Sugar Glider University

What are the benefits and joys of keeping sugar gliders as pets?

One of the most enjoyable aspects of caring for sugar gliders is being able to observe them at play. They will take treats from your hand, and because they themselves have tiny hands, it is especially fun to watch them hold things. Baby joeys will ride "piggyback" on their parents’ backs, which is always entertaining! They are intelligent animals with distinct personalities, and very social. Having a colony of sugar gliders is almost like a having a piece of the rainforest in your home.

Describe the temperament and lifestyle of a typical sugar glider owner. That is, who would make a good owner of a sugar glider?

A good sugar glider caregiver is someone who likes to stay up late at night—sometimes all night! Sugar gliders are nocturnal animals, and need at least a few hours of play each evening. Most gliders wake up anytime between 7 pm and 10 pm ready for interaction. They don’t fall asleep until around 6 or 7 am. A glider caregiver will also have time to prepare fresh food for his/her pets each night. Because gliders are social animals, a glider caregiver will have enough money and resources to have at least two gliders at all times. Glider habitats are typically very large and require weekly cleanings, so a glider caregiver would have the time and physical ability to clean a big cage.

One of the criticisms of keeping rain-forest animals as pets is that it is difficult to recreate a rainforest habitat in a home setting. What is the best way to ensure that a pet sugar glider is in a comfortable and appropriate setting?

Sugar gliders have the ability to glide through the air using a gliding membrane, known as a patagium. They have been observed to glide up to 300 feet! Because of this, it is important to have a habitat that will allow these pets freedom of movement to jump, swing and glide. It is recommended that a glider habitat be a minimum 10 feet by 10 feet by 10 feet. That is pretty large for the average pet owner! This also ensures that gliders get enough exercise. Captive gliders have been observed to run in an exercise wheel over five miles in one night.

The sugar glider habitat should also contain non-toxic, live fruit tree branches, acacia branches, and glider-safe eucalypt branches, as well as perches, toys, and at least two glider-safe pouches for sleeping. (To see examples of appropriate toys and accessories, visit Glider Daydreams, at http://www.gliderdaydreams.com)

Sugar glider habitats should be kept at a temperature of 75-85° F with a relative humidity of about 45-50%. They should be kept in a room with good ventilation, but well out of any draft areas. Sugar glider habitats should also be in an area that allows indirect sunlight during the daytime hours. (Think of the indirect sunlight shining down through the rainforest canopy).

What are the special dietary needs of a sugar glider, and how does a pet owner go about obtaining the necessary food materials?

The basic sugar glider diet used in America consists of fresh and/or frozen fruits and vegetables (always thoroughly cleaned), usually cut up in bite size pieces and mixed together. 50% of the diet consists of protein sources such as grasshoppers, crickets, mealworms and moths. Chicken, egg and yogurt can also be used occasionally as a protein source. Some people use pinkie mice for protein as well as enrichment. Because sugar gliders process sugars so quickly, it is important for them to have a glider cereal or monkey biscuits available in the habitat at all times.

To this diet is added a nutritional supplement. The best and most successful supplement for captive sugar gliders at this time is The Pet Glider Complete Multivitamin, (available at http://www.thepetglider.com).

Are there any dangers to humans who own sugar gliders as pets? If yes, how can a person minimize such danger?

Sugar gliders are diprotodonts, which means that their lower jaws are dominated by a pair of very sharp incisors. They also have sharp nails, which were designed for scaling very tall trees. When frightened or in danger, they will bite and scratch, and can draw blood.

To minimize this danger, always handle gliders properly, and do not startle them. Most good glider caregivers have never been bitten by a healthy sugar glider.

Are there any dangers to sugar gliders being kept in homes? If yes, how can a person minimize such danger?

The major danger in keeping a sugar glider in a home is the danger sugar gliders face. If they escape their cage they can easily be hurt or killed by larger household pets, fall and drown in toilets or sinks, or a myriad of other potentially fatal accidents.

To minimize this danger, glider caregivers should play with gliders in a "glider room" and always check their habitat to insure it is safe and secure.

What are some potential veterinary emergencies, and how does the average sugar-glider owner go about dealing with them?

As long as sugar gliders are given proper diet and care, they are extremely resilient and healthy animals. It is important to find a glider knowledgeable vet before adopting sugar gliders as pets.

The most common emergencies occur due to improper care, and include: near drowning/subsequent respiratory complications, accidental crushing, and poisoning (i.e., a sugar glider eats something toxic). Other complications, which are mainly due to improper diet/environment, include development of calcium deficiency or overdose, tumors, giardiasis, and dehydration.

Most of these conditions are reversible if treated by a glider knowledgeable veterinarian as soon as symptoms arise.

What is your opinion about the effect of pet ownership on the wild sugar glider population?

Because sugar gliders are extremely resilient and adapt relatively well to captivity, the current supply of captive sugar gliders in the United States is far greater than the demand. The possibility of having a sugar glider that is wild-caught is extremely low—almost non-existent.

In fact, pet ownership is probably having a positive impact on the wild sugar glider population, as more people are aware of these beautiful animals, and do not want to see them become extinct.

Why are sugar gliders good pets?

Sugar gliders are beautiful animals. They are playful, curious, extremely intelligent, loyal, relatively clean, and don't need vaccinations. The fact that they can live up to fifteen years is also considered a positive aspect by many people who accept them as part of the family

Are sugar gliders good pets for children? Why or why not?

Sugar gliders demand extreme amounts of time and energy in maintaining a healthy diet regimen, environmental stimulation, and general nurture. In order to be humane, cages must be large, and are generally extremely difficult to clean each week. Add this to the prospect of the longevity of life, and sugar gliders end up in bad situations. What may have been easy for a human caretaker for the first five years may become impossible due to lifestyle changes, onset of physical disability, change of living arrangements, or a variety of other factors. It is at that point that the beloved pet ends up neglected or mistreated--even if only because the owner is physically unable to do so.

Not only is good husbandry physically demanding, it is expensive. The resources involved in providing large cages, enriching habitats, and a healthy diet consisting of 50% insects are costly. This cost is often doubled or tripled by the addition of more sugar gliders. The average cost of keeping a pair of sugar gliders in a happy, enriching environment is approximately $150 per month. This does not include the initial costs of developing a sugar glider habitat.

Sugar gliders are nocturnal. Most glider caregivers play with their gliders for a few hours each night, but unless the caregivers become nocturnal themselves, their gliders spend a majority of their most active time in a small cage.

Even adults with the best of intentions admit it is a challenge to properly care for sugar gliders. Due to poor diet, ignorance, or household accidents, it is likely that 80% of gliders in captivity die within the first three to six years of life

For all of these reasons, sugar gliders are not a pet for children. If a child is interested in sugar gliders, he or she should research and make a goal of having pet sugar gliders only after college, when his/her lifestyle will enable him/her to give these animals the time and resources needed to be healthy and happy.