sugar_glider

Sugar Gliders have been popular pets in Europe but it has not been until the last few years that they have been discovered and bred by pet enthusiasts in the U.S.

A Sugar Glider is a small arboreal marsupial (same family as Kangaroos and Koalas) from Australia and New Guinea. They get their name because they love sweets such as tree sap and have a gliding membrane which stretches from their wrists to their ankles. They use this membrane to glide from tree to tree, the same way flying squirrels would.

In captivity we recommend using a cage made of wire that is no bigger than 1/2" wide to keep babies in. A cage constructed for small rodents, with a wire bottom and a slide out tray to catch droppings works best. Large bird cages also work well. The cage should be no smaller than 20"x20". Sugar Gliders are nocturnal animals and need a nest box in which to sleep and feel secure. A bird nest box, or a capped (one end) PVC pipe works great, with pine shavings. We do not recommend exposing them to below 50 or above 90 degrees, and keeping them out of the sun when they are not being attended.

In the wild their diet consists of tree sap, flower nectar, fruit and small invertebrates. In captivity we have been very successful with feeding them a diet of 75% fruit and 25% protein. Any fruit will be taken, but ours seem especially ford of grapes, apples, melon, pears, plums, etc. Sweet vegetables such as yams carrots and corn are also relished. Experimenting with different fruits is encouraged. They will occasionally take sunflower seeds. They love raw peanuts. A good animal multi-vitamin supplement is also recommended. About 1/4 cup of food per animal is a good place to start and can be adjusted according to appetite and condition. Because these animals chew and bore into trees, such as the hard-wooded Eucalyptus, for sap and insects, it is important to give them several non-toxic branches to keep their teeth healthy. Fresh water should be always available, and is best supplied with a hamster water bottle.

Sugar Gliders are communal and at times as many as 12 animals share a single nesting hole, in the wild. Adult animals should not be introduced to an established group. We have had the best success keeping them together in pairs, and removing the babies as they become adults. If a good supply of protein is kept available they will breed all year round. Gestation is approximately 16 days. When born, the babies (usually 2) are carried maternally, in the pouch, where they will stay for about 2.5 months, at which time they are furred, their eyes are opening and they are growing too large for the pouch. When this happens they will remain in the nest, guarded by one of the parents, or ride around clinging to the mother's back. At 4 months of age they are 3/4 grown and feeding independently.

Sugar Gliders should be handled occasionally as young, for short periods of time, after they leave the pouch. They can be easily tamed with food and patience, similarly to taming a bird. Sugar Gliders adapt readily to captivity and are, by nature, docile animals, well suited to captivity.

Sugar Gliders can be expensive. They are priced anywhere between $100 and $400. You will also need to buy a cage and accessories for them. It will probably cost you more like $350-$500 when you get done buying everything. Then there is the yearly vet visits and emergency treatments.

Then there is the bonding process that all glider owners, that want tame pets, will need to endure. Bonding begins young, right after the joey is weaned. You will need to spend a lot of time with you glider working on improving your relationship with it. The joey may bite and draw blood but this is the price your pay for having a tame glider. Be prepared not to be able to handle your glider for the first week to month without being bitten. Your gliders may never totally bond to you, and unless it is totally bonded you should never take it outside unless in a captive situation.

Are you getting your gliders for the purpose of breeding? If so there are a lot of considerations that you will need to think of. You should never breed in trios only in pairs. The pairs need to be separated from other breeding pairs. If you do not you will run the risk of a female cannibalizing another females joeys. All be it this is rare but it has been known to happen.

If after all this you still think that a sugar glider is the right pet for you good luck. It may be hard but it will all be worth it in the end.

P.S. Limit peanuts to 1 or 2 per animal, per week. Too much fat and not enough vitamin A will cause babies to have white eyes. Feed small milk bones for calcium. I use Avatron 8-1 vitamins in their drinking water.