While they sound like the sweetest pets to keep, sugar gliders are tricky to take care of. Aside from asking yourself “what places are sugar gliders legal”, take some time to examine whether this animal is a match for you by learning more about them.
These palm-sized marsupials are native to the forests of Australia, Indonesia, and Papua New Guinea and are naturally nocturnal. If you want to keep them as pets, you have to evaluate the importing conditions they’ll have to go through. Also, check your availability when it comes to taking care of them.
Can Owning Sugar Gliders Be Legal?
Perhaps the primary question to ask yourself is whether you should keep sugar gliders as pets. It is usually unusual for beginners to keep sugar gliders since these exotic “pets” require many things.
For instance, you have to keep up with them at night. Frequent handling is usually enough to tame them. You can’t simply own one sugar glider, or they will suffer from depression since they are highly sociable animals.
Owning sugar gliders is illegal in many countries and localities. If we are talking about what places are sugar gliders legal, we have to consider whether the exportation and importation of these marsupials followed the laws of the countries where they came from, and the place you intend to take care of it.
It’s illegal to own sugar gliders in certain states because of the laws that seek to ensure a risk-free environment. If you live in a country or state where acquiring these pets are legal, you should still check with your municipality if they have specific policies that apply to owning marsupials, specifically sugar gliders.
What Places Are Sugar Gliders Legal?
For starters, those residing in Alaska, California, and Hawaii are not eligible to own sugar gliders as pets. Note that these states are not the only places where it is illegal to own these marsupials.
Some places like New York may allow you to own sugar gliders, provided that you follow special regulations. In Georgia, it is legal as long as it originated from sources approved by the United States Department of Agriculture. Meanwhile, you must have an exotic permit before getting sugar gliders as pets if you are in New Mexico.
As laws and policies are subject to change, you may want to double-check whether existing laws you find on the web are still effective in your locality. Other states not mentioned here probably have no laws specifying that owning marsupials, particularly sugar gliders, are prohibited.
Conclusion
Knowing what places are sugar gliders legal is important so that you will not have any trouble keeping these sweet, lively animals as pets. Take care that in your desire to keep a pair or two of sugar gliders, you have already considered the risks that are associated with it and ensured that you are very much prepared to be a responsible exotic pet owner.