Exotic pets are becoming more and more popular in the United States and around the world. Exotic pets are any creatures that can be kept domestically that are from somewhere else, have special needs, or are otherwise unusual. Boa constrictors kept as pets qualify, for instance.
So do tigers, for some of Hollywood’s rich and famous. But these are for the most part not everyone’s cup of tea–not a lot of people want an animal companion that isn’t safe to let out of its cage, as you can well imagine. It’s a frequent misconception, however, that this is all that it means for a pet to be ‘exotic’. Not all exotic pets are wild animals prone to dangerous behavior, and some of them fit in quite nicely with a human family. Those that know this the best are those that keep sugar gliders as pets.
Sugar gliders are tiny mammals roughly the size of rats or squirrels. However, they are not rodents: they are mammals. Sugar gliders are perhaps most similar to the flying squirrels seen in some of the United States’ wooded areas, but their habits and behavioral traits are quite a bit different.
It’s generally a good idea to look up a few sugar glider photos to get a proper grasp of how they look. They’re a little difficult to describe. Without a frame of reference in the form of a proper image, they might come off sounding like common rodents-which they are very, very far from. Gliders are adorable, with soulful eyes and clean, smooth coats of fur. Their wingflaps extend from their forepaws to their hindpaws, and allow them to glide. They’re also quite acrobatic!
What sets gliders apart from most pets-exotic or otherwise-is their loyalty. Sugar gliders bond with their owners in a powerful way. In the wild, gliders form colonies with other gliders, and they become inseparable for their decade-long lifespan. What this translates to in domesticity is a very loyal pet that won’t try to run away, and is far more comfortable in your shirt pocket than up a tree. Gliders like being around their owners, because their owners feel like family to them. They can even learn to get along with other pets of entirely different species!
And beyond that, sugar glider prices are fairly low. Gliders are exotic pets, and it’s a little more expensive to feed them than it is, say, a cat or a dog, but their overall cost is infinitely lower. They require little to no veterinary care. They’re quite hardy, and do to their exotic nature, they’re entirely immune to the majority of the ailments that have grown strong afflicting dogs, cats and other creatures. They don’t need to get shots for these, nor will they require medication or any sort of regular treatment-after the startup care for getting their cage and require accessories, they’re quite affordable! Sugar gliders make great pets for all these reasons, and more. A bit of research is sure to win anyone over.
