Who keeps native mammals??

[gregcranston]

I am just wondering how many people out there keep native mammals/marsupials, ie. Gliders, Possums, Wallabies, Dunnarts, Hopping Mice or even Wombats, Potoroo's, Kangaroo's or anything else.
Let us know what you've got and share any cool stories about them. I am hoping they are more commonly kept than they seem to be!
I have 4 Sugar Gliders, they are awesome and very cute and friendly.

 

[Jonno from ERD]

G'day mate,

I have kept Sugar Gliders, Squirrel Gliders, Brushtail Possums and Spinifex Hopping Mice. We no longer keep them as they aren't really the focus of our business, but they were a joy to keep. Our Brushy was handraised and basically had free range of the house at night. It was great been woken up by a possum nibbling on your eye brows and then doing laps of the bedroom at warp speed...or when she'd ignore her bowl of food to come over and munch out on ours.

 

[koubee]

I have 1 Brushy and 3 ringtails at the moment but theyre not forever keepers. I've reared them from pouch young and eventually when theyre old enough they'll be released back into the wild.
My ringys are going through their stage when i get them ready for release. Minimal contact with me so they'll become good and feral.
My Brushy on the other hand will be with me for about another 9mths. He came in as a pinkie, his mum was a bushfire victim. Amazingly he survived.
I am a registared Wildlife foster carer. I'd love to be able to keep my brushy forever, he is so beautiful.

 

[Snake Catcher Victoria]

We have been caring for a swamp rat since Sunday night.
They are a pleasure to work with, vegetarian, friendly and cute,
nothing like the exotic rat.
Cheers

 

[Sturdy]

i want a sugar glider.... any idea why the licence is demo to keep one up here in qld.

 

[gregcranston]

I have kept Sugar Gliders, Squirrel Gliders, Brushtail Possums and Spinifex Hopping Mice. We no longer keep them as they aren't really the focus of our business, but they were a joy to keep.

Can I ask why they did not come to form part of your business?

I am a registared Wildlife foster carer.

Do you have to completely fund yourself for that kind of thing, or is their a way of sourcing money to sustain the work that you do?

 

[Jonno from ERD]

Can I ask why they did not come to form part of your business?

G'day mate,

We were originally going to branch into avenues such as school demonstrations and more entertainment style stuff, but after taking ERD over myself, I realised that's not what I felt comfortable doing. My "passion" so to speak is reptiles, specifically venomous snakes and that's our main focal point now.

 

[Southern_Forest_Drag]

how much do brush tailed possums cost?

 

[Snowman]

how much do brush tailed possums cost?

why would you want one in captivity in Melbourne... They're everywhere, in backyards, roofs, schools, parks etc.... I'd be more interested in sugar gliders if I were you

 

[gregcranston]

why would you want one in captivity in Melbourne... They're everywhere, in backyards, roofs, schools, parks etc....

True, but tame ones are just gorgeous!
I wonder if anyone from South Australia on here keeps Long-nosed Potoroo's, they are awesome little critters!

 

[Jonno from ERD]

why would you want one in captivity in Melbourne... They're everywhere, in backyards, roofs, schools, parks etc.... I'd be more interested in sugar gliders if I were you

Why would anyone in Brisbane want a Carpet Python, Galah or Blue Tongue?

 

[beeman]

Have kept in the past, rufus bettongs, brushtail and ringtail possums, bandicoots
tassie devils, Koalas, wombats, various different wallabies and kangeroos
The only one we wernt sucessful in breeding were the devils and wombats
The wife currently keeps and breeds mitchells hopping mice

 

[gregcranston]

Have kept in the past, rufus bettongs, brushtail and ringtail possums, bandicoots
tassie devils, Koalas, wombats, various different wallabies and kangeroos
The only one we wernt sucessful in breeding were the devils and wombats
The wife currently keeps and breeds mitchells hopping mice

May I ask why you no longer keep many of the native mammals that you used to?

 

[beeman]

May I ask why you no longer keep many of the native mammals that you used to?

They were part of a fauna park that we owned and we no longer do.
We had great joy working with these types of animals and would luv to get back into the Devils again one day when we have the room.

 

[Jay84]

Years ago when i was back in high school i got a desperate phone call from a class mate. there was a tiny little possum on his front lawn! Me being known as Dr Dolittle at school was the one to call!

we turned up to find a tiny little ringtail possum with only a very fine covering of fur. we drove home and shuffled some snakes around to free up a cage and found an old sock as a pouch. we went to the local stockfeed place and bought a teat and milk replacement.

'Poss Poss' as she was affectionatley named just thrived! we were obviously doing something right. she grew so quickly. when she was the right age to be out the puch we just used to 'wear' her around the house. was so funny the way she just used to cling to us as we went about our daily lives. as she got bigger we prepped an aviary outside. we had a double storey cubby house which was 20ft tall by 12ft deep by 6 ft wide. we transformed this into an aviary, ropes, branches etc. stole one of mums parrot breeding boxes and there it was. poss poss's mansion!

soon after her being moved outside i went on the hunt for a male and managed to get one through a lady i did volunteer work with at an animal sanctuary near my house. it was love at first sight and they got along fine. was nice to see her socialise with a possum so well.

next season i was checking her pouch and she had 2 babies! she reared these till adult. i eventually had to pass the 4 of them on as my living arrangements changed they were such great animals tho.

i also had a pair of Sugar Gliders for some time.

Once i am living in a place with a garden and aviary space ill deffo get myself some more marsupials!

 

[koubee]

Can I ask why they did not come to form part of your business?



Do you have to completely fund yourself for that kind of thing, or is their a way of sourcing money to sustain the work that you do?

I get discounted wildlife supplies such as milk powder for marsupials, nest boxes for brushies, and first aid supplies through the group i am with. Veterinary visits are usually free or discounted. Other than that it all comes out of my pocket but i don't mind, i love caring for wildlife. Petrol costs are my biggest thing.
Brushies are the most beautiful native animal IMO.

 

[Snowman]

Why would anyone in Brisbane want a Carpet Python, Galah or Blue Tongue?

Good point with the galah analogy, but after living in brisbabne for a few years I know that CP's and BT's aren't as prolific as Brush tails in Melb.. (or NZ ) I wouldn't want to keep a galah or any other bird that I can see out my window though. An electus Parrot would be better

 

[mysnakesau]

Thats not fair How come NSW can't keep anything. I would LOVE a sugar glider. They are too cute Most most wanted wish would be a quoll or tassie devil. Absolute love them. Wish I could participate in a breeding program to help save them.

 

[gregcranston]

Most most wanted wish would be a quoll or tassie devil. Absolute love them. Wish I could participate in a breeding program to help save them.

Ditto!! But we're getting off track here, just wanna know what native mammals people keep or have kept!

 

[scorps]

what mammals can u keep in vic?