im thinking about get a sugar glider, most likely a 2 year old, thought maybe a young joey. im just wondering what to feed them, how much a day to feed them, and im curious as to how they act. do they act like hamsters where if you take them out, they will run away from you and hide and never find them? or are they more calm where if you put him on your shirt, he will stay there? if you got personal experince with them, please email me! drlkdel@aol.com thanks!!
http://www.sugarglider.com/archives/ruth/
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thir nocturnal and usualy calm i think fruits is what they eat but when they are young i think they drink some type of milk
my best friend had one
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I feed mine 1 tbsp fresh veggies, 1 tbsp fresh fruit, 1 tbsp of Bourbon’s Modified Leadbeater’s Diet Plan (BML), & 12 mealworms each night. I leave a dry sugar glider food out all day & then at 6 pm I put all of the above in the cage & let Pixie graze on it all night. I remove whatever is left in the morning. It takes a lot of work to earn the trust of a sugar glider. Until u do, they will act just like a hampster. I would resommend the joey. Older ones have been known to get depressed & self-mutilate when put in a new environment. If you wanna ask me any more ?’s – catluver1997@sbcglobal.net
my best friend had one
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HI there again…sugar gliders can be a wonderful pet so long as you have the time to give them physical attention “daily”. They are a social animal and depriving them of any attention they will actually die from lonliness as this causes depression. They can live up to 15 years so this isn’t a pet for someone who is enamoured by them for a couple months and then forgotten. They do better with a mate rather than alone since they are colony animals. In the wild they live in groups on average of 12-20 together. They need at least an hour to two hours of play time daily to stay socialized and well adjusted. There are very unlike hamsters as they a lot of socialization time daily at minimum an hour of play and bonding time. They will escape if they are unfamiliar with you so be sure to check all super small routes that a glider could squeeze into. Some people purchase a small childs tent to play with the gliders inside there which minimizes risk of escape. Once they are more bonded they tend to stay closer to you.
They require fresh fruits and vegetables daily and need insects (e.g. meal worms, crickets) since they are also insectivores. They need vitamin supplements as they suffer from hind-leg paralysis since they cannot get these minerals from the diets we feed them like they do in the wild. In their natural environment they also eat small animals (like small mice) to get those much needed minerals. I’ve posted this also in your other question.
Sugar gliders need toys and an enclosure that is a minimum of 3 feet high by 1.5 feet wide by 1.5 feet deep as they like to jump and glide. Anything smaller is too confining and can lead to health problems.
It’s important to find a vet that can care for exotic animals as many regular vets may not have the specialized training to medically treat a sugar glider. Many vets however may know of a local vet in your region who treats exotics.
Sugar gliders defecate and urinate everywhere except their sleeping pouches and mostly when they first wake up. They have a natural scent that some people may find a little pungent and it can become strong if the cage isn’t cleaned out and washed down weekly. The vocalizations they make are barking which is equivalent to small yapping dog (at lower volume) and a hisssssing sound. They also make a crabbing noise when angry, startled or frightened which sounds like a broken electric pencil sharpener.
1) The best way to clean the cages are always with 1 part bleach to 2 parts hot water and then rinse very thoroughly with hot water weekly. Gliders are proficient at soiling their cages very quickly and upkeep is important to minimize the risk of bacteria build-up weekly. They can become little stink-bombs otherwise and some people don’t like the pungeant odours they emit.
2) Two gliders would need a daily diet of 1/4 cup fresh/frozen vegetables and fruit with 1-2 meal worms each (live preferably) http://www.sugar-gliders.com/sugar-glider-diet.htm . Essentially 25% protein (worms/crickets) and 75% veggies/fruits. They will need calcium vitamin supplements http://www.repcal.com/supp.htm as gliders suffer from hind-leg paralysis. Many of the foods we feed them contain phosphorous which prohibits the absorption of calcium so this is why it’s imperitive to supplement with calcium. Glideraid should be offered several times a week. It is a nectar drink which is full of extra nutrients their fresh fruit/veggie diet doesn’t include: http://www.sugar-gliders.com/glidervet-16.htm . Quicko doesn’t provide enough of their nutritional requirements but can be offered as treats if they like them.
3) Older gliders will take a little while longer to encourage bonding. It would be beneficial to continue handling them frequently in order to help them become accustomed with your scents. Many people place an old t-shirt that smells like themselves in the gliders bedding to help them bond quicker. Consider purchasing a couple bonding pouches: http://www.sugarglider63.com/pouches2.htm http://www.sugar-gliders.com/bonding-pouch-list.htm to carry them with you while you are home. This also helps them hear your voice and as well your become accustomed to your body scents too.
4) I would use Care Fresh litter http://www.arcatapet.com/item.cfm?cat=4845 (usually found at most pet stores) for the base litter and paper as a liner. Kitty litter is very dangerous since it’s clumps and solidifies when wet which is lethal to their delicate digestive tract when ingested which happens when they lick their feet during grooming.
Housing should be at least 3 feet high by 2 feet wide and deep. Gliders need a lot of room to jump and glide. Nervous gliders will run laps/circles in smaller cages.
If it hasn’t been done already, consider having the male neutered. This will not only eliminated unwanted pregnancies, but also minimize the odour males emit during their sexual prowess as well as minimize aggression.
http://www.isga.org/informationcenter/HealthIssues/neutering.htm
http://exoticpets.about.com/od/sugargliders/f/sgspayneuter.htm
Here are more resources on glider care which includes housing, diet, vitamin supplements, care and bonding techniques: http://www.skinhorse.net/gliders/
Animal Trainer to domestics and exotics
Owner & Rescuer of Sugar Gliders
28 year friendship with a veterinarian
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