attn tx and fl members... show your state pride!

I am curious about the legalities of owning exotic and native wildlife in TX and FL. Whatever you know about your state laws, please share! Anything and everything is welcome! And yes, I am considering this for future residence... I mean reference.

well, I dont know a whle lot, but I know that my gliders are legal! You dont need a licence unless you have a certain amount of breeding females, which I think is 3, but I'm not positive... Sorry I wasnt of more help...

Texas has very few laws regarding animals - but the counties sometimes do. In fact, (and I know I'll be slammed for this), they should have more laws. There was a tiger found shot on the side of the highway not too long ago - declawed. Someones 'pet' who got to big. I work with a gentleman at an outdoor center - the number of 'legal' animals he has is outstanding. Animals that are released into the wild where, in Texas, they can survive quite nicely - interfering with native species. House geckos are wiping out the horny toads. These were sold as pets. (I researched to make sure gliders could not survive outside through the winter in my area before I got them - just in case.)

People have foxes, large cats, bobcats as pets. In the outdoor center they have a - full grown chimp (kept in a house), a bobcat - declawed, gliders, hamsters, a red fox, iguanas (I think all legal in Texas) as well as a few illegal animals - either locally or statewide such as owls and hawks kept for pets.

I do believe in the freedom of pet choices, but not when those animals are dangerous to the native environment. (Or when it just obviously should not be a pet, like a tiger!)

Keep them coming!

I Work for the Florida Highway Patrol as a dispatcher. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission (FWC) dispatch in the same room . I asked them about SG's before I got mine. They are considered a class 3 exotic which means they do not require a permit but they do have cage requirements. If you have any legal question's just post them and as long as I am at work I will yell back to them and ask

Thank you so much!

This is from the FWC guidelines for cages:

b. Gliders (e.g., sugar glider, Family Petauridae)

(I) For one or two animals, a cage or enclosure 4 feet by 4 feet, 4 feet high. For each additional animal, increase cage size by 25 percent of original floor area.

(II) Each cage shall have perching area(s) and nest box(es) that shall accommodate all animals in the enclosure simultaneously.

Each cage shall have a horizontal climbing apparatus.

As you can see, the cage size is big. As stated, they don't require a permit. I don't know of any counties/towns where they're illegal, but it would be best to check w/the specific town once you know where you'd be moving to.

In the state of Florida you only have to have a License permit if you are breeding and selling them. If you have 4 females that are actually breeding you must have a USDA breeding license. If you sell your breeders you must have a different type of USDA license but you can only have one or the other. Also in some counties such as Pasco you also have to have a county business license if you are making money (no matter what it may be. Animals, food, etc.) and a Tax ID# as to which you must pay taxes on any thing you sell including gliders, any thing used for your business etc. FWL does have cage requirements but they do not enforce them. If they did there would not be very many breeders because I'm not sure how many people would be able to have more then just a couple pairs. 4X4X4 per pair is what is required. Honestly it seems to be way to easy to get a breeding license. I guess in some ways this is good (for the honest people who actually do care about gliders) and it is bad (in the case of those who think they are going to get rich breeding gliders). Hope this helps.

I really appreciate everybody's information. Please feel free to add more!

Oh also like I said in some counties you need a county business license, which means you have to pay a tangible tax on any thing you use for the business. Sucks but you basicly pay tax twice on these items. But you have to pay it every year. If you use a buisness name you must register it (this cost $50.00 for 5 years) and gives you the right to use the name but doesn't mean you own it. Another words any one who wants to use the same business name they can as long as they pay the fee to do so. There is a lot involved in owning a buisness and running it the right way I know personally. So many people think they are going to get rich from breeding gliders and selling them. It is not true. After all of the fees and every thing involved you will be lucky to break even.