Most people have cat and dog pets. 

But some people choose different creatures for company.

According to Anxiety and Depression Association of America, pets are known for reducing stress and being soothing, with 67 percent of American families owning pets.

But for freshman Logan Haasl it’s not a furry friend that’s a pet.

Instead, it’s a bearded dragon named Nava.

“I like how chill she is because you can take her and just like have her sit on you and she’ll just cuddle up and go to sleep,” Haasl said. “She likes to sleep a lot.”

For senior Christoper Figueroa it’s a different reptile that he calls a pet.

And while some snakes are poisonous, only a small fraction are actually deadly. 

Figueroa owns a friendly ball python, Rocky, who often catches people off guard. 

“People are mostly just shocked whenever like they see that I have a snake,” Figueroa said. “They just walk in my room and are like oh my god there is a snake right there. Then I try to get them to hold it then they- nah but he’s really friendly. Wouldn’t hurt a fly.”

For these students, it is surprisingly easier to care for lizards or snakes than cats or dogs. 

“I used to have different pets and there were lots of trouble and all, so I wanted something that wasn’t messy and all and was small and like easy to handle,” Haasl. “So I decided hey lizard. Well, it would be a lot easier and a lot manageable because you just need a cage for them and that all.”

However, some people react differently to these unusual pets and Figueroa uses that to his advantage and occasionally pranks his family with Rocky.

“My aunt came over and then I just wanted to surprise because I know she has like a huge fear of snakes,” Figueroa said. “So then I snuck up behind her and then I just put the snake right next to her and then she like flipped out and like ran outside and come back in for like a solid 10 minutes.”