Sugar Gliders make great pets and have an average lifespan of 12-15 years. However, this nocturnal marsupial is not for everybody. Read this info and see if they're right for you!
Before buying--
One or a pair? This depends on how much time you have to spend with your pet. Sugar Gliders are social animals. If you have little time then get 2 (or more). Two males or two females will get along just as well as a male and a female.
Male or female? Both make great pets. It's not the sex of the animal that matters, it's the personality. Male gliders have several more scent glands but are not overly smelly (they occasionally give off a fruity/musky scent when they are awakened).
Different kinds or colors: Sugar Gliders are gray with a cream colored underside. A black stripe runs the full length of the back...it extends up and over the top of the head. The last few inches of the tail is also black.
Tips on purchasing: Have everything set up before you bring your glider home. When picking out a glider check the cages for loose stools, if the gliders have diarrhea it's best not to purchase one of them. Healthy gliders should exhibit inquisitive behavior with no lethargy (unless it has just woken up) or listlessness. It's best to pick a recently weaned animal (one that has no trouble eating on it's own). However this can sometimes be hard to figure out. Some sellers of gliders calculate the age by the day the animal was born not by when it has emerged from the pouch. When a glider has had it's eyes open for a month it is approximately 12 to 13 weeks old, based on it's birth date, BUT it's only been out of the pouch for about 4-5 weeks. Be sure to ask the seller which system they are using to calculate age.
Illegal?? Sugar gliders are illegal in some states, counties, and cities so it's best to check you local laws (that includes state, county, and city laws) before purchasing a glider and definitely before breeding them. You can also check with the USDA and your local Department of Wildlife.
Basic Needs--
Cages: The bigger the better, especially if you're keeping a colony. As a general rule the cage should be no smaller than 20 X 20 X 30 inches high (50.8 X 50.8 X 76.2 cm). A tall cage is better than a long one as gliders like to climb. A commercial bird cage should work out pretty well. The wire of the cage should be no bigger than 1 in. by 1/2 in. If the cage just has straight bars then they should be no farther apart than 1/4 in. Your glider's cage should contain a few nestboxes (they like to switch their nests every so often) placed up high, aspen shavings or plain shredded paper **NO ink...could be poisonous** should be used for bedding at the bottom of the cage and possibly in the nestboxes depending on the kind of box you get, food containers, and toys.
Food: A glider's diet is primarily fresh fruits and veggies, as well as various sources of protein (meats, egg, tofu, insects, rodents, and dairy products). The diet should contain about 24% protein. Each glider has different likes and dislikes, so experiment! Fruits and veggies should be fed fresh (three or four types of fruits/veggies in varying combinations) every night. **Canned fruit/veggies lacks in nutrients when compared to fresh** Fruit and veggies can be quartered or left in large chunks (there's no need to cut them into bite size pieces). **Be sure to thoroughly rinse food to remove pesticides** **Remove uneaten food to avoid spoilage and wash/sanitize bowls every day** Do NOT feed dried fruit/nut mixes--mixes contain preservatives and added salt and sugar. Nuts contain fat and phosphorus and if eaten in excess gliders will become malnourished. Some individuals don't actually swallow flesh of the fruit, but chew on it until the juice and flavor have been extracted then spit the flesh out. Meat should be cut into small pieces or minced (NO fried, salted, sauced or spiced meats allowed). Don't give your gliders poultry bones because the bones have a habit of splintering. Eggs and boned meats should not be the main source of protein (too high in phosphorus which interferes with calcium absorption, which leads to calcium deficiency and metabolic bone disease) unless calcium is supplemented to make up the difference. Tofu, yogurt, and cottage cheese are good sources of protein plus they have more calcium. Live food such as crickets, grasshoppers, moths, butterflies, mealworms, and earthworms can be given. Most of these are available at pet stores. No more than 2 insects should be given a night (they're high in fat and lack in calcium). **Do NOT collect insects outdoors because they could have been sprayed with pesticides, which will make your pet sick or possibly kill it** Pinky mice can also be given. Dry cat food (a few pieces), nuts, and sunflower seeds can be given as treats occasionally. Fresh water should be available at ALL times (if you use water bottles there's less of a chance for contamination). In general gliders eat 1/4-1/3 a cup of fruits/veggies and one tablespoon of protein based products per night. Supplements may be required, contact your vet.
Toys: Non-toxic branches for climbing, bird toys (swings, perches, ladders, bells, mirrors), PVC pipes, enclosed exercise wheels (NOT wire), and a clear exercise ball (**Supervise!! Don't allow them around stairs while they're in the ball, and the time limit should be 20 minutes in the ball NO more.**) can make great toys for gliders. **Make sure nothing can be pulled off and swallowed**
Training--
Acclimation: Select a place for your glider's cage that is not frequented by human traffic during the day so they won't be disturbed while sleeping. If the cage isn't of the floor to ceiling variety place it on a table because gliders like the sensation of height. Make sure the cage gets enough light (to notice the difference between night and day) but do NOT place the cage in direct sunlight. The temperature of the room should be between 65-75 degrees fahrenheit. When you bring your glider home put it in the cage to explore and to settle in to its new environment. You can talk to it softly in this time.
Handling: Gliders need time to learn a new person's scent. Give it a day or two to settle in then remove it from the nestbox during the day (the glider will be easier to handle because it'll be sleepy). Hold the glider cupped in your hands or up against your chest. Once it's settled down you can put it in your pocket where it will probably fall asleep. Stroke the glider occasionally so it'll get used to your scent and being touched. It's not harmful to wake up your glider during the day, but if your pet wants to nap let it do so.
Dangers of being on the loose: Never leave your glider unsupervised! Gliders on the loose may escape through an open window, door, or a heating vent. Standing water in bathtubs, toilets, etc. are potential hazards, as are stovetops, poisonous house plants, cleansers, and other family pets. Don't take outside, or be more than careful if you do and never take out in direct sunlight.
Other pets and children: Supervision is required around other pets and small children. Just as a general rule, gliders are not recommended for children under the age of 12.
Health--
Illness: Sugar Gliders generally have few health problems. The failure to provide nutritious foods (nutritional disorders) is the leading cause of illness or premature death. To prevent calcium deficieny (ingesting too much phosphorus) emphasize calcium rich food to their diet and ration food high in phosphorus and fat. To prevent obesity reduce the amount of fat in the glider's diet. Gliders sometimes lose weight and there are numerous reasons for this, some being insufficient calories, malabsorption, parasites, and stress. Be sure to find an vet specializing in exotic pets. He/She will let you know what kinds of things to look out for. Healthy animals have clear eyes that are free of discharge, a reasonable fleshed appearance, soft and clean fur, stools that are properly formed (not loose), an alert, friendly and curious nature.
Cleaning: Clean the cage thoroughly every week making sure to wash the cage bars as gliders urinate while they're climbing. Wash out the nestbox also. If the climbing branches have been stripped of their bark or have been soiled remove them and get some new ones. Wash toys in HOT water if they've become soiled. Wash the food bowl and water bottle daily.
Sex determination: Females have a pouch on their abdomens (in the spot where you'd expect to see a navel). Males have a pea sized furred scrotum on their lower abdomen and mature males will have a distinctive diamond shaped bald spot on the top of the head (it's a scent gland). The cloaca is an anatomical feature seen in marsupials. The reproductive system, urinary ducts, and alimentary tract all open into the cloaca so that only one orifice is apparent at the base of the tail (placental mammals have separate external urinogenital and anal openings). Females have two vaginae and cervices, and a divided uterus. The babies are delivered through a central birth canal that forms before each birth. Males also have "double" reproductive organs--the penis is divided in two.
Breeding: Gliders mate frequently and will breed all year long in captivity. Adult females have an estrous cycle of 29 days. Gliders are born weighing .007 ounces (.19 grams) and measuring .2 inches (5 millimeters) in length, after a gestation of 16 days. Once born the baby journeys to the mother's pouch. The baby is blind and deaf and makes the five minute journey to the pouch using instinct alone. Once it's safely in the pouch it will seek out one of four nipples. Since it doesn't have the jaw muscles necessary for sucking the joey (baby glider) the nipple swells making it difficult for the joey to disconnect, milk is automatically expressed into it's mouth. Once it's jaw muscles have developed it will be able to suck milk at will. As the joey increases in size and distends the pouch. The joey emerges from the pouch reluctantly when it becomes too cramped. The body emerges tail first but the joey may keep its head in for several more days. Once it's fully emerged the glider is approximately two months old and fully furred. The eyes are often closed but will open within a week to 10 days of emergence. Once the eyes are open you can start handling the joey for short periods of time once or twice a day. Offer it a grape so it will associate you with pleasant things. From this point on it will put it's head back in the pouch of it's mother's pouch to feed and will ride on the back or stomach of either parent. Adult males will frequently be seen carrying their offspring. When the eyes have been opened for a month it is ready to be weaned. Five month old gliders are fully independent. At eight months of age some have reached sexual maturity, but on average most are sexually mature at 12-14 months of age.
For more information please check out my pet resources page!
last updated 2001
Thanks to KityKat for creating the background and to Shirley Curtis for supplying the picture of the Sugar Glider!!
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