Sugar Glider University

When attempting to create any diet plan for a sugar glider, it is best kept in mind there are no established criteria for a sugar glider’s dietary needs to date. Therefore, the best captive diet would be one that mimics the natural diet gliders consume in the wild.

The sugar glider diet consists of insect and plant exudates such as nectar, pollen, tree sap, manna, honeydew and in some species fruit and seeds. Protein is supplied through the consumption of insects, moths, beetles, pollen and occasional small vertebrates. (Jackson, S.M. (2003) The Biology and Captive Management of Australian Mammals. CSIRO Publishing, Melbourne)

To best mimic this diet for a captive glider, one must also understand the nature of sugar gliders. For example, nocturnal animals metabolize Vitamin D more through the gut rather than exposure to UV light. Another thing to consider is the fact that sugar gliders in the wild do not receive most of their energy from simple sugars (nectar), but rather from starch-like, complex carbohydrates, such as acacia gum and other sources. Therefore, the name "sugar glider" may be a somewhat of a misnomer, as "complex carbohydrate glider" might be more appropriate!