucans Good Pets? The Toucan can be the right choice if you want a distinctive and unusual animal to keep as a companion.
Concerning Toucans
The Toucan is a native of Central and South America and is a typical example of an arboreal (or tree-dwelling) bird. Eggs, small lizards, and insects are also part of their diet, in addition to the fruits left at the top of trees by animals that cannot reach those heights. Although some captive Toucans thrive on a diet of mainly insects, providing them with a more varied selection of foods is preferable.
Do Toucans Make Good Pets?
Before getting a bird or other exotic pet, know the rules in your area. This species is prohibited in certain countries and may require special permission in others, including some U.S. states.
You should give your new pet Toucan the time and space it needs to develop and remain healthy if doing so is allowed in your area. This necessitates adhering to a strict feeding schedule.
Five reasons why toucans make good pets
If you want to keep this unusual bird as a pet, it can be a great pet that fits in with your family and gives you many benefits:
1. Easy Diet
Toucans eat everything in the wild. They mostly eat food, but they will also eat insects, eggs, and small lizards when available. They eat pellets and fresh fruits and veggies when they are kept in captivity. As a treat, you can give them mealworms, waxworms, or a small bit of hard-boiled egg. Toucans only chew their food after taking it. This means the most important thing to consider when making the bird’s diet is getting small pieces of food instead of big chunks.
2. Doesn’t Hurt to Bite
Even though Toucans are known for being friendly pets, they can bite if scared or surprised. The size of the Toucan’s bill can make it look scary, but because the end is hooked, a bite from this bird won’t hurt and won’t hurt you? If the bird is violent and fully bites down on a finger while shaking it, it may draw blood, but it can’t damage fingers as much as a parrot.
3. They live as long as 25 years
They don’t live as long as big parrots, which can live for 50 to 60 years, but the Toucan can live for about 25 years in captivity. Most people agree that this is a good halfway ground. Smaller birds don’t live as long as bigger ones. The Toucan’s age means you shouldn’t have to worry about who will take care of it if you die before it does, but it still gives you much time to enjoy your pet.
4. Sweet pets
This species can become very attached to its owner if it is socialized from a young age and kept up with. It is thought to be an interesting and busy bird. Toucans like to snuggle with their owners once they trust them. This makes them feel safe and like they are back in a tree, where they feel safe when they are nestled in the leaves.
5. They don’t hurt anything
Because this species is not considered dangerous, its cages are often made of a soft mesh. They don’t need strong metal cage-like parrots and birds that are more likely to hurt things. They also don’t tend to damage furniture or other items around the house, making keeping them easier.
How much does it cost to keep a toucan as a pet?
Toucans make for very pricey companion animals. It will cost you approximately $10,000 to purchase one from a breeder in the United States. Remember that to buy a toucan, you will first need to determine whether or not the animal can be owned legally in your state and then apply for a permit to do so. Not only are they pricey to buy but they are also quite pricey to keep because they require fresh and unusual fruit. This makes it very expensive overall. The quality of low-cost canned fruits just needs to be there. In addition, you will need the services of an avian veterinarian.
Toucans Have A Long Lifespan
Like other wild species, a toucan’s life expectancy can be increased with good care while in captivity. These birds have a life expectancy of 15 to 20 years, which implies they will require expensive maintenance for a very long time. This is something to think about if you’re considering getting a toucan as a pet. Despite the Toucan’s long expected lifespan, only some can provide the bird’s specialized care. Seek information and talk to people.
Tips For Keeping A Toucan As A Pet
The Toucan needs a room that is between 18° C and 28° C (64° F and 82° F) and has a high amount of relative humidity, between 60 and 85%. It is because toucans are tropical birds that need to be kept in settings as close as possible to their origin. Toucans are mostly vegetarian but need some animal protein in their food, which they get from insects, small lizards, nestlings, and some rodents in their natural habitat.
Fruit and veggies are the main parts of their diet. Because toucans have small stomachs where food doesn’t stay for long, they need to eat foods that keep them hydrated, like fruit. The foods that toucans like best are banana, papaya, apple, pear, mango, and melon.
You can give tame Toucan soft “meatballs” made of boiled rice, carrots, onion, and potato. They should be 2 or 3 centimeters (about 1 inch) in diameter and go well with the Toucan’s fruit-based diet. Sometimes, some ground beef should be added to these little extras to make their diet more balanced and more like that of a toucan in the wild. Toucans should always have clean water.
When we talk about animals that spend most of their time in a small area, like a birdhouse or an aviary, it’s important to remember that there are no cages that are too big, but there are many that are too small. For a couple of toucans, the aviary should be at least 4 m (13 feet) high, 3 m (10 feet) wide, and 3 m (10 feet) deep. If your feathered friend doesn’t have a hollow log, the Toucan’s box must have perches or crossing sticks. But remember that these are just the bare minimum, and even if you own a toucan as a pet, it needs to move around a lot.
Conclusion
Toucans have specific dietary requirements, which can be expensive and time-consuming. Their need for a spacious and mentally stimulating enclosure makes them impractical for many households. Additionally, toucans are social animals that require interaction and mental stimulation, which can be challenging to provide in a domestic setting.
