Anyone know about springhares… where can you find them?

Has anyone here ever seen a springhare for sale in the US? I just found out about them and started looking into it, but I can’t seem to find much info on where they’re available these days.

I know one person who has them. They hand-raised the only baby their pair had, but I haven’t heard any updates since.They’re really hard to breed, and this person had a huge, sandy enclosure, almost like a small zoo setup.

They look a lot like Degus, which are legal in many states. Depending on where you live, you might even find them in exotic pet stores.Degus are way easier to take care of than springhares, and they like to perch like chinchillas. Might be worth checking out!

@Morgan
Springhares are way bigger.

Morgan said:
@Morgan
Springhares are way bigger.

Yeah, much bigger than Degus, but their faces, ears, and whiskers have a similar look!

Morgan said:

Morgan said:
@Morgan
Springhares are way bigger.

Yeah, much bigger than Degus, but their faces, ears, and whiskers have a similar look!

The only person I know with them in the US just had a breeding pair.

@Morgan
Yeah, I saw your earlier comment.

Morgan said:
@Morgan
Yeah, I saw your earlier comment.

Sorry, I’m on my phone and couldn’t even see my first comment, so I thought it didn’t post.They remind me more of a huge jerboa or jird. Maybe Persian jirds or Shaw’s jirds act more like them? Or even domestic gerbils.I remember when jerboas were still around, but they never did well in captivity.

@Morgan
That’s why I mentioned Degus! They do great in captivity as long as they have a buddy. They’re also pretty friendly and easy to find from breeders all over the US.They’re actually about the same size as chinchillas, just with a sleeker coat and a tail more like a gerbil’s.

@Morgan
Got it. I guess I’m not too familiar with this forum’s layout. I’ve had Degus before.I’ve been keeping and breeding exotic rodents since the 90s. Not sure if the person who started this thread has any experience with exotic rodents or just wants to find a springhare.I know who brought them back into the US in 2008 and who had them last, but I don’t think any are available to the public. Probably only people with USDA facilities could get them now.

@Morgan
Oh, I was just trying to give the original poster another option in case they were looking for something similar. Springhares seem impossible to find unless you have a permit.Since you breed exotic rodents, do you know anything about Siberian chipmunks? I used to see breeders selling them about 10 years ago, but nothing recently. They’re legal in my state, and my boyfriend and I would love to have one!

@Morgan
I had a chipmunk back in the late 90s into the early 2000s, but I haven’t seen Siberian chipmunks in a long time.I do see Prevost squirrels every now and then. Kyty Critters and S & S had them the last time I checked, but that was about 4–5 years ago.Just a heads-up, I’ve heard bad things about S & S, so be careful.

Springhare imports from East Africa were banned because of monkeypox, and I don’t think that ever changed. That’s probably why you can’t find them anymore.