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Mike and Ivana Smith on what a Sugar glider is from their site.
GLIDER! G-L-I-D-E-R! A Sugar Glider! If I had a dime for every time I told someone what it was that was running around on the back of my neck I could retire a rich man. It is really amazing to see people's faces and reactions to seeing a furry little gray and black creature with BIG eyes clinging to the top of my shoulder. One man last week, cautiously walking by and never taking his eyes off the fuzzy "thing" on my back, stopped and asked, "Is that thing alive or is it some kind of mechanical toy?" Now that was a first. Gliders have the same effect on most everyone that sees them. They are amazed at all the unique qualities of these precious little pets. People can't seem to get over the fact that my "PR" girl, Minee is full grown. "That's as big as they get?" Full grown, Sugar Gliders get only about as big as a full grown Gerbil, only with a longer and much fuzzier tail. When I pull out two or three from my shirt pocket eyes always widen and mouths often drop open, "You had all those in that pocket?" People are always amazed at several pertinent facts that make Sugar Gliders GREAT pets! To name a few, Sugar Gliders live 8-12 years (some say l5). They have a very simple and low maintenance diet (I have fed pets and breeders fresh fruit and I AM's dry cat food for several years with great success.) I also recommend raw nuts, especially peanuts and Fruit Cocktail 2 to 3 times a week, and a mix of vitamin E, D & Calcium on their fruit almost daily as a precaution against the dreaded back leg paralysis. I 'll give more information later on this, Gliders are very communal animals, they bond to individuals very readily. I have seen Minee jump from person to person in a room or at a show and eventually come right back to me and go straight into my shirt pocket, curl up and go to sleep. She knows her daddy. Other amazing facts are that Gliders are so soft and very attractive. They have no odor to speak of. Yea, I know what you're thinking, but everything poops and pees! We all know those things stink, but the animals themselves, kept as solitary pets, have no odor if kept in a clean sanitary living area. I have found that wooded boxes allow the urine & any oils to be soaked away from the glider and they stay dry and clean. I also use cedar boxes. I know, many of you reading this will say "No way!", but let me tell you I have been using cedar boxes for nest boxes for over four years and have had no problems whatsoever, but I do NOT recommend Cedar shavings for bedding. Cedar shavings usually are much more odorous and constantly giving off the smell. It is not as noticeable with the cedar boxes.  I guess the most amazing fact about Sugar Gliders that others often notice is how tame they are. Even people who have seen sugar gliders are amazed at how tame they are or can be. Most people who have seen them have seen pet shop or imported Sugar Gliders. We start handling our babies before their eyes open. After their eyes open we handle them almost daily for several hours at a time. It's work, but it pays off. Most babies can be tamed down in about 3-5 days of constantly handling. There are exceptions with any creature who can possess an attitude, and the Sugar Glider can definitely have an attitude. Most however, are very tame and adorable. Gliders have no down side as an exotic pet, but here are two negative conditions that I have experienced concerning their health, The first is the dreaded back leg paralysis. There is no conclusive evidence on what truly causes this life threatening problem. What I share with you is my experience for over 4 years with hundreds of Sugar Gliders. This back leg paralysis is at best, some sort of deficiency. With this most will agree, but just what causes this deficiency is debated. Many say it is a calcium deficiency, and many say it is either Vitamin D or E deficiency. I believe stress can be somehow combined with the deficiency to make it worse. Here is what I think (my opinion and $.99 will buy you a Big Mac, sometimes, at McDonald's.) We raise Bennett Wallabies. Marsupials develop what is called white muscle disease as do other exotic and farm animals. This is a disease of the mussle and nerve endings of the legs, usually the back legs. It can be first noticed in sluggish movements or a stiffening of the back legs. This disease is a result of a Vitamin E deficiency and is often combined with stress or capture myopathy. University studies have shown that animals suffering from stress have low levels of Vitamin E. They are not sure how it works, but it does appear adding Vitamin E does work.  Now, what has this to do with Sugar Gliders? They are marsupials like Wallabies and Kangaroos. I have had gliders develop the paralysis in their back legs. In fact, I have a female that came to me with a group of imports that was obviously on her last leg of life, totally paralyzed in her back legs, somewhat immobile and was experiencing weight loss and diarrhea. I knew she was a lost hope, but her beaming little eyes looked to me and when I picked her up she just curled up in my hand and a bond had already formed. I began to treat her with a powdered Vitamin E every night. I also placed her with several males until I found one that seemed to bond to her immediately. He went straight to her and began to show signs of affection towards her. This is important for communal animals such as gliders. Months later, this glider has some noticeable paralysis in one of her hind legs, but remains very mobile. She allows me to handle her and is quite loving. She is full of health and life and soon had a baby in her pouch! I recommend new glider owners buy some reptile vitamins, Calcium with Vitamin D, add some vitamin E, and sprinkle on the fresh fruit 3 to 4 times a week. I have not had back leg paralysis to develop in my breeders or babies in over 3 years.  The other problem that I have experienced with gliders is impaction. This occurred when I was feeding a high diet of peanuts and sunflower seeds (which they truly love) on a daily basis. Several of my adults began to look sluggish and kind-a humped up and bent over. They did not poop, and they were in obvious pain. We came to the conclusion that this must be a bowl problem of some sort. Out of the four or five that developed this symptom, three died. I took away the seeds and peanuts and now only feed them sparingly. This may not have been the cause, but that was over 2 years ago and I have not lost a glider since with a bowl symptom. I suggest that peanuts or other seeds be fed only a few times a week, and then in moderation, and ALWAYS raw! Sugar Gliders love sugar .... DUH! I fed my first pair one heaping table spoon of fruit cocktail in heavy syrup every night for over a year. For those of you who say that this is not good for them, let me just say that I sold eight babies off of this pair in 13 months and they are still my best producers over these last four years. They even had triplets once and they all lived, in fact, my pet Minee is one of those triplets, and I'm sure you have heard of her sisters, Enee & Meanee. Glider Aid is also a great supplement for the gliders. I understand that Lori Life Nectar may be the very same thing, just listed under a different label, check the ingredient list. The good news about this stuff is it is high in protein as well as sugar. Many people use some sort of nectar and pour it over the fresh fruit or vegetables daily. Gliders should be housed in wire cages. These cages can range from 11" x 14" x 2' tall (which is what I house my breeders in and have had great results) to as big as you want them to be. I use 1/2" by 1" welded wire and build a cage that fits into some sort of a plastic tub. Sugar Gliders will urinate on the wire sides of the cage and their poop will often fall out side the cage. Most cages will not keep things like that from falling outside the cage and making a mess. It is always best to place a Glider cage in a plastic tub to catch the debris, I build these cages and make the bottom at least 2 inches off the ground and place this in a tub that will catch at least 1 1/2 to 2 inches out from the wire cage. Hamster cages do very well. Make sure you buy a large enough one though. The kind with vertical bars on at least two sides are the best.  Gliders also need limbs, a reptile tree, or wooden rods to climb on. I suggest you put the box up on top so that they can not get on top of it or they will defecate on it. Feed the animals on the bottom of the cage which should be up above the shavings if you use any. This will allow the droppings to fall away from the animals surface space. Also, if you place the fruit up on a shelf or in a feeder up above the floor, you will find fruit pieces flung everywhere outside the cage. Gliders make about 4 different and distinct sounds. The most noticeable sound is their "Back off" chattering. It sounds like marbles in a PVC pipe rolling around, and it sounds like a whole colony when just one sets off. When I carry them in my pocket and they go to making this kind of sound people look at me like I have a demon in my pocket. I sometimes tell people, "Excuse me. I'm just hungry." Another sound is the barking or chirping sound. This is usually at night when all is calm. It seems to be their calling out for each other or "life is great" comment. Some times this chirping can go on for a long time. I think they are just checking out to see if there are any other gliders out there some where. There is another sound they make, it is kind of like a hissing or raspy air sound. This is done when they urinate most often. It is a pleasant sound kind of like, "Ahhhh!" I toilet my pet when I first wake her up. I rub under her tail with a SOFT kleenex and she poops and pees in the paper, so not on me. She is trained so that if I get her up, she hikes her tail up and begins even if I am not ready. Another time this sound is heard is when the young are feeding on mom's nipples. I am not sure this is a sound of pleasure at this time. It may be more of , "Oh, Oh, Oh, Oh" etc. A fourth and final sound is what the young make as kind of a cry. It sounds like a sick kitten, kind of croaky. It is only made by the babies or very young and may even be an immature "Back off', but it usually means "I want my momma."  G-L-I-D-E-R! Yes, they will glide from person to person, drape to drape, curtain to curtain, etc. When traveling, we have allowed our pets to play freely in the car. They will usually after a time go back to their cage or my pocket. Just be careful hiding places like under the dash or behind and underneath seats. They can escape without even intending to, just because it looked like a good idea to them at the time. They even like public places like malls, craft shows, carnivals etc. They run around on your back and have a great time enjoying the attention. This is the most important paragraph you will read on gliders! Do your homework. Know if you have the time and the desire to put into your new pet. You will get out of any exotic pet relationship what you are willing to put into it. That means you must put into the relationship before and after you get the animal or bird. Find a breeder who will give you all the support you can get and one that knows what he or she is talking about. It is not out of line to ask for a reference. A reputable breeder will give you a guarantee with the animal. A breeder concerned with his or her clients will do anything to make you happy (within reason) ! If you are happy and doing great with your new Sugar Glider then you will tell others and everyone is truly satisfied, Isn't that what everyone does, you ask? NOT! This is what we at Texas Bred Jack-A-Roo's and PetXotics try to do. Remember, our Motto is: We Hop to make your wallaby purchase and Soar to make your Sugar Glider purchase both a pleasant and rewarding experience! We also sell all your Glider & Wallaby needs. Glideraid, vitamin E, Calcium & D supplements, pouches, leashes, cages and all accessories. Give us a call!
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A sugar what?
