Sugar Glider Care by Roger Bull Sugar Gliders are a very popular pet. You will find these animals to be intelligent, fun, long lived, and very social. In fact Sugar Gliders will enjoy as much social interaction as you can give them. The information below is provided to answer frequently asked questions. General InformationWhen your Sugar Glider is ready be weaned and on its own it will be approximately 3 1/2 months old. It will be eating well and part of its diet should be a dry food especially formulated for marsupials. Young Sugar Gliders are often scared and will shake. At this stage treat them as a scared small child by using comforting activities such as allowing them to stay cupped in the darkness of your hands or secure in the bottom of a shirt pocket. Avoid stroking, poking, and other "invasive" types of activities with them until they are comfortable with you. Also avoid holding them up to your face and talking to them. The poor little critters must feel like you are about to eat them! They do not like human breath and will react violently when you breathe on them. Sugar Gliders may also react to strong perfumes or cigarette smoke. If your Sugar Glider happens to bite you do not put it away, continue to handle it as if nothing happened. These are intelligent animals and will quickly learn that biting does not do any good. Conversely if you put them away they will learn that if they bite they get put back. A baby Sugar Glider will not normally break the skin and you can actually allow them to bite as often as they want in order to learn that it does not do any good (most babies will not bite at all). Sugar Gliders do 'taste' often. This is a small nibble from them that is just their way of checking to see if you are edible. This tasting does not hurt and is just typical of Sugar Gliders.Sugar Gliders are very social animals and live in colonies in the wild. In captivity they need social interaction with other Sugar Gliders or with people. This is one of the reasons that we recommend purchasing pairs instead of single animals. This way they are able to fulfill these needs with both humans and the cage mate. Sugar Gliders do "bond" with their owners much like a cat. In fact they are considered to be similar to cats in ways such as intelligence and attitude. There are many stories about how Sugar Gliders will often learn to "play" with their owners.Sugar Gliders have unique personalities! In fact each animal is different and each animal responds differently to different people. We do not guarantee how a particular Sugar Glider will get along with a particular owner. It has been our experience that as long as they are being treated with loving care they will be adorable and loving pets in return. Sugar Gliders often appear aggressive at first (especially after shipping). This is because they are scared and a scared Sugar Glider go on the offense to defend itself. Treat it in ways which you would consider to be comforting and it should calm down soon. Try not to pet, poke, or stroke them too much right away since that might intimidate them. Soon you will be able to do just about anything with them. If possible, visit your baby Sugar Glider before you take it home. This will allow it to get used to your scent which will make the transition to your home less traumatic.Sugar Gliders have several sounds. The most obvious is the 'electric can opener' sound which is basically a defense mechanism. They are saying "Get away or I will bite you!". Sugar Gliders are mostly bluff and seem to believe that a loud offense is a good defense. Sugar Gliders also have a bark sort of like a small dog which is heard more at night when they are active. You will also hear other sounds occasionally. Although Sugar Gliders are nocturnal some may be partially converted to diurnal activity. Some of the tricks to this are feeding them in the morning and handling them during the day. As male Sugar Gliders mature they will develop two scent glands. One is located on the chest between the forearms and the other is on the top of his head. The gland on the top of his head is for rubbing his head on a female to mark her with his scent. You will notice a balding area on the top of his head which is normal. Sugar Gliders are not monogamous and a single male will breed with many females. Sugar Gliders are quite long lived for small mammals and can live as long as 14-15 years.Sugar Gliders can be taken just about anywhere. Just be sure that you can find them should they decide to jump out of your pocket. Also try to avoid bright sun in their eyes.Some people are allergic to many types of animals including dogs, cats, ferrets, guinea pigs, etc. I have yet to find anybody who is allergic to Sugar Gliders.HousingIt is important to house Sugar Gliders in enclosures which are more vertical than horizontal. Sugar Gliders live in the safety of the trees in nature and by instinct they will climb for security. Generally we recommend a four foot long (or larger) terrarium stood on end for a pair of adults as a permanent enclosure. Be sure to place some branches to the top of the enclosure which they can climb. Also they prefer their nest box to be above the ground. We generally place them about half way up the enclosure in the branches. The nest box should be about the size of a quart milk container and should be disposable. Nest boxes should not contain anything which may scratch their eyes. Therefore wood shavings, hay of any type, or anything else rough cannot be used. They do not need anything in the nest box but if you wish you may add a soft cloth such as a wash cloth which they will curl up in. Sugar Gliders come from northern Australia and New Guinea which remains fairly warm all year. We recommend that the Sugar Glider cage be kept at about 80° - 85° F (26° - 30° C). In the colder months or when you have young Sugar Gliders you should provide a warm spot in the cage. We recommend the use of a 25 watt red bulb in a 'clamp lamp' which is left on 24 hours per day. Place it where they can curl up in front of it if they wish. Sugar Gliders are not escape artists but should you ever lose a Sugar Glider look up since they will generally climb curtains etc. Some Sugar Gliders will use a hamster wheel for exercise.Food should be offered in deep dishes such as ceramic crocks. This type of dish will help prevent them from scattering their food or knocking over the dishes. Sugar Gliders will usually not utilize a water bottle, we recommend using one of the crocks for water. Sugar Gliders generally do not gnaw on wood but in case yours does do not wash or disinfect the branches in the cage with bleach, or other cleaners. Boiling water poured over the branches should work fine.DietSugar Gliders love to eat. Make sure there is always plenty of food available to them but always try to follow our printed diet sheet as closely as possible. You may experiment with other types of foods as long as they are: nutritious, low fat, and do not promote diarrhea or loose stools. Your Sugar Glider's diet should consist of a variety of nutritious foods with sweet fruits not exceeding approximately 1/3 of the total diet per our diet sheet.Watch for diarrhea from too much fruit in diet. This can dehydrate them quickly. If this occurs discontinue grapes, oranges and other fruits which typically promote diarrhea. Offer them items with more fiber especially dry Sugar Glider diet and monkey biscuits which have been soaked in water to soften them .If young Sugar Gliders are not readily eating the dry Sugar Glider diet then offer them monkey biscuits soaked in water and some orange juice. Continue this until they eat the dry Sugar Glider diet readily.As Sugar Gliders mature they will need a lot of protein in their diet. This is especially true when the females are carrying babies. Feed them a meatball size portion of raw extra lean ground beef or a previously frozen adult mouse once every week or two. In the case of the hamburger they will usually eat the meat and leave the fat behind. In the case of the mouse a pair of adult Sugar Gliders will eat virtually everything overnight. To help prevent parasite or disease transmission never feed a mouse which has not been frozen first.If you must leave them alone for a few days be absolutely sure that they will not run out of food and water while you are away. Dehydration can cause serious problems which will endanger the life of your pet.With proper care Sugar Gliders can be a lot of fun and a rewarding experience. Original Publisher: Exotic EnterprisesWeb site: http://centralpets.com
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Sugar Glider Care
Sugar gliders do indeed make extraordinary pets. It is not, however, the best pet for every household. Gliders, like all exotic pets, have particular needs specific to their species. They also live 12-14 years in captivity. The decision to add a glider to your household is one that we hope you consider carefully. Our glider friends are not difficult animals to keep.
Some people you talk to will make it sound like rocket science. It's just a matter of knowing basic information concerning housing, nutrition, socialization, and potential health hazards. You are always welcome to correspond with us and we will gladly share the wealth of experience we've enjoyed while successfully raising and caring for a significant colony of wonderful sugar gliders and joeys.
So now you've decided to get a sugar glider. What do you do now? Let's take a crash course in the four top subjects that you will need to become familiar with in order to make this adventure great for you and your new pet.
Sugar Glider Housing
Your sugars glider cage should be big enough for the critter to have ample room to jump and glide. We suggest a minimum size of 30 x18 x 36. It's better to go taller and narrower with housing than shorter and wider. The bigger the cage is the better. You will want to outfit your cage with hanging food dishes, a hamster type bottle, perches, and a variety of toys. Vertical branches and climbing ropes work well. Our favorite glider toy is the Wodent Wheel as it gives them lots of exercise and sugar gliders weally wike it a wot!
Cages made of wire construction are the most desirable. Glass surfaces, like aquariums, or other surfaces that prohibit a glider from climbing are extremely detrimental and likely to lead to hip fusions and other joint problems. You want your glider to be able to scale the walls of the cage easily, hang from the top and have perches, ledges or other types of platforms they can jump and swing from.
Sugar Glider Nutrition
By now you've probably read all kinds of articles on feeding sugar gliders and may even feel a little overwhelmed by the variety of opinions and suggestions that you see. Let's simplify the whole feeding issue. This is SunCoast Sugar Gliders feeding plan easy as food groups 1- 2 - 3.
1) Feed your glider a portion of fresh fruits or vegetables. We feed them a single fruit or veggie each day and vary the choice each day. For example, tonight may be apples, tomorrow pears, the next day sweet potatoes, the following day cantaloupe, etc.
2) Feed your glider an almost equal portion of protein. We are strong advocates of sugar gliders getting at least 50% protein in their diets. We use the following for protein sources and vary them each night: Chicken or turkey baby food, mealworms, crickets, boiled eggs (plain or mixed with a protein cereal and a dab of honey or apple juice). We also alternate yogurt (with fruit) as part of this category as they babies seem to do very well with yogurt.
Food groups one and two should be fed in the evening with any uneaten foods removed in the morning to prevent spoilage.
3) Feed your glider some source of dry food that will be left in the cage for twenty four hours. We use a combination of dry foods and mix them in a coffee grinder until the babies have developed a taste for them. The glider should be getting most of its nutrition from the previous two categories, but they will eat more some days than others and the dry food is a great supplement for them to snack on.
We use ZooKeeper's Secret Insectivore / Omnivore diet and berries & bugs. Fresh portions of the staple food should be left in the cage 24 hours a day. Sometimes sugar gliders will soil the staple food and the food should be changed out when that happens. Never give your glider an inexpensive dry cat food as it could cause intestinal blockage or urinary tract problems.
Be sure that your glider is eating some from each group 1 & 2. If they don't eat a lot of group 3, it is not a cause for concern as they are filling up on the fresh, healthy foods found in the first two categories. If your glider seems to be eating all of its fruit and barely eating from the protein sources, then skip the fruit one or two nights a week to force them to consume more protein. Some gliders can be picky eaters and only pick out the things they like best, so observation is key to maintaining your gliders' healthy diet.
There are certainly other diet plans available such as Leadbeater's mix or the Taronga Zoo Diet. You will want to keep your glider on a diet similar to ours when you get it, and if you choose to use a different formula, then make the change gradually.
Last, but not least, you will want to supplement your gliders' vitamin and mineral intake. We use Vionate and Rep-Cal daily and sprinkle it on the serving of fruit or veggies. You may also administer vitamins and minerals by adding to a small serving of apple juice or nectar. You never want to mix vitamins with the glider water supply as this can create growth in the water bottle that may not be healthy.
For details on suggested diet, see the newsletter archive here.
Socialization and Bonding
Now we get to the fun part about being owned by sugar gliders. You want a pet that will be your companion and "connect" with you in a special way. You will need to go through this process with the same attitude as you would with a puppy. You may very well get results within a couple of days, but it is a work in progress and your glider can continue to learn and learn and bond and bond as long as you put the time in. You wouldn't expect a puppy to be housebroken, know its name, know how to sit, and not to chew within a few days of bringing it home, right? Well, your sugar gliders will need time to acclimate to you and the new environment as well. The bonding process is what creates a "tame" glider - they want to be with
you and are happy to see you when you approach.
When you first get your glider, it may fuss a lot. The funny sound they make when they are afraid is called crabbing. Some gliders talk more than others, some gliders will make the sound along with a defensive posture, and some gliders will get in "attack" mode while crabbing. Do not let this behavior put you off. Your new friend is just a little scared.
It’s now living in a new house with new humans and needs to get used to the new space. Carry your glider with you frequently. If you take your glider out for more than 45-60 minutes at a time, make sure it has access to food and water. We often drop apple pieces into the bonding pouch so the baby doesn't get hungry. We also offer the tip of the hamster bottle with fresh water and, if the joey is thirsty, it will take a drink.
As you sense that your joey is acclimating more to its environment and getting more comfortable with you, then put your hand in the pouch and pet the glider. If it continues to crab, that's OK, just stroke it calmly until it settles down. If the glider tries to bite you, you may want to pet it from the outside of the pouch until it settles. A word of caution: do not pull away from a glider trying to bite. If the animal senses fear, your reaction will actually motivate the glider to try and bite again. Keep calm.
Gliders bond by scent and we’ve found that leaving items in the cage with your scent on it will help to expedite bonding. Wear an old T-shirt for several hours and when you take it off, put it in the gliders’ cage. Or you can rub a paper towel on your face and neck. Your body oils will “scent” the paper towel and you can put this in the sugar gliders’ sleeping pouch.
Spend time with your glider. The more time you can spend with your new found friend, the closer your bonds will develop. This is the fun part of having sugar gliders as members of your family.
Many people have successfully kept single sugar gliders without the glider developing any social problems. If you choose to get just one, you really need to spend a lot of time with it - at least three hours a day. Sugar gliders are incredibly social by nature, and when lacking companionship are prone to depression. The depression can lead to a variety of disorders from overeating, to extreme shyness to not eating at all. We recommend that most people consider keeping at least two sugar gliders together.
Is it fact or fiction that keeping more than one glider makes it harder to bond with them? Sugar gliders are capable of loving many. In the wild, sugar gliders live in colonies made up of multiple animals. In our own household, we keep four sugar gliders strictly as pets. The four all live together in one sugar glider mansion.
They love each other dearly. They all love the humans in our household. And one of these gliders has developed an incredibly strong bond with both our dog and our cat (see Arnold and Fais Do in this picture). Please be cautioned, however, that gliders cannot compete with bigger animals and you must supervise your gliders interaction with other pets to prevent injury or worse. The moral of the story is that keeping multiple gliders will not affect their ability or desire to develop a strong bond with their human companions.
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Sugar Glider Nutrition
by the Exotic Pet Vet
What Dr. C Says On...Glider Nutrition
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It's Not Hard, Just The Most Important Thing You Can Do
Many common disease conditions in sugar gliders are the direct result of improper diet. Their name "sugar glider" suggests that sugar and fruit make up a large portion of their diet, however, this is not the case. Sugar gliders are omnivorous meaning they eat a variety of foods. You will also hear sugar gliders referred to as insectivore/omnivore indicating that insects make up a large portion of their diet in the wild.
In the sugar glider's natural domain insects are primary to the diet, and when insects are abundant is generally when most of the breeding will occur. Insects are very high in protein, so it stands to reason that breeding gliders require a significant amount of protein in their captive diet when breeding is taking place.
Sugar gliders will rely on other food sources as the abundance of insects decrease in the colder winter months. Plant products such acacia gum, eucalyptus sap and other nectars make up the majority of this seasonal diet.
Sugar gliders eat manna in the wild. Manna is a crusty sugar left from where sap flowed from a wound in a tree trunk or branch. Gliders also consume honeydew, which is an excess sugar produced by sap sucking insects. Honey and fresh fruits are considered good substitutes for the sap, manna and honeydew free ranging sugar gliders eat naturally in the wild.
I am offering a suggested diet plan that has been refined as a result of my close working relationship with SunCoast Sugar Gliders. I can say from firsthand experience that this diet is highly successful as SunCoast has experienced impressively low disease and death rates, as well as high production rates. The joeys born at SunCoast are healthy and weight sufficient, which are great indicators of a good diet plan. This diet includes all fresh foods prepared daily and offered at time intervals that will prevent sugar glider access to foods that may have spoiled.
Now I am compelled at this point to tell you that there are many paths to good nutrition if you have a sound understanding of the sugar glider's nutritional needs. Balance is very important and avoidance of foods that could ultimately be disease supportive is important. If you are well versed in what these issues are, then variance from this diet can be acceptable.
As we proceed to the specifics of the recommended diet plan, keep in mind the importance of environmental enrichment. The subject of environmental enrichment covers a lot of topics, but for the sake of this article we will focus on the nutritional enrichment issues. Major zoos, the world over, are very focused on nutritional enrichment. This simply means that variety in the diet is important to the overall well being of the animals being cared for.
Let's face it, would you like to eat the same thing everyday? By varying the foods offered, you are creating stimulation for your pet that produces several benefits. Amongst these benefits are the prevention of boredom, and food variety also enriches the overall health as each item offered will have varying values as they relate to nutrition, vitamins and minerals.
For example, carrots and corn are both vegetables, but they have significantly different food and vitamin values when consumed. Carrots are rich in vitamin A, which is very good for your sugar glider when offered in the right form and amounts. Corn, on the other hand, has a high phosphorus ratio and too much of this vegetable can actually elevate disease opportunity in your pet.
Now let's get into the specifics of the diet plan I've developed for SunCoast Sugar Gliders. A primary objective in developing this diet was to come up with universally accepted foods that over 95% of the population will consume heartily. You can feed a great and nutritionally balanced diet, but if the animals don't like it, then they will feast on individual components of the diet which will cause a lack of nutritional balance.
The diet is a three part feeding routine, plus the administration of
vitamins and minerals with the second part:
1. A fresh protein source.
2. A fresh source of fruit and/or vegetables. The fruit and vegetable
servings should be sprinkled with a daily dose of vitamin and calcium
supplements to ensure adequate nutrition.
Both of the fresh components should be fed in the evening with uneaten portions removed in the morning.
3. A staple food available all day, everyday to make sure that adequate food amounts are offered. You will likely find that your sugar gliders will eat the fresh foods first and will nibble at the staple food throughout the day and night. It has been our observation, particularly with breeding animals, that they will wake up during the daylight hours for a snack. It's the sugar glider's version of what we call the "midnight snack".
Protein
Offered on a four day rotation with one item offered from the following list daily:
Gut loaded mealworms - Feed 10-12 small, 7-10 medium, or 3-5 large mealworms per glider
Gut loaded crickets - Feed 3-5 crickets per sugar glider
Boiled eggs (without shells) mixed with high protein/low sugar cereal (like corn flakes or Special K) and mixed with either honey or apple juice. One heaping tablespoon is offered per 2 sugar gliders.
Yogurt (blueberry or peach) - 1 heaping tablespoon is offered per 2 sugar gliders
Special Note: Just weaned joeys are not quite ready for the mealworms or crickets yet, so substitute Gerber chicken baby food mixed with applesauce or sweet potatoes for the protein portion of the diet. Offer small mealworms weekly until the joey learns how to eat them without any trouble.
June bugs and grasshoppers are also good insects to feed your sugar gliders. While SunCoast does not feed either of these insects, I do recommend them as good protein sources. Never feed lighting bugs to your gliders.
Fruits or Veggies
Offered in single portions daily and varied from day to day depending on the time of year and availability of these items. This is merely the list that SunCoast uses and is not intended to be all inclusive. The amount to feed is about the amount that would equal one apple cut into 8 pieces with one piece fed to 2 sugar gliders.
Apples - Pears - Sweet Potatoes - Watermelon - Honeydew - Cantaloupe - Carrots - Kiwi - Mango - Oranges (only once a week and never to joeys) - Blueberries
Vitamin and Mineral Supplements
Vitamins and calcium should be given daily. I recommend Vionate as a well rounded vitamin designed for small animals. To supplement calcium levels, I recommend Rep-Cal Calcium, the phosphorus free without Vitamin D3 added version. Vionate already contains Vitamin D, so you don't need it in the calcium. The vitamins should be sprinkled on the offering of daily fruits or veggies. You will just add a pinch of both Vionate and Rep-Cal. Do not overdose the vitamins. Too many vitamins can be just as harmful as not giving them at all.
I also suggest a third supplementation for breeding sugar gliders. We've found that using a milk replacer product like Wombaroo, sprinkled on the fruit and vegetables has shown beneficial effects to the lactating female. 1/8 teaspoon every day is the amount used by SunCoast. During pregnancy, it is advisable to gear the diet more towards the needs of the female and its OK if the male is indulging in the same foods. If you find the male is getting overweight from this diet, I suggest that you purchase a Wodent Wheel or some other device that will give him access to good exercise.
Staple Food
Offered in the cage at all times. ZooKeepers Secret is the staple food used at SunCoast. From my experience, this is a well balanced formula and sugar gliders like it. This semi-moist protein rich product is a great supplemental food to your gliders fresh diet. It is very important that small animals have access to food continually throughout the day. This is particularly important for breeding animals. There is no commercially available food that I would recommend as the single source of nutrition for your sugar glider.
I do not recommend that you substitute cat food as your choice of staple diet for your sugar glider. Cat food is designed for cats and cats are strict carnivores. To put this in perspective, many years ago when ferrets were becoming popular, ferret owners fed cat food, and over time it was discovered that this incorrect nutritional balance was ultimately bad for the ferrets. We have no reason to believe this is not the case with sugar gliders as well.
Fresh, clean water should be accessible at all times!
If you plan to give additional treats to your sugar glider, do so after they've eaten a significant portion of their meal. You can also use ordinary meal items as treats, for example, hand feed your pet its mealworms. You enhance your bonding and friendship and are feeding your pet what it already needs. If other treats are offered, the quantities should be very small in relation to the whole diet consumption. Think of it as dessert! And too much dessert leads to obesity. Obesity in any animal leads to significant health problems.
Dr. C's Top 10 Nutrition Tips
1. Fresh water should always be available.
2. Never add vitamins to the water supply.
3. Offer meals that are at least 40% protein for non-breeding gliders and 50% protein for breeding sugar gliders.
4. Supplement proteins with a variety of fresh fruits & vegetables.
5. Keep a high quality staple diet in the cage at all times
6. Feed fresh portions of fruit and veggies in the evening and remove any foods that can spoil in the morning.
7. Avoid preservatives and pesticides in the diet.
8. Avoid excessive fat in the diet - meat products should be lean.
9. Maintain positive Calcium/Phosphorus ratios.
10. Gut load your bugs before feeding to the sugar gliders.
The Most Frequently Asked Food Question!
What is your recommendation on Leadbeater's formula?
The original Leadbeater's formula was, as I understand it, was developed by the Taronga Zoo as just part of a rather extensive feeding schedule for captive sugar gliders. Here is the total Taronga Zoo diet as published in one of my veterinary handbooks.
3 grams apple
3 grams banana/corn
1.5 grams dog kibble
1 teaspoon Fly pupae
3 grams blueberries / kiwi fruit
2 teaspoon Leadbeater's mixture **
4 grams orange with skin
2 grams pear
3 grams sweet potato
On Wednesdays: feed day old chick when available
or large mealworms.
** Leadbeater's mixture
150 milliliters warm water
150 milliliters honey
1 shelled hard boiled egg
25 grams high protein baby cereal
1 teaspoon vitamin supplement (Vionate)
Mix water and honey, blend egg in separate container, add water/honey mix, vitamin powder, and baby cereal, blending each until smooth. Keep unused portion refrigerated.
OK, now back to the question. My first thought on this is that Leadbeater's mix was designed as just a small part of an overall feeding plan. I am aware of several variations of this mixture designed to make it more complete, however, I have some reservations. My primary reservation is based in how the necessary vitamins are administered. If the product is refrigerated, or frozen as suggested by some recipes, I am concerned that the vitamins may lose some potency.
Look at it like this. Have you ever read your own vitamin containers and noticed that it may contain language like "keep in a cool, dark place" or "store between 65 and 80 degrees"? Have you ever noticed that certain vitamins are packaged in brown or some other dark packaging? While I do not purport to be a nutritionist, common sense tells me that certain vitamins will change or lose value if kept in a way other than as recommended by the manufacturer.
In closing, I am an advocate of feeding fresh foods to exotic animals. I see a great number of exotic animals in my practice, and because exotics are relatively few in number as compared to the more traditional domestic pets, I am not yet convinced that there is an adequate pre-packaged food product available that meets all the needs of the sugar glider. If you want to keep an exotic pet, you should be willing to feed it an exotic diet. If you want easy, then get a more traditional pet that you can feed once a day in a bowl on the floor. It is difficult as a professional in my position to see that the demise of most exotic pets is due to the owner's lack of knowledge on proper nutrition and environment.
This is a diet plan that I can endorse as I've seen firsthand the success of this program. I would prefer not to comment on the many variations that are published as I do not have good firsthand experience with them. If you believe that you have a program is that is healthy for your sugar glider, I suggest that you review the plan with your veterinarian to insure that it is appropriate. Remember, there is more than one path to good nutrition, this is just the path that I recommend to my clientele.