ALEXANDRIA — Madagascar hissing cockroaches and giant African millipedes tend to stand out at a county fair, what with all the horses, cows, pigs, rabbits, chickens and other traditional livestock entries.

But for a few dedicated fairgoers, these exotic species are the main attraction.

At 10 a.m. Thursday morning, check-in began for the “Pocket Pets” exhibition in the Kiwanis Room of the 4-H Building, on the grounds of the Madison County 4-H Fair. Pocket Pets have been part of the annual fair for just four years.

“They’re small animals you could have in your home and don’t have their own category,” said Cyndi Huffman, project leader for the Pocket Pets exhibition. She said eight to 10 entries were on display this year.

Among the winners this year were a rat named Moe and a cockatiel named Bo.

Emilee Garman, 10 of Middletown, brought her hermit crab, Rainbow. A four-year member of 4-H, Emilee has studied the animal extensively and shared some of her knowledge on Thursday.

“Crabs grow up in the water, and they have to come on land and find a shell, or else they drown,” she said. “They change shells many times. That’s the only time they come out of their shells. They can live a long time and can grow to be as big as a cantaloupe.”

Emma Huffman, 11 of Anderson, discovered her passion for Pocket Pets when she first saw a giant African millipede on display at the fair. Since then, she has dabbled in various animals, including Russian dwarf hamsters.

While the 2007 competition featured a hairless rat, Emma decided to bring Moe, who has hair.

“You can pet him,” she said, clutching Moe, his ropey tail wrapped around her wrist. “He’s real sweet. He doesn’t bite or anything.”