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So you
learned about sugar gliders, pondered their drawbacks, and decided to make
the commitment to ownership. Now
you wonder… “How do I choose a sugar glider?”
A sugar glider should be chosen with great care.
Please consider the following:
Pet
Stores
We do
not recommend purchasing sugar gliders from a pet store.
Pet stores are required to be USDA licensed to sell sugar gliders,
but many do so without proper licensing.
Poorly educated staff may not provide the correct care or diet to
these sugar gliders, space restrictions on the sales floor may not provide
adequate sized housing, and pet store hours do not allow for the proper
socialization of a nocturnal animal. When taking all these scenarios into
account, it is reasonable to assume, that, more likely than not, a sugar
glider purchased from a pet store can leave you with both, obvious or
underlying, physical or behavioral issues to deal with after your sugar
glider purchase. Lastly, some
pet stores (in an effort to maximize profits) purchase cut-rate sugar
gliders from large “glider mills” where sugar gliders are propagated
under poor and unhealthy conditions.
Humane
Societies, Shelters & Rescues
While
adopting a sugar glider from a humane society, shelters, or rescues is a
noble action, we do not recommend this for a first time or an
inexperienced owner. Many of
the sugar gliders available through these sources have been neglected or
abused and may have nutritional, behavioral, emotional, or physical issues
that can be beyond the ability of an average owner to cope with. Although initially this route may seem less expensive, since
these sugar gliders are usually free or cheaply priced, the medical or
other expenses that may result afterwards can far exceed the purchase
price of a young healthy sugar glider.
When adopting from these sources we highly recommend learning as
much as you can about your prospective sugar glider before deciding to
make that commitment. It will
be of no help to the sugar glider you have just rescued, if you discover
too late that you have taken on a responsibility greater than you can
handle at that time.
Breeders
We
highly recommend responsible, USDA licensed breeders as a source for the
best sugar glider experience, however, we do advise you to be extra cautious
of large scale breeders, many of these can actually be “glider mills”
where sugar gliders are raised under poor and unhealthy conditions.
Caution is still warranted even when dealing with smaller breeders.
Check your selected breeders qualifications, such as licensing,
schooling, or other references. Get
to know your selected breeder and learn how they care for their breeding
sugar gliders and how they choose to raise their joeys.
Do not purchase a joey from a breeder that separates it from its
mother at a young age to hand feed. Stay
away from breeders that are vague or unwilling to disclose the living
conditions of their breeding sugar gliders.
Hand feeding young non-rejected joeys is a poor practice and does
not encourage better bonding, as many claim.
Instead, separating a joey at this young age only prevents it from
receiving the components necessary for it to develop a healthy immune
system. This also prevents
the young joey from learning many of the living skills that are normally
taught by the parents to their offspring at an early age.
Expect a responsible breeder to have either an established adoption
application and/or to thoroughly interview you prior to adoption.
A knowledgeable breeder should be able to instruct you on the sugar
gliders proper diet and environmental needs as well as being willing to
assist you with any other questions that you may have.
Additionally, try to find a breeder that offers a scenting program.
This is a valuable service that not only speeds the bonding
process, but it is of great benefit to both a new owner and the
transitioning joey alike. Expect
to pay a minimum of $150.00 for your new joey.
The average price range for a sugar glider joey is $150 -$400.
Some sugar gliders with specialty color mutations can sell for as
much as $5000.00 a piece. Availability, preferred traits, tameness, the joey’s
sex, and other additional benefits will all influence the price you pay
for your joey. For your
protection, look for a breeder that offers a written contract and/or a
written health guarantee. If
at all possible, make arrangements to visit your prospective joey & to
meet both the breeder and the joey’s parents prior to adoption.
Finally, remember to use good judgment… The best breeders are
more concerned with placing a joey in the proper home than just making
another sale.
If you
desire to learn more about choosing a sugar glider, please visit the
following links:
http://www.worldwidesugarglidernetwork.com/before_you_buy.htm
http://www.gliderconnection.com/BuyingSugarGliders.html
http://www.glideruniversity.org/basics/sugarsearch.htm#givens
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