An animal lover who owns more than 200 exotic pets has revealed she even sleeps next to some of her critters – sharing a bedroom with cages of reptiles.
Octavia Marlowe may be just 22, but she has built up a huge collection of wildlife that she shares her home with.
The trained part-time veterinarian technician has many different species in her home, from spiders, snakes, scorpions and millipedes, to lizards, a hedgehog and rats.
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Her first exotic pet, Pluto, a four-year-old male bearded dragon, is where her passion for exotic animals began in 2020.
Since then, the Phoenix, Arizona-native acquired dozens more animals over the space of a year, and she has transformed her home to accommodate them – even sharing her bedroom with some critters.
“All of my pets live in my house,” Octavia, known as Inspire Exotics online, told What’s The Jam.
“I turned my dining room into a reptile room.
“My guest bedroom is the bird room, but I also have more lizards, dart frogs, salamanders, and all my pet isopods and roaches in that room as well.
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“The hallway is dedicated to all the other arthropods, like my spiders, tarantulas, scorpions, vinegaroons, tailless whip scorpions, centipedes, and millipedes.
“I give all my animals maximum-sized bioactive or naturalistic enclosures, which means their enclosures do take up a lot of space.
“I use baker’s racks so that I can stack their terrariums upwards and create more space.”
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Many of Octavia’s animals were fostered or rescued, while some were purchased.
After being gifted Pluto, she purchased a few geckos, and in 2022 she focused on caring for arthropods such as tarantulas and scorpions.
In 2023, she bought a toad, a snake and some more lizards.
She also rescued another bearded dragon from the vet clinic where she worked at the time, and paid for its surgery so that she could adopt it.
So far this year, she has purchased a snake named Egg, and has rescued two parrots, Bumblebee and Niko, five rats, a hedgehog named Pincushion, and Tyrus, a lizard.
She also graduated this year with a double major in Veterinary Science and Biology, all while taking care of her animals, working full-time, and conducting research.
Octavia balances multiple roles as an epidemiologist, part-time exotic veterinary technician, pest control intern, and an art instructor.
She said: “I don’t have a favourite pet as I think they are all absolutely fascinating and lovable in their own ways.
“My bearded dragons and my birds are definitely the most personable of all my animals and hang out with me the most.
“Most people say that herptiles are not smart enough to love you back, and while they definitely don’t love in the same ways we do, you can absolutely gain their trust, train them, and bond with them.
“Growing up I was always outside encountering new species and that connection with nature is really what sparked my love.
“I was never taught to fear these animals and I watched Steve Irwin, Zooboomafoo, and Wild Kratts when I was young which also helped my curiosity.
“Fear is taught, and I often work with my university’s entomology department to teach young children the value of these invertebrates before society can instil that fear in them.
“These animals do not deserve the fear and bias that have been placed on them, especially snakes, tarantulas, rats, and roaches.
“I implore everyone reading this to treat every creature with respect, kindness, and understanding, as we are all here for a reason.”
Octavia’s friends also share a love for exotic creatures, and her pet birds often have playdates with her friends’ pet birds.
Her family were unsure of her choice of pets at first but have come around to the idea, and she even gives them ‘zoo tours’.
She said: “I would like everyone to know that herptiles, rodents, and birds are incredibly rewarding pets but they are quite complex to own.
“The reality is that most need their natural environment essentially replicated in a terrarium to be happy and healthy.
“This costs time, money, and effort in building and maintaining these enclosures.
“Additionally, they all need extra enrichment, a varied diet, and ample research to ensure they live a long life.
“Many herptiles specifically can live over 20 years but many don’t due to improper care.
My birds can live to be 60 to 80 years old.
“Anyone considering getting these animals should do lots of research beforehand to ensure they are meeting animal welfare standards and giving their animal the best life possible.”
Octavia is planning on acquiring a few more animals for her home ‘zoo’.
She said: “I have plans for three more species, a rhino ratsnake, a leachianus gecko, and red eyed crocodile skinks and then I believe I’m done for a while.”
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