Must obey local, state, federal laws

Cannot sell protected species

Must abide by local "dangerous species" laws

Must maintain humane standards

Is subject to AWA if they sell exotic mammals

Often staff is poorly trained/inexperienced

Good for the DMV to maintain good relationship with pet shop for referrals and client education

Cages

Housing

Books

Diets

Other Needs

No longer banned

Used to be carriers of monkey pox

Burrowing rodent

Native to Western US

Social

Diurnal

Live 6-10 yrs

Open rooted incisors/molars

Can be aggressive

Make BAD PETS!

Rodent Chow

Hay supplement

Dark green leafy veggies

Males have scrotal sac

Seasonally polyestrous Jan - March

30 d Gestation

One litter/year

Wean at 6 wks

Puberty 2-3 yrs

Obesity

Respiratory Disease

Slobbers

Dermatophytosis

Yersinia pestis

Pseudo Tb

Pododermatitis

Trauma

Chinchilla-like rodents

From Chile

Social

Active

Live 5-9 Yrs.

Can use dust bath 1-2 times a week, but not necessary

Lie flat when too hot

Like vertical housing

Rodent chow or GP chow

No simple sugars

Males have longer anal-genital distance

Vulva appears penile-like

90 d gestation

1-8 precocious young

Tail Slip

Overheating (lie flat when hot)

Cataracts

Insectivore

Live 6-10 yrs

Nocturnal

Roll into a ball when scared

Like to dig

Solitary

Often hypersalivate when exposed to new scents

Examine in low light (they don't like light because they are nocturnal)

Lightweight gloves

Back stroke rump spines

Gently but firmly unroll mantle

Suspend head down

Prefer dim light

Keep on paper or pelleted bedding

Do not use bedding that clumps in their spines

Do NOT keep on wire

Clean frequently

Keep 75-85° F

Need hiding place

Commercial diets are available

Can feed a high quality kitten or ferret diet

Supplement with fruit/veggies

Supplement with mealworms/crickets

Feed in the pm and remove leftover in am

Can drink from water bottle

Must gut-load mealworms/crickets to get nutrients to them, if they make up main part of diet

Males are larger than females

Males have a ventral penis and internal testes

Puberty at 2 mos

Breed all year

Gestation 34-37 d

3 pup avg. litter

Wean 4-6 wks

Infanticide is common

Lateral saphenous

Jugular

Cephalic

Mites, fleas, ticks

Lungworm, other nematodes

Pneumonia

Tooth abscesses

Papillomas

Herpes simplex

Sqamous cell carcinoma

Marsupials

Originally from Australia

A gliding possum

Nocturnal

Arboreal

Live 10-12 yrs

Social

Have a thin membrane stretching from their fingers to their toes

Mesh OK

Use TALL cage

Provide nesting/sleeping box

Need soft bedding

Tree branches

Keep 50-90°

No direct sun

Omnivorous

Eat in the PM

50% insects and dry cat food

50% Leadbetter's mixture

Glideraide available

For feeding Sugar Gliders:

Hard boiled egg

150 ml honey

25 g baby cereal

150 ml water

1 tsp vitamin/mineral supplement

Males have a scrotum

Females have a pouch

Breed 7-14 mos

Estrous cycle 29 d

Gestation 16 d

1-2 young per litter

2 litters per year

Leave pouch 70 d

Leave nest 4 mos

Wean 4-6 wks after leaving nest

Sugar Gliders

Short Tailed Opossum

Striped Opossum

Wallabies

Mouse Opossum