How to Legally Own a Pet Sugar Glider

Sugar gliders are small marsupials native to parts of Australia and New Guinea. They are known for their ability to fly, or glide, from tree to tree. While sugar gliders have become popular exotic pets in the United States, they are illegal to keep in some states and require permits in others. In addition, sugar gliders require lots of care and may be very expensive to keep over their lifespan.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Permit
• Large cage
• Specialized veterinarian care

1. Determine whether you can legally own a sugar glider in your state. Sugar gliders cannot be kept as pets in California, Georgia, Hawaii or Alaska, as they have been known to breed quickly and destroy crops if they are allowed to escape.

2. Find out whether you need to obtain a permit to own a sugar glider legally in your state. You may need to supply a breeding certificate to a local animal control representative to prove that your sugar glider was not captured or bred in an illegal manner. While it is illegal to capture sugar gliders in their native Australia and export them overseas, many have been legally transported from New Guinea.

3. Investigate the breeding practices of the seller before you try to own a pet sugar glider. Some sugar glider breeders obtain their specimens illegally from overseas sources while others breed sugar gliders under unsanitary conditions, selling animals that are both unhealthy and high-strung.

4. Provide a legal habitat for your pet sugar glider, which includes a cage large enough for it to glide back and forth through the air.

5. Decide whether or not you will be a good pet sugar glider owner. Sugar gliders require specialized diets and veterinary care, which may become quite expensive over their lifespans (about 10 years). In addition, sugar gliders can be quite active and noisy, unless they are played with for at least two hours every night.

Tips & Warnings

• Since sugar gliders are extremely social animals and behave more sedately when they are in groups, you may want to consider owning more than just one sugar glider at a time.
• If you rent a house or an apartment, determine whether your lease allows you to own a sugar glider. Sugar gliders are nocturnal animals and may make a lot of noise in the middle of the night, which may aggravate your neighbors, resulting in complaints to your landlord.

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