Legal Status of Southern Flying Squirrels

WHAT ARE THEY…
Southern Flying Squirrels are nocturnal rodents that can be found outside. They are small, light, and have extra skin that they use to glide when they leap. Often they are mistaken as Sugar Gliders, a marsupial from Australia. In many states in the United States it is illegal to own Flying Squirrels because they are wild animals.

WHAT IS THEIR LEGAL STATUS AS PETS…

Some states it is illegal to possess native wildlife, and others require a permit. Please check with your states Wildlife and Fisheries, Department of Environmental Management, Gaming Commission, or similar, to check on the legal status of owning Flying Squirrels as pets in your home state. I will adopt Squirrels to people if they have the proper permits and/or licenses. Below I have done some preliminary research on the legality of owning flying squirrels. This is a good starting place, but you should look into it on your own, as I only scratched the surface, and you may find loopholes, laws that have been since revised, or exceptions listed in other documents. Also I have only researched states local to me.

Massachusetts
In Massachusetts it is legal to own Southern Flying Squirrels as pets.

New York (excluding New York City)
I have read that it is legal to own them as pets, except in the NYC.

http://www.maine.gov/ifw/wildlife/species/unrestricted_species.htm

A Wildlife or Fish Importation Permit is required from the Commissioner before any species not listed as “unrestricted” is transported or brought into the State of Maine. This includes any invertebrate not listed as “unrestricted” (e.g., exotic ladybugs for garden pest control, southern dragonfly species for mosquito control, farm-raised butterflies for wedding releases, etc.).

In addition, a Wildlife or Fish Possession Permit is required from the Commissioner before any fish or wildlife species regulated by the State, and not listed as “unrestricted,” is taken, possessed, or held in captivity. “Wildlife” means any species of the animal kingdom, except fish, that is wild by nature, whether or not bred or reared in captivity.

(I) "Native Wildlife" means animals occurring naturally, either presently or historically, within the boundaries of the State of Rhode Island.

1.1 -- No person shall import, receive, or possess in this state a native animal, exotic animal, a member of a target species, or a hybrid, unless in possession of a current permit issued by the Director pursuant to these regulations.