Sugar gliders are marsupials belonging to Indonesia, Australia and New Guinea. They are small gliding possums and weigh from three to five ounces. They have silky fur usually pearl grey in colour with patches of cream and black. The black colour is usually on their ears and end of their tail. They are named sugar gliders because they eat sweet sap, pollen and nectar and are able to glide because of the skin membrane (called the patagium) which connects the first toe of the hind foot with the fifth finger of the forelimb, on either side. They expand them to create an aerodynamic plane to glide from one tree to another. Apparently they can glide up to 50 meters (approximately 162.5 feet).
Sugar gliders have the habit of nibbling on each other. This shouldn’t be confused with biting. They nibble to do many things, like testing food, to show affection, to exhibit force, to groom, etc. Babies initially are taught by biting. When sugar gliders are angered, they get aggressive and bite really hard. So, new owners should be alert until the pets become familiar with them and stop biting. Care should be taken that this biting shouldn’t turn into a habit. If it turns into a regular behaviour, you should hold the animal firmly when it bites so that it cannot move. It doesn’t care for this. Although it could take quite a while, the pet will eventually get over its natural instinct. It should also be released very slowly; otherwise it will bite again and flee. Also, they can be fed with some tasty food to reward them for learning that they are not to bite. They can become very affectionate with their owners if they are shown a lot of attention. Usually female sugar gliders are difficult to tame, especially those which come directly from the wild.
Sugar gliders come from a very wild and exotic environment. Therefore, they should be provided with a rich environment so that they don’t become emotionally upset. The cage should be quite large so that they can leap freely. Small cages hinder the health of the animal. They are also very active and need exercise. Their cage should be equipped with toys like exercise wheels with a diameter of eleven inches. They are also very inquisitive animals, so new things like cardboard boxes, should be introduced into their cage from time to time to prevent boredom. Their food can also be placed in different places to keep them entertained. Food can also be hidden in branch holes, so that they can dig it out. Their favourite food is the sweet sap of certain types of acacia, gum and eucalyptus trees, although they also eat insects and small vertebrates.
The cage of sugar gliders should be cleaned every week to ensure that it remains hygienic. The urine should be spot cleaned as the ammonia in it can be very harmful to the respiratory system of sugar gilders. Also, the moisture can encourage the growth of harmful fungus. If the cage isn’t cleaned for a long time, not only will the occupants become sick, but the house in which the cage is located will also be filled with a strong odour. While cleaning the cage it should be sprayed with disinfectant, so that all germs and bacteria are killed. When doing this, the sugar gliders, their toys, dishes etc. should be removed from the cage. Once the disinfectant has been wiped off, the animals can be returned to their cage. Then each toy and other item removed from the cage should be disinfected, wiped clean and then returned to the cage. Make sure that the disinfectant is thoroughly cleaned off everything so that the chemicals don’t harm your pets.
Sugar gliders are used to living in groups. Because of this, they should never be kept alone as pets, as this will adversely affect their health. They also require attention from their owners so that they bond and become tame and affectionate to all the humans in the home.
They cling onto each other when they sleep, so that they can keep warm. They communicate with each other by squeaking, chirping and barking. They have a good memory and will retain a grudge against anyone who has hurt them, even if it was caused by accident.
Females have the ability to beget offspring every seven to ten months. They give birth to one or sometimes two baby sugar gliders, which usually weigh only 0.2 grams, after sixteen days of pregnancy. After the birth, the baby shifts to the mother’s pouch, where it stays for seventy days and feeds on milk from the nipples. Both the mother and father have equal participation in bringing up their offspring. Captive sugar gliders can live up to fifteen years, whereas in the wild, most newly independent offspring die before they reach the age of one year.
Because of their popularity as pets, a number of breeding farms have surfaced in the United States. These farms, many similar to puppy breeding mills, supply the pet trade in North America. Australia has strict laws on the exporting of all species of native animals, birds, lizards, reptiles, flora and fauna. Wild species of this animal can be obtained from other countries where they are one of the native species. As noted above, the wild born animals, particularly the females, are much more difficult to tame.
Before considering the purchase of sugar gliders as pets, check with your local and national authorities to make sure that they are legal to have where you live. Having exotic pets is very closely monitored and regulated in most countries because if they get loose, they could cause major damage to the local ecology. Just ask the Australians, who have major problems with the rabbits that well meaning British visitors released there many years ago. Or you can ask anyone living on southern Vancouver Island about the Ontario bull frogs that an ex-Ontario resident brought to his back yard pond. These bull frogs, which have no natural predators on Vancouver Island have expanded like wild fire. Everywhere they go, they kill the small native frogs and overwhelm the ponds and swamps. So, if you are an exotic pet owner or want to become one, please be a responsible owner. Or, check with the authorities in Florida where careless owners of Burmese Pythons released them causing a state disaster. It is now estimated that there are over one hundred thousand of these snakes in the state wiping out many of the native species of wildlife and posing a severe threat to people and their pets. No one wants an ecological disaster caused by carelessness.
Until next time,
Teia
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