Clay's Sugar Glider Page
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A Sugar Glider is a small marsupial that looks very similar to a flying squirrel. Sugar Gliders have a membrane of skin between their fore and back legs which allows them to glide up to several hundred feet. In the wild they live about four years, but with proper care in captivity can live ten to fifteen years. An adult Glider has a body about five inches long plus a six inch tail used as a rudder while gliding through the air. An ideal Glider diet is about 75% fruits and vegetables, and 25% protein. Pregnant females, of course, need more protein. Gliders are native to Australia, Indonesia, and New Guinea, with most gliders in the US imported from Indonesia. Sugar Gliders are social or "clan" animals. They live in close groups of up to 15 in the wild. This is why it is almost necessary to have at least two Gliders, or you need to spent at least two hours a day with your individual glider. If a glider does not get enough attention then it will die. Gliders recognize each other and humans by there own individual scent and will become attached to you and will seek your attention. Although a wild Glider is almost impossible to tame.
A gliders diet consists of 75% fruits & vegetables and 25%protein. Gliders eat and need a wide variety of fruits and vegetables for proper nutrition. What fruits and vegetables they are given needs to vary from week to week. As for protein, I feed them crickets (mealworms are good too), low fat kitten chow and a formula called Leadbeaters mix. The mix can be found at Ruth's_Modified_Version. I also occasionally feed them a peanut, but only give them about 1 per day per glider as they are high in fat. Mostly its a lot of experimentation on what things they like and do not like, don't be afraid to try different fruits and vegetables, they might just like it.
There is a lot of discussion on how much room a Glider needs in a cage and how many Gliders to put in a cage. I have two permanent Gliders, which are my pets and ocassionally they have babies, but when the babies are ready to be weaned I sell them. I think that a cage should be no smaller than 36in high, 18in wide and 18in deep for one glider, but this size cage could accommodate at an absolute maximum of three gliders. Most cages are made of wire, but plexiglass will also work. The more room you have in a cage the more exercise a Glider can get and the healthier and happier your little friend will be.
During the day and at night Gliders need a place to sleep that is secure. There are several products on the market like the ones you can find at Pocket Full of Fun and is like a cloth sack. I have heard of people using empty butter tubs with a hole cut in the side and the lid on top, clay pots can be used also and done the same way as the butter tub. You may also put in bedding (not necesary in the "cloth sack"). Small pieces of cloth, maybe small strips of paper and a ripped up paper towel will do fine.
Top Ten Reasons to Get a Glider:
Top Bottom Reasons a Sugar Glider May Not Be For You:
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