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Complete Suger Glider Guide for Beginners

Sugar Gliders are known as nocturnal animals, which means they are pretty much active at night and sleep during the day. So if you want to keep a Sugar Glider as a pet, you need to know everything about them.

They love to eat sweet food, mainly fruits and vegetables, and they have a thin membrane that stretches from their wrists to their ankles, similar to a flying squirrel. This is how they got their name, “Sugar Glider.” Using this membrane, they can glide from tree to tree at a distance of up to 150 feet in the wild.

Housing

Cage

Setting up a comfortable new home for your suger glider is very easy when you know everything what they like most .

In the wild, they love to jump and glide from tree to tree. So in captivity, you must ensure a larger cage so that they can jump comfortably.A large vertical cage is ideal for them.I personally use 3 ft. high ,2 ft. Wide and 2ft. long

Cage Accessories

In the wild, Sugar Gliders spend most of their time searching for food and enjoying their environment. In captivity, they get their food from their humans. To care for your captive Sugar Glider’s mental and physical health, enrichment must be provided.

  1. Designated areas for food, water, shelter, and exercise
  2. Provide several nest boxes, and you can add a sleeping pouch inside the box (recommended)
  3. Branches (don’t add artificial color to the branches; I personally use apple branches)
  4. Add some toys, swings, and chew toys
  5. I personally recommend tunnels and hanging toys because they provide great stimulation.

Note: As they are nocturnal animals, they love to hide, so ensure their cage is not in a high-traffic area to allow them better sleep. You can add some hidden places in high areas.

Cage Cleaning

Sugar Gliders are naturally clean animals, so a dirty cage can negatively impact their physical and mental health. To prevent infection and disease, clean the entire cage at least three times a week.

Diet

Before getting a sugar glider, you must know their diet plan. A nutritional diet helps them live a happy and healthy life.

Giving your sugar glider a nutritious diet

Fresh water: Put a source of fresh water in your sugar glider’s cage at all times. Filtered water is recommended but not necessary; change the water at least once per day.

Protein: In the wild, sugar gliders are very active with a high metabolism. They eat little and glide from tree to tree, which helps them stay fit. Don’t feed your glider too much protein, as it can make them fat and increase the risk of some diseases. However, all gliders need some protein in their daily diet. I personally use 10% protein in their daily diet. Here are some of the best sources of protein for them:

  1. Bugs (e.g., crickets, mealworms, superworms)
  2. Hard-boiled eggs
  3. Plain nonfat yogurt
  4. Boiled chicken or turkey
5% treats daily

Note: Try to feed crickets, mealworms, and superworms as treats, not as their main food, and do not overfeed them due to their high fat content.

Fresh fruits and vegetables:
To ensure a nutritional diet for your glider, provide them with a variety of fruits and vegetables.

  • I prefer sweet fruits and vegetables because they love to eat these most, but don’t feed them the same items all the time; use variety.
  • Avocado, lettuce, chives, and onions should not be fed to your glider.
  • Make sure your glider is getting enough calcium from their diet (feed them berries, raw corn, papaya, etc.).

What you should not feed them

  • Foods that are considered toxic (e.g., apple seeds, tomato stems and leaves, and eggplant stems and leaves)
  • Avoid chocolate, candy, or foods with artificial sweeteners
  • Foods treated with pesticides or preservatives
  • Bugs and insects collected from outside (they may have been affected by pesticides)

Health Care

  1. Sugar Gliders naturally try to hide themselves, so make some hidden places for them.
  2. Their signs of illness can make early detection of disease difficult, so be vigilant about some common medical concerns.

Some common medical concerns

(If your Sugar Glider has any of the following symptoms, please contact your veterinarian for an appointment right away)

  • Drooling/dental disease
  • Stress-related disorders (self-mutilation, eating stool, pacing, hair loss)
  • Traumatic injuries (cuts, punctures, fractures)
  • Decrease/increase in eating or drinking
  • Weight decrease/increase (obesity & malnutrition)
  • Breathing or respiratory problems

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