About Sugar Gliders

WHAT IS A SUGAR GLIDER?

What is a sugar glider? Get used to this questions because you will hear it often. The sugar glider (Petaurus breviceps) or honey glider is a small, arboreal marsupial from Australia and New Guinea. Like other marsupials, the females carry the young, called joeys, in a pouch. Adults weigh 4-6 ounces and are about 12 inches long from their nose to the tip of their tail. They are able to glide from branch to branch with the use of a thin membrane call the patagium that stretches from their wrists to their ankles. By using their tails as rudders, they can glide up to 150 feet! They have been called everything from a flying opossum to the poor man's monkey. Gliders are nocturnal, so they are most active in the evenings and early dawn. They are communal animals and in the wild live in large groups. Because of the need for companionship, they bond easily with humans. They also live anywhere from 8-12 years in captivity and have even been documented to live 15 years. Clearly these are complex and incredible creatures.

PURCHASING YOUR GLIDER

Before you buy a sugar glider, there are several things to consider. Should you get a baby versus an adult? Buy a wild-caught glider versus a captive bred one? How many should you buy? What about other pets or small children? All excellent questions. First off, baby gliders are always preferable to adults because they are more willing to bond with you. Most breeders will handle the babies when they emerge from the pouch so the baby glider is accustomed to the human touch. Adult gliders don't have this luxury and are usually very terrified and difficult to handle. Adults can come around with lots of patience, but if they aren't handled much, it can be an uphill battle. Second is captive-bred versus wild caught. Rationally, this is an easy question. Realistically, it can be difficult. It is always best to have a captive-bred glider over one that has been captured from its natural habitat. Most wild-caught gliders will not tolerate handling. They tend to have brownish fur as a result of sap and berry staining. They also are more susceptible to vitamin deficiencies in captivity. With the growing number of sugar glider breeders in the US, it is difficult to comprehend why sugar gliders are still being captured. However, the almighty dollar comes into play. Many exotic animal importers can get wild gliders drastically cheap and sell them at pet stores for captive-raised prices. The consumers see a cute, small animal that they want to take home. Instead, they get a screaming, unmanageable creature that hates them and the situation that it has been placed in. It is always best to find out if the glider you are buying is hand-raised or captured from the wild. While the price is cheaper in the pet store for the wild-caught glider, you get what you paid for and it isn't often fun.

So now you ask, how many should I keep? Many breeders will not even consider selling sugar gliders individually because they are naturally communal animals and require attention and affection from others in order to survive. While it is true that in the wild they are in communal groups of 8-12 gliders and are happier and healthier in large groups, with the proper amount of attention and love, any glider will prosper alone. It is always ideal to have more than one glider together, but not absolutely necessary. If you spend at least two hours of quality time a day with your glider, it will be happy and healthy. That time can be spent playing with it or just carrying it around with you in your pocket. Once a sugar glider bonds with you it basically sees you as a big glider. As far as other animals or children in the house, remember that sugar gliders are arboreal. They spend so little time on the ground that they have practically no fear of any land-dwelling creature. You will have more trouble with your other pets not liking your glider than vise-versa. It basically depends on your other pet's disposition. Given time and patience, most good natured, pleasant pets will come to accept a sugar glider as just another member of the family. Children are fine with sugar gliders as long as your glider is well-bonded and comfortable with people. They are fragile creatures, so make sure that they are used to being held before you let a child hold one and risk getting nipped. While sugar gliders can sometimes bite, it is more of a "tasting" nibble or a "leave me alone" nip. It is rare that a glider bite breaks the skin on an adult, but much easier when a child is involved. Use caution when children are around your glider unless it is a well-bonded one.

APPEARANCE

The first thing that you will notice about gliders is that they are just adorable animals. An adult glider is about 12 inches in length, but most of that is tail. Their fur is grey/silver and silky to the touch. Their bellies are white or cream and a black stripe extends down their body to the tail. Glider ears are hairless and their eyes are very large (as would be expected from a nocturnal animal). The tail is long and somewhat prehensile. It is used as a rudder when gliding and is useful in keeping balance high in trees. It is also used for carrying leaves and twigs into their nests and babies use their tails when clinging to mom. They also have five digits on each foot, all having claws except for the inner opposable toe of the hind foot. It looks like a thumb! The sugar glider also has what is called the "hair comb" on its feet. The hair comb is formed by two semi-fused digits of the rear feet. These twin toes have small, thin claws that comb through their fur. It first looks as though they have double claws on a toe. They use these by scratching their fur with their rear feet and then licking the claws clean of dirt.

The physical differences between male and female gliders are quite easy to see. The male glider is usually a little larger than the female. His testicles appear as a furry sac about where his belly button would be. His penis is bifurcated, meaning it has two shafts and is located on the bottom side near the base of the tail. It is usually retracted, but may be exposed when they are excited or frightened. During mating season, it can be extended up to two inches in length. This is normal and will retract in a few days. Males also have three scent glands. The most obvious one is the bald spot on top of his head. The bald spot appears when he reaches maturity. The second gland is located on his chest and may cause an orange or rusty discoloring of the fur in that area. The third gland is located in the anal area. Males often use scent glands when marking his territory, mates, offspring, or his owner. He does this by rubbing his head or chest on whatever he feels is his. In the wild, male gliders can tell the age, sex, and if an individual is from his group by scent.

Females have a pouch, also called the marsupium, which is an external uterus where the baby grows in. It is an obvious slit in her underbelly. She also has a bifurcated vagina (split or in two divisions). Her fur color and markings are the same as the male except she lacks a bald spot on the top of her head.

Now that you know what they look like, the next question is do they smell and what do they sound like? Sugar gliders have almost no odor at all. Yes, they poop and pee, however, if their living quarters are kept clean and sanitary, these creatures are very clean. The males do give off a musky odor before they mate. While it isn't overwhelming, it is distinctive and may take over a room for a week or two. As far as sounds, well, hearing is believing. You cannot imagine that such a small animal can make such a loud noise. The most common noise is referred to as "crabbing" or "screeching". It is probably the first one you will hear and it will scare the pants off of you. It has been described as sounding like an electric pencil sharpener or miniature chainsaw. They basically are telling you to "back off". They make this noise to fend off an attacker, or to express fear and annoyance. Mine do it when they want to be left alone or when I just wake them up. As your glider bonds with you, this sound will be heard less and less. The next three sounds they make are not as frightening. Gliders bark similarly to a puppy when they want attention either from their owner or from other gliders. They usually do this in the early morning hours, although it has been noted that they also bark more during a full moon. Some also say that this noise is a way to call out to each other in the dark. Most owners have found that leaving a light on near the cage keeps them quiet. Gliders also express themselves with a quiet chatter, as though they are talking or mumbling to themselves. It is often heard when they are in their bonding pouches or in a pocket. It has been described as a chirping sound and seems to indicate contentment. The final sound is a ticking sound that gliders make when they are agitated but not really in danger. They run around their cage and tick. It is not a problem with the trachea or an infection in the throat. It is just your glider talking to you and telling you he isn't pleased with something.

HOUSING

Housing sugar gliders is relatively easy and, being clean animals, requires relatively low maintenance. A glider cage needs to be large enough that your sugar gliders can jump and climb around comfortably. It should also be large enough that they can stretch out their gliding membrane completely. Your glider cage should be placed in an area that is draft-free and away from heating and air-conditioning vents. Room temperature should be 70-90 degrees. The cage should also be away from direct sunlight; direct light hurts their eyes and serious damage to their sight can be done if place in bright lights. The cage should be made of wire with spacing that is 1" X .5". This is so both adult and baby gliders can't escape and get injured. A wire cage is practically a necessity, in order to give them plenty to climb on. It is adequate to keep a glider in a bird cage, such as those designed for finches and cockatiels. Cockatiel cages are usually 18" X 19" X 23"h. The taller the cage the better because sugar gliders are arboreal and prefer to be high. Some breeders will recommend that cages be no smaller than 20" X 20" X 20". The International Sugar Glider Association recommends a cage 18" X 18" X 24", however, in a separate report they state the minimum dimensions for cages be 20" X 20" X 36". One professional breeder keeps his breeding pairs in cage 11" X 14" X 24" and they do very well. The bottom line is, if your sugar glider can jump around and play comfortably, the cage is large enough.

If you decide to build your own cage, their are a few things to consider. Sugar gliders will urinate on the sides of the cage and their feces will often fall outside of the cage. It is always in your best interest to place the cage within a plastic tub to catch the debris. Make the bottom at least 2 inches off the ground and place the cage in the tub. The tub should stand out from the cage on the sides so feces that falls off the sides of the cage is caught. The tub should be filled with either corn cob bedding or pine bedding. DO NOT USE CEDAR BEDDING. It causes respiratory and liver problems in small mammals. The cage bottom should be above the bedding because gliders can get very sticky feet from the fruits they eat. If litter gets stuck to their feet, it can be a real mess! Other acceptable materials for litter are recycled newspaper pellets such as Yesterday's News or alfalfa pellets. I prefer pine bedding because it is cheap and fairly easy to clean up. It is also very absorbent.

Your sugar glider will also need a nesting box to sleep in during the day. A pine bird box that is 6" X 8" X 6" will work nicely or a plastic container with a vent and drain holes placed in it works. Many people make special sleeping pouches that can be hung in the cage and removed for traveling around. Just make sure there are no loose threads or strings. Gliders may choke on string and have been known to become tangled in thread. When not sleeping, sugar gliders like to play, so there should be play toys in the cage for them to chew or climb on. Parrot and bird toys are excellent choices for gliders. They like mirrors or edible parrot toys to chew on. Avoid any small bells or buttons that a glider can chew off and get logged in their throats. Tree branches are also essential in your cage. They serve two purposes - - first, they provide a natural environment for gliders to climb and keep their teeth healthy. It is wonderful exercise to see them run and jump around on branches. Second, like other small animals, glider teeth never stop growing and they need something to gnaw on. They will not chew on anything artificial, so hamster chew blocks will usually not work. In the wild, gliders chew the bark off trees looking for insects and sap, so the branches will keep them occupied while your not around. The best things to use are wild apple and sassafras branches. Oak branches also work well. Other safe, natural wood branches are Ash, Aspen, Birch, Cottonwood, Crabapple, Dogwood, Elm, Fir, Magnolia, Pine, Poplar, and Willow branches. DO NOT use apricot, peach, plum, prune, or nectarine branches. These belong to the Prunis species and can release cyanide when ingested. Also, do not use any branch that has been sprayed with pesticides. If in doubt, get branches or plants from a nursery so you can ask if any pesticides have been used. You don't want to poison your glider.

NUTRITION

Sugar gliders are omnivorous, meaning they eat fruit, nuts, bugs, and anything sweet. Gliders need a solid 75% fruit and 25% protein diet. Anything more or less can be very harmful, even fatal. A low fat diet is also a necessity with these guys; they don't handle fat very well and too much can be very harmful. Their little bodies are unable to properly digest and distribute fat, so it is very important not to give too many treats. The best advice to give in regards to feeding your glider is VARIETY. Since we can't provide the exact diet that they would receive in the wild we should offer a large assortment to ensure that they get their vitamins and minerals. Fresh or frozen food is fine but try to stay away from canned; we don't want them to get too much extra salt and preservatives. The easiest way to feed your glider is to try many different foods and see what he likes. Remember that what it liked one day may be thrown away in disgust the next.

FOODS TO KEEP IN THE CAGE ALL THE TIME:

Raw, unsalted sunflower seeds, cat food (dry, lite diet), a dog biscuit to chew on, salt/mineral spool and fresh water daily.

DAILY (2-3 of the following each day):

Fruit (fresh or frozen), mixed veggies, natural applesauce, cooked pasta, unsalted crackers, whole wheat toasted bread, mealworms or crickets, sweet potatoes

BI-WEEKLY:

Vitamin supplements such as Herptivite, Repcal, or Glider aide, chicken or chicken flavored dog food sprinkled with wheat germ, boiled egg with the shell, or Ledbeaters Mix.

Ledbeaters Mix Instructions:

Dump everything into a blender and puree until lump free. Pour into an airtight container and place in the freezer. Scoop out when needed.

TREATS:

Honey/nut seed sticks, raw peanut, Honey Nut Cheerios, pecan pieces, sugar cube, sugar cane sticks. Avoid dairy products because most marsupials are lactose intolerant. Also avoid chocolate since in other animals it has been known to produce toxins during digestion. It is unknown whether it is harmful to sugar gliders, however, it is best just to avoid chocolate all together.

POPULAR FOODS:

Pineapple, peaches, apples, pears, strawberries, cantaloupe, honeydew melon, grapes, papaya, apricots, oranges, corn on the cob, sweet potatoes, squash, fruit juices, blueberries, dried fruit, low-fat deli turkey and ham, peanuts, raisins, mealworms, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, dried peas, and almonds. This is but a small list and varies from glider to glider. Just try many different things (keep foods low in fat, low in preservatives, and try to pick natural foods).

For feeding, I use two bowls with my gliders. One bowl always has premium cat food in it (such as Science Diet or Iams). The second bowl is filled with various fruits and vegetables or other goodies. I also use a hamster water bottle for liquid, but a bird water dish also works well.

BONDING

Once you bring your glider home, the first thing you will probably ask yourself is where do I begin? Everything is going to be strange and new to your glider. Keeping this in mind, place them in their new cage and let them alone for a day. They will have to get used to all the new sounds, sights, smells, and food that are now part of their home. During this time, it is recommended that you try to hand feed your pet some treats he may enjoy (such as grapes or nuts). This will get him used to seeing your face. Make sure that only one person handles them for the first few days. Then when the sugar glider has become more relaxed, introduce new members of the family. At this point the bonding process has begun.

Bonding with your glider is the easiest part of owning one. It takes some time, so be patient and do not force anything. The time frame for bonding can take anywhere from immediately to a few months. First, start off easy by feeding foods from your hand. Reach into the cage with your palms flat and hold out grapes or nuts so your glider can take them from you. Try dipping your finger in nectar or Glider aide and letting them lick it off. Let them explore. Do it every day and be consistent with the time of day. Most important, be patient. Don't wear new scents such as perfume or hair spray because this may confuse him. Start to play with your glider in his cage and let him come to you on his own terms. Don't let him bully you away with crabbing or nipping and don't wear gloves when trying to pick up your glider; it defeats the purpose of them getting used to your scent. Slowly their trust in you will build. Now your glider should be ready for "pocket training". Start off by putting a piece of cloth, such as a sock, with your scent on it in their sleeping area. I like to use their sleeping pouch as their bonding pouch because they are used to the scent and feel less threatened. Hang the bonding/sleeping pouch around your neck or keep it in your shirt. This allows them to get familar with your scent and your sounds. If pocket training, place your glider in a shirt pocket. Feed them treats while they are in your pocket and talk to them often. Also reach in to pet them so they feel comfortable being touched. Another way to bond is to wear two shirts. Place the glider within the shirts and they will cling to you. They quickly feel comfortable enough to roam around inside your shirt. Carry them around with you wherever you go so they can get used to new sounds and smells. You can also carry them around in a hooded sweatshirt. Just make sure they don't jump out! Above all, remember that it takes time to build trust. If you play daily with your glider and spend at least two hours a day with them, you will have a well bonded glider.

Once your glider is bonded, you can walk around with him on your shoulder with ease. I would also recommend "potty training" your glider. While they don't use a litter box, it is useful to get them to go to the bathroom before they ride around on your shoulder. When your glider first wakes up, remove his nest box or sleep pouch and let them crawl around their cage for 10-15 minutes. They should "do their deed" by this time. You can also pick up your glider and rub their genitals with a warm rag. This stimulates them to urinate and defecate. You should also supervise your glider at all times. DO NOT let them just run around and play without watching them. They can eat dangerous plants, get caught in a hiding place that they can't get out of, or even fall into the toilet and drown. Many gliders have drowned in an open toilet by jumping in and not being able to get out. It is safest to keep your glider on you at all times.

HEALTH CONCERNS

Just like most animals, sugar gliders need their nails trimmed from time to time. This works best if two people are present. One should hold the glider while the other clips the nails. You can use human nail clippers or small animal clippers. Cut the tip of the nails and do not cut the quick (the pink blood vessel that runs down the nail). If you do, simply apply some flour to the bleeding nail and it will quickly stop. Teeth also need to be kept trim. This is best done by supplying your glider with fresh branches to chew on. You can also use bones that are meant for dogs. If they don't chew on these things, go to a veterinarian who will trim the teeth for you.

Another health concern is too much fat intake. Too much fat can lead to serious problem regarding breeding. It seems if the mother has too high a fat content, the babies will be born with fat rolling in their eyeballs. This can be seen as small white spots in the babies' eyes and often leads to blindness in gliders. This can be prevented by feeding your glider an ultra low fat diet.

Vitamin deficiency is also a serious problem that can lead to death. The first sign is a glider that is dragging its hind legs. Eventually, the glider can lose the use of its hind legs and die. This is called hind leg paralysis and is a serious problem in sugar gliders. Unfortunately, no one has a clear answer as to what causes this condition. Some say it is a lack of calcium in the diet. Others say it is caused by vitamin E deficiency. Still others suggest it is a lack of vitamin D in the diet. The bottom line is no one seems to know for sure what causes this. To be safe, avoid stress, give vitamin supplements, and supply calcium (mealworms, crickets). Click here for a first hand account of a glider with hind leg paralysis. I would HIGHLY suggest reading it through several times so you become aware of the symptoms. Death can occur quickly.

The final, big health concern is loneliness. Since these animals are communal, they require lots of attention and love. They need to be talked to and played with. If a single glider does not get the attention it needs, they can die. Many gliders have died simply of loneliness. It is essential that they get at least two hours daily of interaction if not with other gliders. Hopefully, you have chosen a sugar glider as a pet because they are loving, adorable creatures who crave human attention, not just because they are a cute, different type of animal to have.