ARE SUGAR GLIDERS THE RIGHT PET FOR YOU?
Scientific Name: Petaurus Breviceps
Native to Australia, New Guinea, and Indonesia
Life Span: 10 to 15 years in captivity
Size: 6 inches long with a 6 inch tail. Weigh around 4 - 5.5 oz (100 - 160 grams)
Sugar gliders are marsupials (like kangaroos). The young are carried in pouch as kangaroos do. They
stay in pouch for about 70 days and then another 8 weeks until weaned from mama's milk. They have
a gliding membrane called a Patagium that allows them to glide from the treetops thru the air 150 ft.
In the wild they live in the treetops in colonies and glide from tree to tree. Their hind feet have a large
opposable big toe that helps them grip branches, and the second and third toe forms a grooming comb. Most were grey with a black stripe in the beginning. Now there is every conceivable gorgeous color you can imagine. In the wild they eat sap from trees, insects, small birds, and eggs.
Habits: Sugar gliders are nocturnal so they sleep during the day and play all night long. They happily
accompany their owners during the day, sleeping in a bonding pouch, pocket, or bra. They enjoy having a cage mate/friend to cuddle up with during the day and play with at night in the cage while their owners are asleep. They are colony animals and do much better in pairs.
Temperament: Sugar gliders are naturally very social (if enough time is spent bonding/trusting with their owner). They love companionship of their own kind and love being with their owner. Again, it is best to keep them in pairs (as pets it can be 2 neutered males, 1 neutered male and 1 female, or 2 females. Males can be neutered but it is too invasive to spay a female glider.
Sugar gliders are exotic pets and not like a hamster or gerbil kept in a small cage and fed a box of food and that is pretty much it. Plus hamsters and gerbils only live a short time compaired to the committment it takes for a long-lived suggie.
Sugar gliders need to be seen by an experienced exotic vet at least once a year. A wellness exam when they first come home including a fecal, urinalysis, and looking at eyes, skin, coat, heart, etc. ensures they are parasite free. Exotic vets are more costly and harder to find than a normal vet so it is suggested to have at least $500 in reserve in a glider vet fund.
Sugar gliders should definitely have a cage mate to be happy and healthy. They are social and require lots of attention with both their cage mate and you. They can become lonely and depressed if alone and can eventually end up self-mutilating because of this.
Sugar gliders have very strict diets that should include their staple diet (protein), fruits, vegetables, mealworms,
and treats. Their diet needs to be specially prepared and kept in the freezer or made daily. A box of dry food
(pellets) will not do for them.
Sugar gliders require a lot of space. Large flight cages work well. The smallest would be 36" high X 20" wide X
20" deep. But flight cages 5 1/2 ft. tall to 6 ft. tall are great. And many people build ther own PVC cages with
landware cloth that are even larger. Some people even have an entire room for their sugar gliders! And daily
out of cage time and playtime are a must! 2 hours a day is what is suggested.
Just trying to point out the pros and cons of owning these unique adorable pets. Be sure you have researched
and know the committment needed for the next 10 - 15 years before opting to purchase a pair of sugar gliders. There are way too many sugar gliders in rescues.
Scientific Name: Petaurus Breviceps
Native to Australia, New Guinea, and Indonesia
Life Span: 10 to 15 years in captivity
Size: 6 inches long with a 6 inch tail. Weigh around 4 - 5.5 oz (100 - 160 grams)
Sugar gliders are marsupials (like kangaroos). The young are carried in pouch as kangaroos do. They
stay in pouch for about 70 days and then another 8 weeks until weaned from mama's milk. They have
a gliding membrane called a Patagium that allows them to glide from the treetops thru the air 150 ft.
In the wild they live in the treetops in colonies and glide from tree to tree. Their hind feet have a large
opposable big toe that helps them grip branches, and the second and third toe forms a grooming comb. Most were grey with a black stripe in the beginning. Now there is every conceivable gorgeous color you can imagine. In the wild they eat sap from trees, insects, small birds, and eggs.
Habits: Sugar gliders are nocturnal so they sleep during the day and play all night long. They happily
accompany their owners during the day, sleeping in a bonding pouch, pocket, or bra. They enjoy having a cage mate/friend to cuddle up with during the day and play with at night in the cage while their owners are asleep. They are colony animals and do much better in pairs.
Temperament: Sugar gliders are naturally very social (if enough time is spent bonding/trusting with their owner). They love companionship of their own kind and love being with their owner. Again, it is best to keep them in pairs (as pets it can be 2 neutered males, 1 neutered male and 1 female, or 2 females. Males can be neutered but it is too invasive to spay a female glider.
Sugar gliders are exotic pets and not like a hamster or gerbil kept in a small cage and fed a box of food and that is pretty much it. Plus hamsters and gerbils only live a short time compaired to the committment it takes for a long-lived suggie.
Sugar gliders need to be seen by an experienced exotic vet at least once a year. A wellness exam when they first come home including a fecal, urinalysis, and looking at eyes, skin, coat, heart, etc. ensures they are parasite free. Exotic vets are more costly and harder to find than a normal vet so it is suggested to have at least $500 in reserve in a glider vet fund.
Sugar gliders should definitely have a cage mate to be happy and healthy. They are social and require lots of attention with both their cage mate and you. They can become lonely and depressed if alone and can eventually end up self-mutilating because of this.
Sugar gliders have very strict diets that should include their staple diet (protein), fruits, vegetables, mealworms,
and treats. Their diet needs to be specially prepared and kept in the freezer or made daily. A box of dry food
(pellets) will not do for them.
Sugar gliders require a lot of space. Large flight cages work well. The smallest would be 36" high X 20" wide X
20" deep. But flight cages 5 1/2 ft. tall to 6 ft. tall are great. And many people build ther own PVC cages with
landware cloth that are even larger. Some people even have an entire room for their sugar gliders! And daily
out of cage time and playtime are a must! 2 hours a day is what is suggested.
Just trying to point out the pros and cons of owning these unique adorable pets. Be sure you have researched
and know the committment needed for the next 10 - 15 years before opting to purchase a pair of sugar gliders. There are way too many sugar gliders in rescues.