What are Sugar Gliders Sugar Gliders
Natural history:
Sugar Gliders are marsupials, where their young start off in a pouch, like the kangaroo.
They are originally from Australia, New Guinea, Indonesia's forests and rain forests.
Sugar Glider name derived from from diet which is part nectar and sap of trees and eucalyptus, and they have a flap of skin between wrists and ankles, to glide from tree to tree.
They are omnivorous; means they eat plants and meat. The food they eat in the wild consists of nectar, fruits, insects, small birds and rodents.
Diet is the most important factor for a healthy glider. Many people do not research them and feed them wrong kinds of food. There is a lot of debate about the diet, I reccommend researching Sugar Glider diets and asking your vet.
Calcium is very important, or they can get hind leg paralysis.
They live in a social family setting in wild , this is why they bond so well to human families.
If they are deprived of social interation they will not thrive. ( they become depressed and die. )
Characteristics:
Sugar gliders are endearing, playful, and entertaining pets. Since they are very social. If you get one and can’t spent a minimum of three hours a day, then get a second one for company. They will be happy just riding around on their human in a pocket or pouch.
They tend to fairly healthy animals , they are clean, do not give or get diseases often. They do not require vaccinations.
They live 12-15 years.
Can not be housebroken, but they do go potty right after waking up.
Their nails are sharp, and will scratch if they need to dig in when jumping or climbing.
They have sharp teeth, and though not aggressive, will bite if they feel threatened or frightened.
It may take a great deal of time to get them to the point of being cuddly.
So, Welcome to Hartland Sugar Gliders. My name is Cathy Hart. I am a true lover of animals, but, especially sugar gliders. I have MANY Sugar Gliders at this time. I love each and every minute I spend with them. I think about them constantly. I am obsessed with my Gliders.
One thing I have learned about people is you can not talk about politics, money, and how to raise children, without someone getting very passionate about them. And since gliders are like our children, we see a multitude of different opinions on the proper care of our sugar gliders.
I am a nurse, and love to learn about the health , anatomy , and caring for these wonderful animals. I have studied extensively on sugar gliders.
My passion is to breed the different colors. The genetics part of breeding as fascinating to me.
This page was last updated: February 6, 2010
