Awwwwwwwwwww, I used to buy little nickle sized turtles at the corner five and dime store, and yes, im that old. They were far cuter than that. Far. ;P
I had those too. You don't understand. These guys FLY. THEY CAN GLIDE. Turtles cannot fly.
(I love turtles) I remember the nickle sized turtles. Actually they were babies that were stolen from their mom's or stolen from the sea. Not a great exchange for them. They were lucky if they made it for a few months with most kids. They sold those babies to kids. Life is cruel and unusual.
I wasnt a kid i was 8. Besides, STOLEN FROM THEIR MOMMIES? Oh thats just sick. What a wacky world we wive in huh Shar to the Rona? I was just about to call you LyricalOne. Dont ask me why. hahahahah
I still wonder where all of the turtles went. We all had those little things and they just disappeared. I never knew where he went ( I had a couple of hes) and how he got out of his box or bowl. I'm beginning to think parents had something to do with this. ;)
Hahaha I cant remember what happened to my many little turtle friends either. Maybe they joined my goldfish in water world down toilet land, who knows, maybe our mommies do. ;)
Keeping them as pets isn't merely stupid, it's actually illegal. They are WILD ANIMALS, and protected species under Australian Law - you need a special license even to care for injured ones.
No, but I want some. I have friends who have kept them. I recommend going through a rescue program. It is true a lot of people don't know what they're getting into and then bad things happen to the poor little guys.
The bottom line is that you need more than one. They need to stay with their families when possible, so if you can keep a family or siblings together, it's best to do so. They bond really well with their people. The people I knew who had them actually ran a rescue program and carried their gliders around with them most of the time. They had a special satchel or kept them in a shirt pocket. But, they're also nocturnal, so they'll likely just sleep while you're snuggling them throughout the day, and then they'll be up making noise when you go to bed. They do need a substantial cage. Many people let them roam free, and that's fine if you can watch them and keep them safe. They might bond with dogs ok, but cats sometimes eat them and your birds might either terrify them or attack... I don't recall what type of birds you have, but they might not mix well- just an FYI.
If you have time for the bonding process and other pets can be managed or aren't a problem, I think you'd do fine with them. I know there are several rescues here in the valley and they tend to be very protective about who they let take the animals- they don't want them winding up in rescue again. If you check in with one, I'm sure they'll walk you through all the lifestyle compatibility concerns and, if they don't have a rescue for you, they will often add you to the call list.
I have cats and small kids who aren't always kind to small creatures, so I won't get any sugar gliders for many years to come, but if you do get one, can I come play with it? lol
I find that it odd that someone who doesn't eat meat because of the way animals are treated would keep an animal as a pet that belongs in the wild. I am against anyone owning a pet from any species that has not been domesticated for centuries and has not been bred to adapt to life with humans. I hope that you think again, Sharonna.