What's 6 inches long, weighs about 5 ounces and can leap 150 feet in a single bound?
A sugar glider - a fuzzy chipmunk-size marsupial originally from Indonesia and Australia.
Occasionally, they can be found in local pet stores.
Jan Rispin, owner of Jan's Tropics and Elegant Pooch in Carson City, got a surprise when she saw a small tail sticking out of the pouch of a glider she had just purchased.
She gets the animals periodically from her supplier, who breeds them in Tonopah.
"He told me she wasn't pregnant," she said. "I'll have to tell him the next time he comes in."
Gliders are nocturnal, but tend to be active during the day. On Monday, the new mom made a strange little warning growl, trying protect her newborn as customers peered into the cage.
"They like people once they get to know them," she said. "But they're a little chatty when they have a baby."
Once gliders are tamed, they make good pets. But they require special handling, and Rispin sells them primarily to adults. They need love and attention every day and love to curl up in a pocket, she said. They prefer fresh fruit and monkey chow,
The going price at Jan's is $179.99 each, and Rispin said she can't keep the critters in stock.
In the wild, they nest in groups of up to seven adult males and females. Mutually exclusive and territorial, the groups will defend a certain number of eucalyptus trees, which provide a staple food source.
Given an adequate food supply, sugar gliders can live in forests of all types. They also live in Southern Australia, so they can deal effectively with the cold.
Contact Susie Vasquez at svasquez@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1212.
