Skip NavigationSkip to Content
Return Return to Search Results

The origin of exotic pet sugar gliders (Petaurus breviceps) kept in the United States of America

  1. Author:
    Campbell, Catriona D.
    Pecon-Slattery, Jill
    Pollak, Rebecca
    Joseph, Leo
    Holleley, Clare E.

  2. Author Address

    CSIRO Natl Res Collect Australia, Australian Natl Wildlife Collect, Canberra, ACT, Australia.NCI, Lab Genom Divers, NIH, Frederick, MD 21701 USA.Smithsonian Conservat Biol Inst, Natl Zool Pk, Front Royal, VA USA.Univ Canberra, Inst Appl Ecol, Bruce, ACT, Australia.
    1. Year: 2019
    2. Date: Jan 8
  2. Journal: PEERJ
  3. PEERJ INC,
    1. 7
  5. Type of Article: Article
  6. Article Number: e6180
  7. ISSN: 2167-8359
  1. Abstract:

    The demand for exotic non-domesticated animals kept as pets in the United States of America (USA) is increasing the exportation rates of these species from their native ranges. Often, illegal harvesting of these species is used to boost captive-bred numbers and meet this demand. One such species, the sugar glider (Petaurus breviceps), endemic to Australia and New Guinea is a popular domestic pet due to its small size and "cute" demeanour. Despite a legal avenue for trade existing in Indonesia, concerns have been raised that sugar gliders may be entering the USA from other parts of their native range where exportation is prohibited such as Australia, Papua New Guinea and the surrounding Indonesian islands. We compared previously published DNA sequences from across the native range of sugar gliders with samples collected from domestically kept sugar gliders within the USA to determine provenance and gene flow between source and introduced populations. Here we show that as predicted, the USA sugar glider population originates from West Papua, Indonesia with no illegal harvesting from other native areas such as Papua New Guinea or Australia evident in the samples tested within this study.

    See More

  1. Keywords:

External Sources

  1. View Full Text
  2. DOI: 10.7717/peerj.6180
  3. PMID: 30643698
  4. PMCID: PMC6329365
  5. View record in Web of Science®
  6. WOS: 000455172200008

Library Notes

  1. Fiscal Year: FY2018-2019
NCI at Frederick

You are leaving a government website.

This external link provides additional information that is consistent with the intended purpose of this site. The government cannot attest to the accuracy of a non-federal site.

Linking to a non-federal site does not constitute an endorsement by this institution or any of its employees of the sponsors or the information and products presented on the site. You will be subject to the destination site's privacy policy when you follow the link.

ContinueCancel