Lizards, tarantulas, a prairie dog and a desert tortoise were among about 40 animals removed from a mid-Michigan home during a neglect investigation.
Ingham County Animal Control officers also found rats, mice, an iguana, and about two dozen dogs and cats Wednesday at the home in Lansing.
Animal Control Director Heidi Williams said the lizards included a gecko and a tegu, which is native to South America.
Staff from Lansing's Potter Park Zoo who have expertise in the care of exotic animals accompanied officers to the house. Authorities had received anonymous complaints about the welfare of animals in the home.
Williams said the animals were seized because they were in unsanitary conditions and were not receiving proper care.
Kirbay Preuss, store manager for Preuss Pets, told WLNS that exotic animals can be great pets -- but only if they are properly taken care of.
“In the case of iguanas, there’s a reason we don’t adopt out iguanas here and it’s because here’s a pet that most people think is one of the most commonly kept lizards and we’ve learned over 40 years that they require so much care that the average person just doesn’t have to give,” said Preuss.