About Sea Monkeys

As you probably guessed, Sea Monkeys are not monkeys at all. They are actually a crustacean known as brine shrimp. 

Brine shrimp were marketed as pets in 1957 under the name Instant Life, the name was changed to Sea Monkeys in 1962.

Initial packaging showed them as being almost human like, or I should say monkey like, often wearing crowns or carrying little pitchforks.  Many children (and some parents) were disappointed to see nothing like their depiction.

How to Care for Sea Monkeys as Pets

Sea Monkeys require special water conditioning, and cannot survive in simple tap water. They need water that has chlorine removed, and salt added. When purchased as “Sea Monkeys” they come with packages for conditioning the water and adding salt. It is actually recommended to leave water out for 24 hours to reach room temperature and to naturally evaporate the chlorine before the “Water Purifier” package is added.

Sea Monkeys are also sold as eggs with instructions and food which is yeast and spirulina algae.

Interesting Facts on Brine Shrimp

The variety of brine shrimps sold as Sea Monkeys is a hybrid known scientifically as Artemia NYOS.

Brine Shrimp have been around for millions of years, and are very much unchanged from the Triassic time.

Brine Shrimp eat algae which turn them pink, eating them is what turns flamingos pink.

Brine Shrimp live about one year.

Brine Shrimp eggs can survive two years if hatching conditions are not right.

Brine Shrimp are often fed, life, freeze dried, or frozen, to fish.

Brine Shrimp are a very unusual type of animal; they can enter a state of self preservation where they can be dried up, and can revive themselves when conditions are more favorable to life. For example, brine shrimp living in Botswana live in ponds that dry up for part of the year, they remain dormant – virtually dead, until water returns to their pond.   

Tips on Selecting a Pet Hamster for a Child

This basic tip guide is titled in regards to selecting a pet hamster for a child, but could also be used for any first time pet owner who is not experienced with hamsters. You will note that although hamsters are fairly common small pets, they are still considered to be exotic pets in most areas.

Before you rush out and get a hamster for your child, or yourself, there are a few facts to keep in mind.

Hamsters are nocturnal, they will be awake in the evening and night. They will want exercise during this time and that might mean running all night on a squeaky wheel, if this does not work for you, then a hamster is probably not a good pet to get.

photo source
The wheel is safe since the hamster cannot get his toes stuck, but it is a bit small.

Hamsters need a lot of exercise, as we mentioned above. They should have a large cage with extensive tunnel systems, or be taken out for a couple hours every evening to get their exercise.

Hamsters should be kept alone. Although some stores will tell you they can be kept in pairs, unless they are in a very large cage there is no guarantee they will not kill each other. Hamsters are typically solitary animals, best kept individually.

Hamsters do bite. If you are afraid of getting bitten, this is not a good pet to get, because at some point the hamster probably will bite. Bites are more likely to occur if the hamster is woken suddenly, but also if it is handled incorrectly, or not handled enough.

Hamsters from the pet store are more likely to bite than one from a breeder, shelter, or home. Pet stores typically get their pets from mass breeders so they are not use to being handled prior to arriving at the store, as such they are not tame.

Males tend to be slightly more docile and friendly than females.

For children it is important to note that the pets must be handled properly or can be hurt. Kids should be shown how to use both hands to hold their pet and never be allowed to pick it up by the scruff of its neck.

Hamsters tend to be fairly healthy when properly cared for, one of the biggest risks is “Wet tail”, which is fatal.

Hamster owners must check to be sure their pet has food, and water daily. The cage should be thoroughly cleaned every week (or less often if its a big cage), however dirty corner areas should be cleaned out more regularly.

The lifespan of a hamster is usually 2 – 4 years depending on the type of hamster, with the larger teddy bear ones tending to live the longest.

Further Reading

Which is a Better Pet, Hamster or Guinea Pig?

Keeping Pet Hamsters

Teacup and Miniature Pets

Many people think it is cute to have a miniature pet, these are also known as “teacup” pets. Sadly this trend is generally considered cruel, the pets are stunted through poor nutrition, poor genetics, and generally have shorter lifespans riddled with health problems.

Many people who own “teacup” pets become defensive, insisting that their pet is in the best of health. In truth they do not know what is going on with their pet internally (liver and heart problems are common) and many health problems related to being stunted do not show up until later in life – and most owners simply attribute these problems to old age, rather than poor breeding or a lack of proper nutrition in the animals growing stages.

As mentioned teacup pets are intentionally stunted in many ways, breeding genetically small animals, to genetically small animals, is one of these ways, as well many unscrupulous breeders cheat on feeding, giving the growing animals less food than they should have, and often wean the animals early to sell them extra young.

Buyers should be aware that buying extremely stunted animals supports these cruel practices, and may leave them with a pet that has huge veterinarian bills later in life.

“Teacup” dogs are probably the best example of this breeding practice, but it does occur in the exotic pet industry too, most often with pigs. Many people are fooled, unaware that pigs grow slowly, and their stunted animal will still get quite large.

photo source - These miniature horses are at a show, they are not as small as some breeders are striving for - and are being shown to prove they are healthy and worthy of being bred.  The extremely stunted miniature animals would never be able to win a ribbon in a conformation class (most have leg deformities).

Miniature horses have been so grossly stunted that many die when foaling (giving birth) and many cannot give birth without human help.

photo source - In contrast to the miniature horses further above, we see Thumbelina - and by looking at her you can see the deformities in her joints, and head.  Thankfully her owners are not planning on breeding her. She is actually a dwarf as opposed to being a miniature.

In general it is advisable to stay away from anyone marketing or selling “teacup” pets of any variety. If you want a small pet – get a hamster! 

Further Reading

Creatures Great and Small - breeding to extremes - a list of health problems