I have signed the petition to ban sales of Sugar Gliders in US pet-shops. However a few points should be made.
They are certainly native Australian mammals. They are not native to New Zealand and I doubt if they have been introduced there. I don’t know about Fiji either. But they are also certainly native to New Guinea, and the captive US population probably came via Indonesia, where wildlife smuggling is rife.
They are popular pets in the US, or so I have been told. Being nocturnal, they are up and about when office workers are at home, and they can be tamed – though they can give you a very sharp nip. They seem to enjoy rushing about in a room and climbing the curtains. And I have been told that some vets specialize in them.
However pet-shop sales of any animal (including puppies and kittens, and grown cats and dogs) should be discouraged. There is no way a pet-shop can check the purchaser’s commitment or facilities to care for living animals.
While I’m on the subject, I have been told by visitors to Indonesia and Southeast Asia how horrified they were to see ‘our’ Sulphur-Crested Cockatoos in cages there. I believe that there are two species of SCC and both are naturally distributed through Indonesia and New Guinea. I also understand that feral birds have established themselves widely in Asia. It’s too hot to find Forshaw’s ‘Parrots of the World’ to check the details!
Anthea Fleming
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I find this much more disturbing. http://www.cfnews13.com/article/news/2011/december/363019/Gopher-tortoises-stymie-Polk-SPCA-expansion
All keeping of pets exposes the animals to risks but life is like that anywhere. If people want to keep pets, gliders make wonderful pets. I have cared for a couple of derelicts.
Regards, Alan
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Agree with your sentiments Anthea
As for Sulphur-cresteds, the IOC lists 4 ssp as follows:
triton
New Guinea and nearby islands eleonora
Aru Is. fitzroyi
n Australia galerita
e and se Australia to Tasmania
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