General Information:
We've noticed that sugar gliders are an exotic animal with so many misconceptions and misinformation surrounding their care. This is partly due to a lack of education as well as a lack of research surrounding proper husbandry. You must be well educated before committing to a pet sugar glider as many of the most common health issues seen in captivity are the result of improper care.
Sugar gliders are undeniably an absolutely adorable gliding possum and belong to the marsupial class. Marsupials are not rodents, not even close. In fact, sugar gliders closer to Kangaroos! Most marsupials carry their young within a pouch and are usually found in Australia and in the Americas. The sugar glider is commonly found throughout mainland Australia, New Guinea, Tasmania, and other local areas.
They're nocturnal, and their omnivorous diet is incredibly challenging to replicate in captivity (we will touch on that later). They're highly social mammals and it can often be found living in groups of up to 10 in the wild.
Given their extreme husbandry requirements and frequent cases of neglect seen in captivity, keeping them in captivity should be discouraged.
They have an average lifespan of 7 years.
Care:
Housing/Enrichment:
Sugar gliders are marsupials native to Australia and New Guinea. They have a range of habitats that are primarily forests in either tropical, coastal, or dry inland sclerophyll tropical . They are a social, nocturnal and arboreal species. Their anatomy has evolved to be perfectly adapted to their native environment. Sugar gliders are able to glide (up to 50m) as their name suggests. They belong to the family Petauridae which translates to ‘wrist-winged gliders’ (Veterinary Manual, 2019). They have a thin gliding membrane called the patagium that extends from the fifth digit of the forepaws to their ankles, and their tail is somewhat prehensile which helps them move safely and effectively around their home environment. Their eyes are large, protruding, and widely spaced giving them a large field of vision well adapted to seeing at night.
Enclosures should be as large as possible, sources state a minimum of 2m wide by 2m long and at least 1.8m high, but a larger enclosure is always better. The enclosure should be made from mesh no wider than 1.25-2.5cm to prevent injury and escapes. It is preferred for the wire to be made of stainless steel coated in PVC as sugar gliders are prone to zinc poisoning. Depending on where they’re housed, sugar gliders may need additional heating. Outdoor enclosures should have roofing to protect them from the elements. If kept indoors they should be kept within a warm room away from direct sunlight. Nest boxes are essential and should be positioned high in the cage, but not too high so that the glider will potentially tear their membrane when landing on the top, and with sufficient space between nest boxes to prevent territorial aggression. Providing vertical trees, ropes, and branches will allow for natural gliding behaviour. Some sugar glides appreciate safe bird toys available for additional enrichment. It is advised to place food into feeders high off the ground, and nectar can be placed on trees within their accommodation. The base of the cage can be filled with safe aspen or paper substrate which will need to be spot cleaned daily and fully emptied weekly.
A human home may be at the lower end of their metabolic tolerance and comfort zone. Their preferred temperature range is 27°C to 31°C, but they can tolerate ranges as much as 15°C to 32°C.
Credit: https://www.theddocfoundation.org/guide-in-building-a-sugar-glider-cage/
Credit: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/jungle-jam-cage-theme-on-glidercentralnet-if-i-had-the-space-id-make-a-cage-like-this-for-my-boos--200128777165902586/
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Credit: https://www.facebook.com/custombuiltvivariums/
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Credit: https://www.custombuiltvivariums.co.uk/
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Socialising:
You should never keep sugar gliders alone as it can cause them to become very depressed and display stereotypical behaviours. You can cohabit males and females provided the male(s) are neutered (castrating male sugar gliders is a relatively simple procedure if performed by an experienced vet). Sugar gliders naturally live in quite large groups.
Some sugar gliders can be quite nippy, especially when they're not handled or interacting with humans frequently - ideally daily. When handling your sugar glider outside of their cage, please ensure the area is safe so that your pet cannot injure themselves.
Diet:
A sugar gliders diet is arguably one of, if not the most difficult part of their care. You must feed your sugar gliders a suitable diet. Malnutrition can lead to dental diseases, metabolic bone disease, dehydration, and more.
A wild sugar would mostly consume sap, honeydew from nectar-eating insects, insects, manna, bird eggs, eucalyptus gum, lizards, small birds, and fruits.
It's important to note that a sugar gliders diet should not contain more phosphorus than calcium as this leads them susceptible to countless injuries and illnesses.
Exotic veterinarians and experienced keepers recommend:
Personally, our preferred recipes are the, SGS2 diet (our firm favourite), Leadbeater's recipe and Taronga Zoo recipe, but again, sugar glider nutrition is a controversial subject.
SGS || Diet:
The Leadbeater's recipe:
Taronga Zoo recipe:
2 sugar glider 30-day recipe:
Refrigerate unused portions.
Treats can include various live insects and well as some alternations of fruits and vegetables.
Many suitable vitamin/mineral powders are available but branded for reptiles. You can use reptile multivitamin and calcium with D3.
Please feel free to ask more questions.
You should never keep sugar gliders alone as it can cause them to become very depressed and display stereotypical behaviours. You can cohabit males and females provided the male(s) are neutered (castrating male sugar gliders is a relatively simple procedure if performed by an experienced vet). Sugar gliders naturally live in quite large groups.
Some sugar gliders can be quite nippy, especially when they're not handled or interacting with humans frequently - ideally daily. When handling your sugar glider outside of their cage, please ensure the area is safe so that your pet cannot injure themselves.
Diet:
A sugar gliders diet is arguably one of, if not the most difficult part of their care. You must feed your sugar gliders a suitable diet. Malnutrition can lead to dental diseases, metabolic bone disease, dehydration, and more.
A wild sugar would mostly consume sap, honeydew from nectar-eating insects, insects, manna, bird eggs, eucalyptus gum, lizards, small birds, and fruits.
It's important to note that a sugar gliders diet should not contain more phosphorus than calcium as this leads them susceptible to countless injuries and illnesses.
Exotic veterinarians and experienced keepers recommend:
- 2:1 ratio between calcium and phosphorus
- 40% protein for non-breeding sugar gliders
- Avoid excessive fats
- Avoid refined sugars.
Personally, our preferred recipes are the, SGS2 diet (our firm favourite), Leadbeater's recipe and Taronga Zoo recipe, but again, sugar glider nutrition is a controversial subject.
SGS || Diet:
- 450g fruit and vegetables; preferably using a lot of butternut squash, sweet potato and carrot. The fruit varies but preferably use papaya, apple, pear – lots of recipes can be found on Sugar Gliders UK Facebook page.
- 2 teaspoons of High Protein Supplement
- 1 teaspoon of bee pollen
- 1 quarter of a teaspoon of acacia gum
- 1 tablespoon of brown linseed soaked in 3 – 4 tablespoons of boiling water
- 1 heaped tablespoon of oatmeal
- 1 tablespoon of natural probiotic yogurt
- 1 half teaspoon of spirulina
- 1 peeled hard boiled egg
- Calcium should be given 2 – 3 times a week. When using calcium powder, make 2 batches, one with half a teaspoon of calcium and one without. Mark them up clearly and feed accordingly.
- Gliderade is also given 2 – 3 times a week – you can give this on the calcium free days.
The Leadbeater's recipe:
- 150ml honey
- 150ml warmed water
- 1 shelled boiled egg
- 25g of high protein baby cereal
- 1tsp of mineral and vitamin supplement - do not add to the water supply.
Taronga Zoo recipe:
- 3g apple
- 3g banana/corn
- 1.5g dog kibble
- 1 tsp of fly pupae
- 3g blueberries/kiwi
- 4g orange with skin
- 2g pear
- 3g sweet potato
- 2tsp Leadbeater's recipe
- Mix water and honey and blend the egg in a separate container.
- Add the water and honey mix, vitamin powder, and baby cereal and mix until smooth.
2 sugar glider 30-day recipe:
- 16oz/2 cups of various 2-4 fruits
- 16oz/2 cups of various 2-4 vegetables
- 6-8oz of plain whole-milk, yoghurt - no artificial sweeteners
- 6tsp of calcium-fortified orange juice
- 6-8 tsp of uncooked oatmeal
- 32oz of apple sauce
- 6-8 oz of egg, chicken, or turkey
- 1-2 tsp of ground flaxseed
- Finely chop or process your fruits and vegetables
- Cook protein (chicken, egg, or turkey)
- Put all ingredients into a large bowl except for oatmeal
- Mix oatmeal to the consistency of a cake mix and add to the bowl
- Separate into small containers and freeze
- Sprinkle multivitamin on daily portion before feeding.
Refrigerate unused portions.
Treats can include various live insects and well as some alternations of fruits and vegetables.
Many suitable vitamin/mineral powders are available but branded for reptiles. You can use reptile multivitamin and calcium with D3.
Please feel free to ask more questions.