Such animals are kept by people at home and are considered very rare or unusual. Any wild or unique animal should be considered exotic. However, many species, such as reptiles, rodents or amphibians, have been living in people's homes for too long, so they have ceased to be exotic. An "exotic" is also often referred to as a species that is not characteristic of a particular area. From a legal point of view, the definition of the term "exotic animal" occurs according to local legislation.