Re: are Gliders rodents?

[Die Fledermaus]

You mean sugar gliders? They are MARSUPIALS, from Australia.
Not rodents.

They are illegal in California, as are gerbils. They are also likely illegal in NYC which has some wacky laws against "dangerous" animals - such as hedgehogs??

[calvinator1]

They aren't rodents, but they generally get lumped with them under the general category of "exotic" pets. I don't think anyone would mind questions or posts about gliders on this board - I suspect many have thought about getting pair.

[Die Fledermaus]

Cal, you visited Marc Marrone's store in Nassau county. Did he have them there?

I was close to getting some degus, but my source didn't pan out, although I did get Penny the gerb from him.

[jeannie]

I was there too. Yes, they had them, but were in a really bad mood, and screeching anytime he went near them. He said they didn't make very good pets, and are irritable.

[Die Fledermaus]

Jeannie said:

I was there too. Yes, they had them, but were in a really bad mood, and screeching anytime he went near them. He said they didn't make very good pets, and are irritable.

Interesting. I wonder if that is typical of the species. . .

SUGAR GLIDERS

I have heard there are glider "mills" where youngsters are not treated well.

From that site:

>> Bonding with your sugar glider will either be the easiest or the hardest thing you ever have to do, but it can be done. Depending upon how much a sugar glider has been handled, the bonding process can take a few days or it can take several months. The bonding process can require a great deal of patience, but even the wildest sugar glider can be tamed.

The worst thing you could ever do is give up on a sugar glider. The more a sugar glider is tossed from home to home the harder it will be for that sugar glider to bond to anyone." <<

More about all that RIGHT HERE

Some nice photos there, too.

It would definitely seem they can be tamed.

[annvole]

"Interesting. I wonder if that is typical of the species. . ."

NO Not typical and not normal! Poor kids are either sleep deprived (they need quiet to sleep and get grumpy without sleep -as expected) or they have been hurt by someone (they never forget when you hurt them, they take longer then most other rodents trust you again)

I found all my degus to be very gentle, social, and affectionate (at least after I pet them to sleep once)

Please suggest to that pet store that they put a blanket over the cage for an hour snooze sometime in the day or put them in a low traffic quiet part of the store.

[Die Fledermaus]

They can't get enough sleep when the store is closed and dark?

In a local pet store they have some tanks way up high, seven feet up, so they can't see anyone; I assume that calms them.

They all should have some hide box thing, and never be left to sleep in the open. That must be very scary for them.

BTW, welcome to the forum.

[annvole]

lots of small rodents do not have a 24 hour sleep patern but sleep off and on all day and night. Degus seem to be like that and I would guess their sleep cycle is 6 or 8 hours (awake for 3 or 4 hours, sleep for 2 or 3). Guinea pigs are on more of a 24 hour cycle and I noticed the degus when living with GPs needed a place they could climb up to so they could sleep without GPs waking them up.

Thanks for the welcome!

[Die Fledermaus]

So, do GP's sleep straight through, or up and down like gerbils?

How much sleep do they need, the GP's?

[rasputin]

Just a curiosity -- I asked someone recently about gliders who has had a lot of species over the years. They have never had gliders -- they said it was the gliders sometimes take it in mind to aim a stream of pee on those outside their cage...?

I think I cannot have gliders legally in Kentucky, though there is a pet shop across the river in Indiana that does have them...

[Die Fledermaus]

At least they don't throw fecal matter at you, as chimps do.