SUGAR GLIDERS!!!!! Alive and absolutely adorable!!

They are VERY cute, however they are NOT good pets!!!

Some things mentioned already are great points that you should keep in mind when getting these pets...
They live in colonies and are very needy socially
They need a strict diet that takes a lot of money to prepare AND time!
They are nocturnal - they make a horrific noise at night that will keep you (and your neighbors in close proximity) awake.
They need a rather large cage
They need you with them almost constantly
They CANNOT be potty trained
They Smell
They don't like to be held as a hampster or other small animal (with your hand wrapped around them - even if it's not a tight grip)
They DO NOT get along with ther animals and are infact very JEALOUS!

PLEASE don't fall for the fantastic marketing of this vendor!! They also need to be with their mother until 12 weeks of age - this vendor totes them around the country and sells them at age 8 weeks... that alone should tell you to be careful of what this vendor says!

There are in fact Sugar Glider Mills - much like puppy mills....

If you INSIST on this rather difficult pet... Craigslist ALWAYS has them - if you need a baby - I strongly suggest waiting 3 months and getting one off craigslist when all the people who bought them on impulse realize they are really hard to care for and very demanding. (and you won't pay 500 dollars for it I promise)

Just some food for thought

---

Posted by FutureMrsD09

Another bit to consider (as you can tell, i'm extremely dismayed that this has come to NY and sad that anyone would fall for lies from exotic animal dealers):

Sugar Gliders are small marsupials who's native distribution is on the east coast of Australia, Tazmania, and parts of Indonesia. Their scientific name is Petarus Breviceps, which means 'short headed rope dancer.' Gliders can live up to 15 years in captivity but their life span in the wild is rarely more than 4 years. These animals live off of the sap of Acaica and Eucapyptus trees in rain forests. They also eat insects, honey dew, and pollen.

Suggies as they are sometimes called are considered pests in their native countries because they often raid trash cans, gardens and flowering trees in human-filled areas. Driven from their native habitat from deforestation, sugar gliders can often make a nuisance out of themselves by wrecking landscaped trees and flowers.

As pets, gliders are not for everyone. Until tamed, they bite and exhibit wild behavior. They are exotic, cannot be housebroken, and can inflict pain when they over-groom you and scrape at your skin as if it were tree bark. They are friendly and curious, but take a lot of care and a special diet. The Epidemic There is an Epidemic of unwanted and abandoned gliders. Because they are exotic pets, it takes a special person and family to dedicate themselves to taking care of these animals. All too often they are purchased 'on impulse' at trade shows, flea markets, and pet stores. Breeders and sellers of these animals are often unscrupulous and misleading about how hard it is to care for these animals.

Lies to watch out for:

1. They get along with other animals. Lie.
Dogs and cats eat them and they are themselves omnivores
2. They only smell if you feed them animal protein. Lie.
They smell if you don't neuter them and fail to clean their cage and toys
3. They can live on store-bouoght pellets and apples. Lie.
They die on low-protein pellets. They need a carefully prepared diet.

---

yeah i dont like them either but i have to agree. A home is not their natural environment and i feel that for them it might be best they are not domesticated.

PLUS it seems like they need ALOT of attention so if 2 ppl work full time then thats many hours they would be alone, they would probably get very lonely and sad and with it needing constant attention might be hard for them.

I know the same thing with monkeys, there are ppl who want them as pets and i know 3 ppl who had them as pets but monkeys also get jealous, want attention and hate being left alone. They are also spiteful and if left alone can be bad lol. I know somebody who had a monkey and the flung poop all over the house when they were left alone for hours at a time, but the person was working so thats why.

Be it monkeys, chinchillas or sugar gliders...these are all wild animals that are meant to be in their natural habitat - not in a persons home for personal pleasure.

People often get these pets and tend to humanize them and treat them like children or toys- and then when things get out of control, they wonder why...

I encourage people to think twice before giving money to these evil animal vendors and let the animals stay where they belong.

This is how my neighbors sugar glider was!!! They can make mean sounds.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8mlwzf_bqVI

---

Posted by lauraandrob2009

I think it's so funny how different people are...seriously, those things FREAK ME OUT. I swear I would have a heart attack if it flew over to me.

---

i was reading how they fly and extend their arms and its like a parachute effect, yeah things flying around the house would freak me out a bit. Do these do that? maybe not since theyve been domesticated but its still in them i would think

ETA: i just showed dh the site and the pics and he said they are like flying squirrels haha. But the funny part is he got so freaked out by it, i tried to show him more pics and he said NOOOO i dont want to see anymore.

---

Posted by FutureMrsD09

Another bit to consider (as you can tell, i'm extremely dismayed that this has come to NY and sad that anyone would fall for lies from exotic animal dealers):

Sugar Gliders are small marsupials who's native distribution is on the east coast of Australia, Tazmania, and parts of Indonesia. Their scientific name is Petarus Breviceps, which means 'short headed rope dancer.' Gliders can live up to 15 years in captivity but their life span in the wild is rarely more than 4 years. These animals live off of the sap of Acaica and Eucapyptus trees in rain forests. They also eat insects, honey dew, and pollen.

Suggies as they are sometimes called are considered pests in their native countries because they often raid trash cans, gardens and flowering trees in human-filled areas. Driven from their native habitat from deforestation, sugar gliders can often make a nuisance out of themselves by wrecking landscaped trees and flowers.

As pets, gliders are not for everyone. Until tamed, they bite and exhibit wild behavior. They are exotic, cannot be housebroken, and can inflict pain when they over-groom you and scrape at your skin as if it were tree bark. They are friendly and curious, but take a lot of care and a special diet. The Epidemic There is an Epidemic of unwanted and abandoned gliders. Because they are exotic pets, it takes a special person and family to dedicate themselves to taking care of these animals. All too often they are purchased 'on impulse' at trade shows, flea markets, and pet stores. Breeders and sellers of these animals are often unscrupulous and misleading about how hard it is to care for these animals.

Lies to watch out for:

1. They get along with other animals. Lie.
Dogs and cats eat them and they are themselves omnivores
2. They only smell if you feed them animal protein. Lie.
They smell if you don't neuter them and fail to clean their cage and toys
3. They can live on store-bouoght pellets and apples. Lie.
They die on low-protein pellets. They need a carefully prepared diet.

---

I am so glad you posted. Reading through so many posts and the reactions of the mall patrons makes me sick. The only good thing I see is that they are expensive so you wont get people buying them on a 'whim' and will maybe take the time to research them and invest time into them. So many people are just oblivious. I was so disturbed when I left the mall that day.

never heard of them until now .... maybe im livin undera rock, but omg... they are really creepy looking to me

This is so weird. My sister told me today that her idiot friend bought one of them. I wasn't aware that they've become the next big thing. Just funny that this thread has been around past few days and now I actually know someone who went out and got one. Pretty much on a whim, so there goes that theory about the cost being a deterrent

they sound like ferrets--fun to play with when your friend has one and you don't have to take care of it, but smelly and high-maintenance for the owner.

not all creatures flourish in a domesticated environment.