About Sugar Gliders
Credit to crazymouse_yyh

Last three thread:
Sugar Glider V7
Sugar Glider V8
Sugar Glider V9

Introduction

Sugar gliders are little marsupials that have been taken as exotic pets in many countries. These creatures are different from normal pet rodents like hamsters, mice and rats. They have character, mood swings, emotional bonds and the sweetest nature for a pet that comes in such a small package. Commonly mistaken as flying squirrels, Sugar gliders can be both easy and hard to take care. Their general care is much more complicated than pet rodents and they require alot of affection and attention from its owners. Look at it this way, gliders are like 3 year old kids.... they act cute and can annoy us sometimes while at the same time needs our total attention and bond.

Sugar gliders are tiny gliding opossums from Indonesia, New Guinea, New Zealand and Australia. The gliders that we get as pets in Malaysia are mostly from Indonesia as the other countries limit or does not allow native animals to be exported in the pet trade. Wild sugar gliders live in colonies of 6 to 15 animals in tree hollows or other nests made of vegetation. They are nocturnal so will mainly spend most of their day time asleep, only waking up at early mornings and late at night to forage for food.

An adult sugar glider is about the size of a flying squirrel, approximately 5 to 7 inches long from tip of nose to base of tail. Adults in proper body condition weigh about 120g. The tail is fluffy, often curls on the end and usually is longer than the body length.

Sugar glider joeys are normally a nice slivery grey but as they age, they will shed away this soft joey coat and replace with their true colours. Some glider colours that we have here are the normal greys and a few shades of browns. Some would turn brown if they constantly stay in coconuts coz it stains the fur. You should not worry about the colour for each sugar glider is unique in its own little way.

Where to get a joey? What age and size?

Petshops and suppliers do sell Sugar Gliders but please be aware if the age and size. Some shops may tell you that the younger the joey, the better but do remember, these animals when young needs milk to stay healthy. Also, our local pet milk or cows milk is not suitable since marsupials cannot tolerate lactose that is higher than 3.5%.

A guide to know which is the right age and which is not.
Never get a joey that looks like this:

Original photo by Hun







Photos as reference from www.glideruniversity.org

Underaged sugar gliders..... never get joeys that look like the ones in these pictures. They still need their mother's milk and warmth, they need more attention and more work than properly weaned joeys. Those pics, the joeys are only 3 weeks old Out Of Pouch.... joeys should be separated when they are more than 8 weeks Out Of Pouch... and that is the minimum age. The best age is actually 3 months....

Some people have experience their joeys dying... WHY? Coz the joey is too young, it is depressed and stressed.... a joey that young that is depress will not have any appetite for food, will catch cold and die coz it gives up living.

You should be getting joeys that look like these:

Orginal Photos by Reanne


Original Photo by Hun

Do get joeys that are older than 8 weeks Out Of Pouch. Do more research, look for guidance and information in this thread.

There are many sellers and suppliers here in LYN, so please beware of them. Some may tempt you into getting an underage joey by giving you false information. Some may sell you a pair package in order for a quick sales. Do your research first before buying.

There are a few good homebreeders here but they only have a few joeys available once or twice a year, so this is why it is hard to come about homebreeders.

Sugar Gliders as Pets

Tame Sugar Gliders just make the perfect pocket pet for they can travel anywhere with us in a little bonding pouch. They got happy little personalities that love to play and have physical contact with us. These creatures need attention. They are 100% social animals that live in small colonies in the wild. When we keep them in captivity, we must be able to give them a lot of attention and time. Play, bond, touching and feeding are all little things that we must do each day in order for our gliders to be perfect little healthy pets.

Gliders can live 10 to 15 years in captivity so they are considered a long term commitment. Make sure you can actually care for the glider for about 10 years before you get one.

Gliders are not like dogs, where you can train it with a leash and harness or collar and they can do tricks and come when called. Sugar gliders got minds of toddlers or young children. They need to be socialized and trained as soon as you get them but do not train them as if you would train a puppy. No, they would not react to "Good Boy/Girl, shake hand and beg" kind of training and tricks. Gliders require a soft human touch when training. They can be trained to know their names, just be patient and repeat their names when you cuddle them, handle them, feed them and during play. Gliders will never know where to defecate and relieve themselves like cats and dogs. Litter boxes would not work. These creatures would do it anywhere they please.

Also, gliders are not really domesticated so they do have a few wild habits like scent marking, chewing and gnawing on items or us and also climbing all sorts of high places.

A fact to remember, sugar gliders glide, they do not fly so don't be a genius and try to make your glider fly like a bird. Sugar gliders have a gliding membrane that connects their front paws to their back feet. They will spread open when there is a need to glide. This is why harnesses and leashes should never be on them for it could tear the membrane and hurt them.

Important items to have before purchasing a glider!

- A bounding Pouch and sleeping pouch
- A large cage suitable for the glider in the long run
- Fruits and BML or HPW Diet
- A container of mealworms or crickets
- Knowledge on sugar gliders and joey care
- Get in touch with someone that has experience with gliders.

Males or Females?

It is best not to get a male and female pair. Why is that so? Well, a glider can live for 8 to 12 years on average. A glider can readily breed once mature, some would start breeding at 8 months old while some start only at 2 years. Yes, it may sound tempting to have little joeys but can you be that dedicated? To sell one off can also be heartbreaking for you. So to avoid such pain and also overbreeding for gliders, you should either have a single sex pair or get the male castrated if with a female.

Is there any difference with males and females? Physically yes, females have a pouch on their tummy, it is like a belly button-kind of opening. Males would have their testicles looking like hanging cherries. The males when they mature, would develop a bald patch on its head. This is normal. The bald patch is the scent gland. Males have another scent gland on their chest and also at the anal area. Females do have scent glands to but only at the anal area.

Males musk, means covering their scent all over their territory. Females will mark but very little.

2 males can get along well if there are no females around. But 2 males can fight if a female is about coz they would fight over breeding rights. 2 females get along well too.

If you want to keep a male without all the musking and territorial attitude, get it neutered at a qualified and experience vet. Remember, your pet can live up to 10 years so make the right decision.

If you are thinking about breeding, please please please do read the caresheets and also research more on glider breeding. This is not simple and in the long run, over breeding can stress a glider and can cause it to have a short life span. Not healthy for them.

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General Breeding Information

In this forum, we do not encourage breeding if you do not have the time and knowledge but here are a few websites to guide you if you are curious to know. Also it has pictures and about joey growth:

http://www.petsugargliders.com/sggrowth.php

About milk for gliders:
http://www.wombaroo.com.au/possum.htm

Good Care Sheets:
http://www.exoticpetvet.com/breeds/sugarglider.htm
http://www.sugar-gliders.com/sugar-glider-care.htm
http://ksks.essortment.com/sugarglidercar_rdxi.htm
http://www.sugargliderbabies.com/info.htm
http://www.thesugarshack.com/
http://thepetglider.com/index/
http://www.glideruniversity.org/index/cont...tegory/5/19/64/
http://www.glideruniversity.org/index/cont...tegory/5/25/64/
http://www.glideruniversity.org/index/content/view/36/64/

This post has been edited by nezumitaro: Dec 3 2008, 12:25 AM

Housing

Adult gliders can tolerate a temperature range of 18º-31ºC. If you ever keep in an air condition room, never keep the cage directly under the air flow of the glider could catch a cold. Recommended temperature for an air cond room with gliders would be 23ºC to 26ºC. Gliders in air cond rooms would need warm bedding like fleece or old tshirts to keep them warm in their pouches. Why pouches? Firstly, it is soft and warm, it is also very comfortable and easy to clean and wash. Try and avoid hideboxes for hamsters and birds, coconuts with holes, plastic bird houses. These things just causes your glider to hide more from you and it is hard to clean and also to get your glider out of the hidebox or coconut. A timid glider may become over protective of it's coconut or box and will be harder to tempt it out than a glider that is in a sleeping pouch. Fabric for the pouches should be absorbent materials such as fleece or cotton because it keeps humidity from building up inside, and also "breathe" so that moisture and smells don't build up. It's also easy to wash. If you use materials such as plastic or glazed ceramic, your gliders will eventually take on a brownish tinge as their fur is stained by the trapped moisture, and they probably won't smell as nice as they should.

As for cages, the bigger it is, the better for gliders! Do not be fooled by people saying that hamster cages are good enough or fish tanks. Even small bird cages are too small for them.

Here are some pictures from the Internet as an example of suitable cages:


Dimension: 30"Length x 18"Depth x 55"Height.


Dimension: 18" x 14" x 34"


Dimensions: 60" tall x 30" wide x 30" deep


Dimensions: 19" X 28" X 72



Various cage sizes similar to the above listed are available at Pet Shack(Sunway Mentari), Pet Safari(Ikano), Fluff (NZX Square) and also Petaling Street petshops. The most minimum cage size recommended(3ft height) would cost appx. RM100-120. Bigger ones would cost a little more, but is an investment worth putting into.

Websites on sugar glider cages, even a How To page:
http://exoticpets.about.com/cs/sugarglider...rglidercage.htm
http://exoticpets.about.com/cs/sugarglider...rglidercage.htm
http://www.angelfire.com/tx/facehugger/cageplans.html

You can use coconut decorative pots but make sure they are not glazed. Polished ones are ok.
http://forum.lowyat.net/index.php?act=Atta...=post&id=214243

Toys.
http://www.suzsugargliders.com/nosewaccessories.htm
http://s253.photobucket.com/albums/hh80/suggiegirl/

You can get creative with cage accessories. You can use plastic link chains, twine rope, nylon rope, hammocks, flower pots... the list just goes on with your creativity. Check out Garage Sales for sleeping pouches that are a must have for gliders.


Wooden toys for birds do make excellent toys for gliders.

Gliders are arboreal, they need lots of climbing exercise. You can get hold of ExoTerra Vines and make a creeping perch for your gliders to climb up on. Get hold of safe non-toxic branches and use natural fine twine to create climbing ladders or stands, make it up to your own creativity.

Besides climbing material, gliders do love to run on wheels so getting a quality wheel is good for their health. The safest wheel for gliders are Wodent Wheels, which are available only at Pet Shack. So get yourself a wheel. No other places carry this wonderful wheel which your glider would enjoy running and playing on.



Bedding and Cage Substrate

Now it must seem that sugar gliders look like rodents, so some petshops would recommend you to buy hamster wood shavings for your gliders. This is a very big mistake. Never use hamster wood shavings on gliders for the wood would secrete phenols which could cause lung damage in the long run.

Gliders love to sleep in their hideboxes or coconuts or sleeping pouches but they do love it when there is something soft for snuggling. Do not give our normal bath towels. You can just use plain old soft tissue paper. Fleece pieces could be made into blankets. Another safe material would be our cotton tshirts. Get 1 of those Rm3.90 cotton tshirts from Carrefour or Giant hypermarkets and cut the shirt into little pieces. Make sure there are no strings or holes in it. The reason why tissue paper, fleece and cotton tshirts are recommended is that very often gliders like to chew and kick around the material. Stringy towels or holey cloths would tangle the gliders, causing the lost of limbs or worst, death from suffocation. Also, never use sponge or pure cotton.

As for cage substrate, always make sure there is a wire mesh separating the gliders from the substrate at least with a 1 inch gap. You can use plain old newspaper, corn cob bedding, Breeder's Celect Recycled Paper cat litter, Litter Star silicon cat litter pellets or Careline Wood base cat litter.

This post has been edited by nezumitaro: Feb 3 2009, 08:54 AM

Diet/Nutrition
written by krynzpeaches

A good and balanced diet can make all the difference not only to humans, but Sugar Gliders too! This will ensure a healthy and long happy life as well as a more clean and slightly better smelling environment

Like the saying "We are what we eat..." So don't take lightly on their diet.

Sugar gliders thrive on sweet substance just like their name, however they cannot take simple sugar like we do, the sweetness must come from natural sources such as fruits. In the wild they require sweet substance from nectar, tree sap, manna, honeydew and fruits, so in captivity, to simulate as close to this, we must provide them with a variety of fresh fruits daily.

Sugar gliders are omnivorous meaning, they don't only need fruits in their diet but insects too for their protein intake. In the wild they get to chase and eat a variety type of insects, but in captivity we normally give them farm raised* meal worms, crickets or boiled chicken meat for their protein. Although there are other types of insects that can be given to sugar gliders, unfortunately we do not have them available here in Malaysia.

DO NOT feed your sugar gliders insects that is captured in your backyard or house compound area, they may contain harmful pesticides that can cause illness to your sugar glider.

For captive sugar gliders, it is also very important to provide them with a daily staple food which can either be a pre-set feeds** that are meant for omnivorous animals or mixes. Unfortunately there is NO pre-set feeds available for sugar gliders in Malaysia. Luckily mixes are something that we can whip up ourselves or be purchased on LYN To make your own mixes, there are plenty of the recipes available in the net, however, personally I feel that we need to make a few adjustments to the recipes in the net to accommodate our sugar gliders in Malaysia. Watch out for cereal, alot of baby food cereal in Malaysia contains milk and soya, which is not good for a glider's health.

Here's a breakdown of the 3 main food category intake for captive sugar glider. Always feed to a ratio of 60% fruits and vegetables and 40% protein. (Increase the protein to 50% for breeding sugar gliders especially moms with joey/s In Pouch or Nursing.)

1) A fresh source of fruits or vegetables. The fruits or vegetables are best to be chopped into grab size pieces as sugar glider likes to grab hold of their food by hand to eat them.

We should feed fruits and veggies which are higher in calcium than phosphorus. Remember the ratio 2calcium:1phosphrous.

Links:

http://www.iguanaden.org/diet/calphosfruit.htm (thanks to shutterstar)
http://www.sugar-gliders.com/glidervet-60.htm
http://www.petsugargliders.com/sgratio.php
*For a list of fruits and vegetables that is has been fed to our local captive sugar gliders plus some remarks about it, click on the spoiler below.*



2) A fresh source of protein. Farm raised* mealworms or crickets or boiled chicken meat. Be sure to always gut load your mealworms or crickets first before feeding your sugar glider

3) A daily staple of mix. (This is a must since we do not have any other pre-set feeds** for their staple diet.)

Vitamins and Calcium supplements (and other supplements) is a need for captive sugar glider to ensure a balance and healthy diet. Most of the food sources provided still lack of vitamins and especially calcium. By giving them these extra supplements, we can ensure them of a long and healthy life

Most recommended vitamins and calcium supplements (like Vionate and Rep Cal) are unfortunately NOT available here in Malaysia, however there are other brands that has been found similar to these in Malaysia which is Repti-Vite and Repti-Cal. Vitamins and calcium supplements are normally sprinkled on top of their daily food serving. Not more than a pinch per glider and not more than one serving per day. Means if you have added the supplements to their mix, DO NOT add them to their other foods. Too much of the supplements can be as harmful as not giving them at all.

Another great supplement that can be added to their diet is yogurt. Yogurt is high in protein and calcium plus bacterial cultures that promotes the absorption of calcium better. You can feed them plain low fat yogurt or choose to indulge them in some naturally flavored ones. Not more than 1 teaspoon per glider 2 or 3 times a week only. Avoid getting fat-free yogurt. The best are low-fat yogurt for our gliders.

Finally, ensure that fresh clean water is available at all time. Water bottles such as the ones used for hamsters are highly recommended compared to water in dish bowls because water in dish bowls will get easily contaminated by their food, poo and pee.

Some NO foods / CAUTION foods and why.

1) NO corn - Although sugar gliders will readily dive into it, we must not include corn in their diet because the phosphorus content is higher than any other food, thus do not offer any benefits to sugar gliders except more phosphorus that could lead to bone deficiency.

2) NO avocado - Very high in fat.

3) CAUTION on grapes - Although there is still research going on about this, we must caution on the intake of grapes or raisins due to some death in sugar gliders that points to some of the substance found only in grapes. I'd say better safe than sorry.

4) NO iceberg lettuce - Non nutritional value and can cause watery poo!

5) NO chocolates - Chocolates are a NO-NO to all animals. It causes a toxic chemical reaction in most animals.

6) CAUTION on high fat content food - Nuts especially are high in fat. Some will offer sun flower seeds to their sugar gliders, but do this sparingly and strictly as treats not a part of their diet.

7) NO fried food - Again, very high in fat.

8) NO cat or dog food as a staple- Although most commercial breeders feed their sugar gliders with cat or dog food, they just merely want to substitute the fresh food that needs to be prepared daily, to something easy and lasting to eat without considering their long term health and not to mention - Cheap. Cat food is designed for cats, same goes with dog food. They are not meant for sugar glider. Not to mention that cat or dog food can cause intestinal blockage and kidney failure in the long run. You can ONLY feed it as a treat or additional protein supplement.

* Farm raised mealworms or crickets are those you can buy from our local pet shops.
** Pre-set feeds are those commercial dry staple food specially for sugar gliders.

DO NOT SMOKE IN FRONT OF YOUR GLIDER. IT CAN KILL THEM

This post has been edited by nezumitaro: Nov 28 2008, 02:55 PM

Diseases and Disorders
written by Bonai

Sugar gliders are excellent in hiding their illness, so make sure you're always alert about your gliders when they are sick. If your pet shows signs of illness, do not give it any medications unless prescribed by your veterinarian. Remember that with the appearance of any clinical signs, a qualified veterinarian should be allowed to make a definitive diagnosis. Identifying and treating diseases in their early stages is the key to successful treatment and cure. Like many other exotic species that become ill, sick sugar gliders are very fragile, and require prompt veterinary attention.

Obesity (Same). Treatment -Avoid overfeeding; enlarge living space to encourage more climbing and exercise.

Hyperparathyroidism (Weakness, muscle tremors, fractures). Treatment - Caused by nutritional imbalance and calcium deficiency; review and correct diet; calcium supplements.

Head alopecia (Hair loss in the center of the head). Treatment - Normal in some males; identifies the location of ascent gland.

Abdominal "lumps" (Apparent lumps on the stomach of a female glider). Treatment - Again, this is normal; these "lumps" are baby sugar gliders in their mom's pouch!

Lack of or decline in appetite. Treatment - Can be caused by stress (lack of companionship, too much light, temperature fluctuations), may cause blindness, damaged teeth, other illness.

Enteritis (Diarrhea) Treatment - Caused by parasites and/or bacterial infections; treat accordingly; improve sanitation and reduce stress.

Overeating/overdrinking; pacing; excess vocalization. Treatment - Usually caused by boredom; insecurity (lack of adequate hiding places); lack of social interaction; housing too small; correct underlying cause.

Blindness (Partial or complete loss of sight) Treatment - Thought to be dietary in origin; often seen in obese gliders.

Rear-end paralysis (Weakness or paralysis of the hindlimbs) Treatment - Due to poor diet coupled with a lack of exercise; stress may also play a role; treat by correcting diet and increasing size of living quarters.

Incoordination (Falling from branches; bounces into walls) Treatment - Can be caused by blindness, rear-end paralysis, obesity, foot disorders, sprains and fractures; treatment should address the underlying cause.

Recommended vets:
(these vets are known to treat sugar gliders)

1) Dr Jenny

HANDS "N" PAWS
C-17G, Jalan PJU 1/45,
Aman Suria Damansara, 47301 PJ
Tel: 03-7804 6539
Dr Jenny can neuter male gliders safely.
Dr. Jenny now works on fridays, sundays and mondays.
Hands and Paws is now having a promotion to neuter gliders using gas anesthetic. RM110 only. For those who want to neuter your gliders, please make your appointment now.



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2) Dr Yeoh

YEOH VETERINARY CLINIC & SURGERY
126, Jln SS 24/2, Tmn Megah, 47301 PJ, Selangor
Tel: 03-7804 8684
Fax: 03-7805 2350
Dr Yeoh can neuter male gliders safely.
Call to make an appointment


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3) Dr Vellayan

10, Jalan L2, Phase 6A
Taman Melawati
53100 Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 013-6246 918
Tel/Fax: 03-4108 5530
Call to make an appointment as his practise is normally during the night.

This post has been edited by nezumitaro: Dec 11 2008, 05:02 PM

Sugar Glider Attendances List:

Want your babies photos and names on the 1st page of Sugar Glider Thead forever?

Kinly PM me your Sugar Glider Photo with their name.
1 glider per photo, or a few gliders per photo are acceptable. But don't send me 10 photos with the same glider. Thanks.



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LEFT:sachi RIGHT:shino
Parents: Shakeera

This post has been edited by nezumitaro: Nov 21 2008, 04:41 PM

Sugar Glider Attendances List:

This post has been edited by nezumitaro: Nov 21 2008, 03:20 PM

EVENTS

Updates on events will be here..

Thank you.

This post has been edited by bonai: Nov 21 2008, 03:00 PM

Hola

Reserved

Kelvin, what are you reserving lah?

Reserved

Kee Poo Chee!! I got informations to share la.. Thought wana share here easier la!

Sumore this thread is use to give ppl information ma! Am i wrong r?

Heya, all at PS d r, Kai-Ma to Daisha?

I thought you reserving to give me free glider toys or something ma, so I ma ask lah

Can also.. U tell me where to get nice quality fleece, then i help do a few toys hand made by me for Athena la.. Ok bo? I wan fleece with nice designs n cheap too. Kaka Serious ya!! Been searching to make toys for my babies.

This post has been edited by kelvin_faye: Nov 21 2008, 03:00 PM

yeah~ v10 ~ i love Eva ! suggie rox~

Mike, share some pictures of Eva lah.

Haven't seen any of her...

Wow...already V10. Congratz & bravo!!! ^^

he u go~ u wan my pic oso?

Ver 10 already....

Congrat....

Wah, she's a big girl already.

Is she eating well? Athena is getting fussy these days