Buying sugar gliders from a home-based breeder is highly preferable to getting them from a pet store or mill breeder, but it can be a finicky and confusing marketplace to navigate. Here is some stuff to know so it’s easier.
The hardest part is finding a breeder. The Other Breeders tab will take you to a list of other Michigan-based breeders. Some joey ads can be found on Hoobly or GliderCentral, or on a breeder’s personal website, if you can find it.
Craigslist is generally a bad plan unless you are seeking to rescue gliders from bad conditions and rehabilitate them.
If you cannot find a local breeder, gliders can be also be shipped by plane, and picked up at the airport.
There is not a centralized location where all breeders advertise, but Facebook is probably the closest thing to it. There are multiple groups in which US breeders post ads of their available joeys. Here are some of them:
Sugar Glider Breeder Referrals and Reviews
Suggie Glider Peeps
Sugar Gliders: ABC's and 123's Advertising
Suggie Ad's, and Discussion ^-^
Sugar Glider Neighborhood Ads
Bls Glider's & More: Buy, Sale, Trade
Sugar glider classifieds
Sugar Gliders and Stuff - Ads Only
Sugar Gliders /sale/supplies/infor.
Michigan Sugar Glider/Sugar Bear Group
Adoption and Rehome groups (higher chance of adults and rescues):
Bairds Nest Exotic Rescue
Sugar Glider Info, Rehoming And More!!!!
AZ Sugar Glider Rescue
Sugar Glider Adoption Group
Sugar Glider's 4 adoption ads
Sugar glider BODAM (breeders, owners, discussions and more)
Sugar Glider Guardians Adoptions
Craigslist is generally a bad plan unless you are seeking to rescue gliders from bad conditions and rehabilitate them.
If you cannot find a local breeder, gliders can be also be shipped by plane, and picked up at the airport.
There is not a centralized location where all breeders advertise, but Facebook is probably the closest thing to it. There are multiple groups in which US breeders post ads of their available joeys. Here are some of them:
Sugar Glider Breeder Referrals and Reviews
Suggie Glider Peeps
Sugar Gliders: ABC's and 123's Advertising
Suggie Ad's, and Discussion ^-^
Sugar Glider Neighborhood Ads
Bls Glider's & More: Buy, Sale, Trade
Sugar glider classifieds
Sugar Gliders and Stuff - Ads Only
Sugar Gliders /sale/supplies/infor.
Michigan Sugar Glider/Sugar Bear Group
Adoption and Rehome groups (higher chance of adults and rescues):
Bairds Nest Exotic Rescue
Sugar Glider Info, Rehoming And More!!!!
AZ Sugar Glider Rescue
Sugar Glider Adoption Group
Sugar Glider's 4 adoption ads
Sugar glider BODAM (breeders, owners, discussions and more)
Sugar Glider Guardians Adoptions
Every breeder has their own approach to selling their gliders. Some commonly used tools are applications, questionnaires and interviews.
If the breeder has an application or questionnaire, they are looking to see if you’ve already done your research on gliders. You’ll be asked about cage, diet, wheel, breeding plans, vet care, maybe other pets, and whatever else the breeder deems important. Some breeders are highly selective, others are willing to teach new owners, so just be honest and you’ll find the right breeder for you.
If the breeder has an application or questionnaire, they are looking to see if you’ve already done your research on gliders. You’ll be asked about cage, diet, wheel, breeding plans, vet care, maybe other pets, and whatever else the breeder deems important. Some breeders are highly selective, others are willing to teach new owners, so just be honest and you’ll find the right breeder for you.
I love helping new owners and don’t expect pre-researching, though it’s encouraged. I much prefer in-person interviews if possible. It lets me demonstrate how I handle gliders and see how the buyer handles them. I like new owners to have gliders climb on them, pee on them, and hopefully bite them before they commit.
If you can’t handle the bite, get out of the playroom ;)
In lieu of in-person interviews, I have an in-depth conversation through messages or email before accepting deposits.
Go into a selective application process only after doing your due diligence. They will be looking for a community approved diet plan, such as BML, TPG, OHPW, VGV, or Critterlove, among other options. You should have a cage picked out, and be familiar with glider safe wheels, (often called bucket-style wheels). Be familiar with glider safe toys and fleece cage sets. Have contact information for a local exotic vet that you have verified sees sugar gliders. Know the color terminology for gliders, such as mosaic, platinum, creamino, etc. If breeding, know how to use the lineage database and check COIs.
Some red flags to most breeders are a small or inappropriate cage, pellet-based diets, Wodent Wheels/unsafe pet-store wheels, and shaky breeding plans. Also, if you call them Sugar Bears, most breeders will know you’ve read Pocket Pets information and will advise you against many of the things PP suggests.
Some red flags to most breeders are a small or inappropriate cage, pellet-based diets, Wodent Wheels/unsafe pet-store wheels, and shaky breeding plans. Also, if you call them Sugar Bears, most breeders will know you’ve read Pocket Pets information and will advise you against many of the things PP suggests.
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Sugar glider prices vary considerably among breeders, and are usually based on the gliders genetics and your breeding plans. In general, expect to pay $200 for a standard grey without hets (hets only matter if breeding). Prices for other colors and hets vary too wildly to give a useful price range for each of them. Some gliders can be thousands, but the general range is $200-$1,500 per glider. Better prices can be found, and often rehomed adult gliders will have smaller price tags or come with supplies, but buyer beware.
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Many breeders charge extra for breeding rights (they won’t disclose lineage) and some insist on approving the mates. Lately there has been a trend of breeders not selling females under pet-only contracts because people have lied to get the lower pet-only price and breed her anyway.
Most breeders require a deposit to claim joeys if they are still weaning (under 8 weeks old). Deposit amounts vary among breeders and are usually non-refundable if the buyer backs out. Either speak with the breeder to find out their deposit policies or read their adoption contracts before giving any money.
Many breeders have adoption contracts. It’s important to read these carefully because they can grant breeders rights over your gliders. A common right for breeders, including myself, to retain is the right of first refusal. This means you must offer the breeder a chance to purchase the glider back from you before selling or re-homing. Some contracts may specify pet-only or give permission to breed the glider. There are as many different contracts as breeders, and not everyone uses them.
Payment plans that let you take the glider before being paid in full are rare to find, and not something I allow.
Personally, I do not charge for breeding rights, and in fact, charge the buyer $100 for a boy’s neuter so my policies are opposite of the norm there. I ask for a 10% deposit to claim mine, and refund the deposit if I back out of the sale for any reason. I require a signed contract when taking a deposit.
Send a message or email every week or two asking about the joeys. Get pictures and find out how their temperaments are developing. Ask questions about the new items you’re looking at for them, or get suggestions for the breeder’s favorite vendors. Keep the dialogue open for a while after the joeys come home until they have settled in, at least a week. Send some pictures of them once they are comfortable in their new home, because we breeders miss them dearly.