SUGAR GLIDERS ARE A MARSUPIAL NATIVE TO
AUSTRALIA BUT FAST BECOMING A POPULAR POCKET PET HERE IN THE US AND
CANADA.
Watch this amazing video of sugar gliders doing
what they do best. Thank you to the BBC for this amazing video.
Pollie
belongs to Bridgette
Sugar
Gliders (Petaurus Breviceps) are tiny Marsupials
originally from Australia. Marsupial females carry their young (called
joeys) in a pouch. The Joey will attach itself to a nipple
inside the pouch where it will mature. Sugar
Gliders are nocturnal and therefore most active at night. They
sleep a lot during the day and need to have a dark place to hide from
the light. During the day they love to be in a pouch
either in their cage, around your neck, or even in your pocket
or your bra.(You can just imagine the looks you get as your
glider pops its head out of your shirt or pocket)
Diva
belongs to Shesadiva2
GLIDERS
SOUND SO GREAT! SO WHY IS THERE A NEED FOR RESCUE?
Ash
belongs to thegliderlady
Gliders
are extremely social and in the wild they live in large
colonies. They prefer to live in pairs or groups and
they require many hours of interaction with their
human each day. If you are lucky enough to have a glider that has been
properly socialized and is bonded to you this can be a very enjoyable
thing. They love to be in fleece pouches or in your shirt or pocket.
Gliders can be sweet, loving and fun animals and each
has its own personality, likes and dislikes. They are curious
and love to play, much like kittens, but they can leap long distances
like the American Flying Squirrel. They have a thin gliding
membrane called the Patiguim (flap of
skin covered in fur) that runs from wrist to ankle and allows
them to glide long distances. They are excellent jumpers, and need a
LARGE cage with bars no more than 1/2 inch spacing,fleece pouches and
lots of toys and places to leap and climb to. Do not use wood
unless you are sure it is glider safe, and remember a glider is not a
hampster or gunia pig and many things can be toxic to
them.
Gliders can live up to 15
years if they are cared for correctly. Unfortunately, Gliders tend to
be an Impulse bought pet. They are sold at Swap Meets, Flea Markets,
Reptile and Home Shows, and some pet stores who do not care
for them properly. Their goal is to sell gliders and cages, not to make
sure their gliders have a good, happy, long life, and are cared for
properly. Usually no education comes with the purchase and sometimes
they are sent home in a hamster cage, with pellet food or even cat
food. Gliders require a LARGE cage with ample room to jump and
glide. They need a special diet and fresh food every day. This is not a
pet you can place food in a cage for and leave for a weekend. You must
spend at least 6 hours a day with your glider to socialize him or her
properly. They need this interaction and can die without it. Stress can
kill your glider, as well as illness, malnutrition, and
dehydration. A vet with specific knowledge of sugar gliders is required
to have on hand and available for emergencies. The food a glider eats
can be expensive and does take a while to prepare. There is fresh fruit
and veggies to cut and worms and crickets or boiled chicken to feed.
They need to be loved and have a companion to play and snuggle with.
Often after the newness wares off the glider is left alone and the
person grows tired of all the work involved in caring for such a
demanding pet. If the glider is properly socialized and is already
pouch or bra trained (trained to stay in your bra, pocket or pouch
while you go about your daily tasks) it can become aggressive if you
don’t spend the right amount of time with him every day.
There are many reasons a glider can end up in a rescue or
re-homed situation. A parent may have bought the glider as a pet for a
child who is now (in the last 15 years) leaving for college and the
parent cant care for it. They didn’t know what they were getting in to
when they bought the glider and it is just too much work.
Their glider has become ill and they can’t take care of it anymore.
Sugar gliders are not legal in every state and sometimes moving is
unavoidable or there could be a family illness. Some rescues are taken
from unethical breeders either from glider lovers, the USDA or other
agencies, and there are others that took a glider in for all the right
reasons and just cant care for it any more.
WHAT DO SUGAR
GLIDERS EAT?
THE QUICK FACTS ON DIET....
Gliders need a very special
diet!
Every night they should have
glider safe fruits, vegetables, and a proven glider
diet such as BML.
Daily protein like
mealmorms,crickets or boiled chicken is a MUST!
Sugar Gliders MUST be on a diet that has been
proven to be nutritionally sound, and meant specifically for Sugar
Gliders. There are a few good, proven diets for gliders, HOWEVER there
are many that are not good, BUT much easier to find. Pelleted
food is not enough for your glider. Even the diets that have pellets or
dried foods should be fed with fruits, veggies, protein and
other supplements. PLEASE do your research before getting a glider to
learn about the diets and how to use them correctly. ONLY use a PROOVEN
diet, and follow it completely.
CLICK BELOW FOR MORE INFO ON
GLIDER DIET.
**All content of SuggieSavers.orgŠ is
copywrite protected. Any and all use of content within
SuggieSavers.orgŠ, can only be used with written permission from
owners.**
