Pocket Pets

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Pocket Pets

• Pocket pet is a term used to refer to any small
  mammal commonly kept as a household pet.
• Six general criteria qualify an animal to be
  considered a pocket pet
• 1) its commonality as a domestic house pet,
• 2) no potential danger to humans or other
  animals,
• 3) non-exotic,
• 4) overall ease of care feeding,
• 5)amicable disposition making it suitable as a
  "companion" pet,
• 6) relatively small stature.

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Pocket Pets

• The most common pocket pets include rodents such
  as hamsters, gerbils, fancy mice, fancy rats,
  rabbits, and guinea pigs.
• It also includes common, non-exotic animals such
  as sugar gliders which have been bred as
  domestic house pets in the U.S. for the last 15
  years.
• According to a recent 2007 study conducted by the
  (AVMA), it is estimated that American families
  own 6.2 million rabbits, 1.2 million hamsters,
  1.1 million Sugar Gliders and just over one
  million Guinea Pigs.

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Disadvantages of Small Animals

• Can get stinky if not cleaned regularly
• May bite if not handled regularly
• They dont like loud noises
• May get eaten by larger predators if left without
  supervision.

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Hamsters

• Mesocricetus auratus 
• Lives 2-3 years
• Colors Albino, Spotted, Solid
• Dwarf, Short hair, Long hair, Angora
• Shy, likes to run around in plastic balls

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Figure 7.7 The golden hamster is a an attractive
pet. Courtesy Dr. Douglas W. Stone.
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Gerbils

• Meriones unguiculatus
• Lives 3-4 years
• Are very social and need to be kept with a friend
  or in a group
• Comes in a variety of colors, but has a furry
  tail

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Figure 7.4 This Mongolian gerbil has the typical
agouti coat color, hairs are light brown with a
grey base and black tip. Courtesy Dr. Douglas W.
Stone.
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Gerbils are small furry animals with long tails.
They come from Africa and Asia. There are 8
species of gerbils small gerbil, larger gerbil,
naked-soled gerbils, cape short-tail gerbil, fat
tailed gerbil, jirds (Mongolian gerbil),
Przewalski's gerbil, and the great gerbil.
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Mice

• Mus musculus domesticus
• Lives 1-3 years
• Colors Albino, Brown, Black, and Spotted
• The fur can be short, long, or even curly
• They tend to get nippy if they arent handled alot

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Figure 7.13 Pet mice are available in a variety
of colors. Photograph by Jim Roy. Courtesy of
Hilltop Lab Animals, Inc.
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Rats

• Rattus Norvegicus
• Lives 2-3 years
• Colors Albino, Hooded, Brown, Black, and many
  other colors
• Hair can be straight, curly, or even bald
• Very friendly likes to ride on shoulders and in
  pockets.

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Figure 7.16 Sprague Dawley rats. Photograph by
Jim Roy. Courtesy of Hilltop Lab Animals, Inc.
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Figure 7.10 Domestic rabbits are available in a
variety of sizes and coat colors. Courtesy Dr.
James E. Corbin.
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(a)
(b)
Figure 7.5 Guinea pigs are available in a variety
of coat colors. Shown here are a white guinea
pig (a) and a brown and black one (b).
Photograph (a) by Jim Roy. Courtesy Hilltop Lab
Animals, Inc. and (b) by Jeff Rathmann. Courtesy
PetMarket Place pet store, Webster Groves, MO.
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Figure 7.2 A white chinchilla. Note the broad
head and large ears that are characteristic of
this species. Courtesy Questhavenpets.com.
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Figure 7.1 Chinchillas are excellent pets for
children because they have a soft coat, are
friendly, and rarely bite. Courtesy
Questhavenpets.com.
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Figure 7.3 Chinchillas can be easily carried by
using one hand to grip the back of the neck while
supporting legs with the other hand. Courtesy
Questhavenpets.com.
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Taxonomy

• Kingdom Animalia
• Phylum Chordata
• Class Mammalia
• Subclass Marsupialia
• Order Diprotodontia
• Suborder Phalangerida fingery ones
• Super Family Petauroidea
• Family Petauridae
• Genus Petaurus tight-rope walker
• Species breviceps short head

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Leadbeaters possum
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Yellow-bellied Glider
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Squirrel Glider
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Sugar Gliders

• Australia, Tasmania, Indonesia, Papua NG
• Live in tree tops glide,prefer sweet foods
• Head body 6 Tail 6 Wgt 3.5-5.5 oz
• Tail is not prehensile stabilizes and balances
  used as rudder in flight
• Nocturnal animal
• 5 digits on each foot. Forefeet have sharp
  claws. Rear feet have an opposable big toe. 2nd
  and 3rd digits are syndactylous to form a
  grooming comb. Kangaroos and wallabies, also.

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Sugar Gliders

• Diprodonts two large lower incisors, pointing
  forward
• Body temp of 89F (98.6F, 102.2 F cat)
• 5-7 years in wild. 12-15 in captivity
• Maintain pets _at_ 65F-75F
• Large enough cage for exercising (gliding)

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Diprodont
Non-prehensile tail
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Petagium
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Petagium
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Rear Foot Opposable Big Toe
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Safe Secure
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May be accompanied by..
crabbing-displeasure or fear, plenty loud
hissing-distress signal, baby is hungry
barking-like dogs in a distance, locater sneezing
disagreement _at_ members
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Marsupials

• ORDER MARSUPIALIA
• Marsupials join the ranks of other mammals as
  distinct from egg-layers
• They do fit into their own infraclass of
  Metatheria, Changing Mammals
• This separates them from the other 18 orders of
  true placental mammals, the infraclass Eutheria,
  True Mammals.
• These classifications emphasize that marsupials
  are far more advanced than monotremes, yet remain
  considerably more primitive than the placentals.

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MONOTREMES (3)
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Marsupials

• The principal feature distinguishing marsupials
  is, of course, the pouch, or marsupium, which
  gives the order its name.
• The entire reproductive system, of which the
  pouch is only a part, is more like the egg-laying
  Monotremes, except that marsupials are viviparous
  (live birth) animals instead of egg layers
  (oviporous)
• The female reproductive tract is double, fusing
  at the time of birth into a single birth canal
  independent of the vagina.
• Embryonic marsupials, like eggs, have a yolk sac
  for nourishment, rather than the placenta of more
  advanced mammals
• They are born in an extremely immature state.

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Sugar Glider Repro Mgmt

• Sugar gliders mate all year round
• Estrous cycle 29
• Sexually mature - 8 to 14 months
• Will produce 2 or 3 litters per year.

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Sugar Glider Breeding Mgmt

• Sugar gliders, like other marsupials, have a very
  short gestation period -- about 16 days.
• 1 or 2 babies, rarely 3, are born tiny (0.19
  grams) and hairless
• Instinctively make their own way into the
  mother's pouch
• Attach themselves to a nipple
• Stay there for about two months

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One 30-da fetus
Two 30-da fetuses Peanut-sized
Cloacal opening
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Sugar Glider Breeding Mgmt

• _at_ two months they begin to emerge from the pouch
  a little at a time, taking several days to emerge
  fully
• It can take a week or so for them to finally let
  go of the nipple and emerge completely
• Do not handle them at this time, because they are
  physically attached to the nipple
• Removing them will cause injuries to both mother
  and baby

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Sugar Glider Repro Mgmt

• Once they are out of the pouch, the babies may
  hang under the mother's abdomen as she moves
  about the cage
• They may stay curled in the nest with the male
• Male sugar gliders help with the care of the
  babies.
• If the adults are tame enough not to be upset by
  it, gently remove the babies for a few minutes
  each day and handle them so they will be
  accustomed to human touch and smell.

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Joeys ride on back or stomach of male or female
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Pre-weaning - venture out
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Eyes not open-usually for 8-10 days post-pouch
emergence
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Good time to start handling gentling
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Sugar Glider Repro Mgmt

• Approximately 10 days after emerging, the babies
  open their eyes.
• A month or so after that, they are ready to wean.
  
• Some sources say the mother may become hostile
  toward them at this point
• to leave her alone so she can raise her next
  litter.
• watch for signs of hostility so babies can be
  removed to safety if needed.

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Sugar Glider Mgmt

• Sugar Gliders will inbreed
• fathers will breed with their daughters if they
  are left together.
• Male gliders can be neutered
• You do not have to be USDA licensed to breed
  gliders
• You DO have to be licensed if you plan to sell
  the babies.

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Great climbers Note front digits claws
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Tough on house plants floral arrangements
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Playing indoors!
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One of three scent gland areas in the male
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20 x 20 x 30
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Nest Boxes
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Cloth Sleeping Pouch
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