Opinion please for Christmas Present for animal mad son.....

whitewing

Could you get him a nesting box with a camera in so he can watch the birds nesting and hatching?

(Not in his bedroom).

xxlaurissaxx

I would second rats. They are amazing pets, very clean, clever ie learning tricks, love getting handled and by the sounds of it your son is very responsible so im sure he would not let the dog in beside them or leave the cage open.

Enchantica

The thing you need to remember with rats is that they need a very large (not a tank) cage with bars to be happy and should always be kept in pairs or groups. They are great fun though. Something else you may want to consider is gerbils. They tend to have less health issues than rats (I'm an avid rat rescuer but have had gerbils and hamsters too) and are fun to watch when they burrow and make their tunnels.

If you are thinking fish, have you seen this? http://www.prezzybox.com/magic-fish.aspx

Sometimes animal shelters allow children to come help them clean out cages and play with animals too, maybe you have one nearby?