Nowhere in history are animals and pets more important than the present day, with public awareness bringing to the surface the personality and characteristics of cute little animals like the sugar gliders. But the sugar gliders need to be researched thoroughly through informative websites under required Federal USDA Licensing, instead of private sites which are operated by unlicensed individuals and companies who are more interested in selling private breeding stocks than accurately portraying who and what these little pets are. The fact is, with the proper diet and care instruction, the sugar glider pets which come from proper Federally Licensed USDA Breeders make for one of the easiest and most popular pet there is.
FACTS ABOUT THE SUGAR GLIDER
Considered a very small tree-dwelling small arboreal marsupial animal which can live up to 15 years in captivity if they are fed and cared for properly, they live five to seven years in the wild due to diet or predator problems. The sugar glider is known scientifically as the Petaurus Breviceps and is native to the countries of Australia, Tasmania, New Guinea and Indonesia. The sugar gliders love all kinds of sweet food (hence, the name "sugar gliders") with their favorite past time gliding from varied heights with its tail functioning as a directional guide when gliding. Another very popular name for them is "pocket pets" due to their tiny size which allows them to be carried around in their owner's pockets or pouches.
PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION OF THE SUGAR GLIDER
The length of the little sugar glider is approximately five to six inches in length with varying sizes, with its tail equal to this in order to assist it in the balance and gliding mechanism. Their average weight can be about 200 grams, with females slightly smaller. With ears that are hairless, they are able to pick up the tiniest of sounds with the ears' independent movements. The colors of the sugar glider range from gray to brown, with a black stripe that runs from the nose to the base of the tail area, with the last inch of the tail black or brown in color. Its underside can be either cream or white in color.
The eyes of the sugar glider are slightly protruding due to their nightly nocturnal lifestyle, in order to be able to see well. As they move through high trees during the night, they have five digits on each forefoot and sharp claws in order to be able to grip the branches better. Granted, they have five digits on their hind feet also, but they have another digit that is partially-fused to use for their grooming comb. Added to this is a gliding membrane called a patagium, the flat parachute extension of their skin which allows them to glide by "catching the air", connected to their so-called wrists and ankles on each side of their body.
Considered very social animals who make good pets for adults as they have a tendency to bite or nip young children, those who own them find they do better in pairs. The sex does not matter as long as they are spayed or neutered, as they do well in same or mixed sex groups socially. In fact, data shows they bond well in their family settings, with strong depression developing when they are removed from their own little family. The bottom line is they will not thrive if they are in any way deprived of social interaction. They have been known to bark throughout the night if they are lonely or want attention, so keeping them in the bedroom or a nearby room may not be advisable unless you have a lot of time to spend with them 24/7 and do not work or go to school. Most people who buy them are unaware they are considered a nocturnal animal who prefer to socialize during the night and sleep during the day, which is typically opposite of their diurnal human owner.
TRAINING A SUGAR GLIDER
Considered a very gentle and loving animal, they need to be treated with full respect and gentleness. Even if not tamed when first purchasing them, they will bond with their new owner with training sessions. They are usually carried around in a pocket with an undershirt on, as their little toenails will tickle or clip the skin with frequent toenail clipping required. But before training them, allow them time to get used to their new cage and life before beginning any sessions. The thing to remember is be patient and go slow, with longer times needed for training if they have a history of abuse. Think of weeks and months, instead of day by day.
Once you bring them home, house them in a room which is safe for them. Develop a relationship with the sugar glider that is considered not only safe but secure, away from electrical noises and heavy traffic, as they will become startled and nip or bite. They are very difficult to tightly restrain, and will bite if doing so, so make sure you know the proper procedure to handle or restrain them. Recognizing their soundsbarking, crabbing or hissingtells whether they are hissing or chattering with contentment, or barking with loneliness or anger. Train yourself properly before you begin training the little pet, or check out the training tapes on YouTube before purchasing one to make sure 15 years of your life will be the proper life of the little pet.
MARSUPIAL TERMINOLOGY
The term "marsupial" which describes the sugar glider is simply a description of the mammals which characterizes the pouch in which their mothers carry them around through infancy. If breeding sugar gliders, they will carry their babies around in a pouch similar to a kangaroo. With the earliest known marsupial dating back to China around 125 million years ago, other scientists feel they evolved in North America while dispersing to many other countries after that.
HOUSING FOR THE SUGAR GLIDER
Due to their desire for heights, housing for the sugar glider is preferably taller than wide for one to two of the little pets. They naturally nest in tree hollows, so an attempt to match this sort of environment will make them very happy with lots of ropes, horizontal bars, or ladders. A cage that is about 24 by 36 inches high is considered the minimum size, which means larger is better with more height. The wire used is inch or less or they may escape.
Choosing a room temperature of 65 to 75 degrees with bird toys, tree fruitwood branches, and tunneling will add to this environment as long as the cage is placed high. This is to avoid lots of traffic as they sleep during the daytime, and they enjoy staying naturally high in trees. Do not place them on the top of refrigerators or freezers due to the engine going on and off, plus it will send out too much heat during warmer months. Avoid too much bright light or even midday sunlight, as their protruding eyes are extremely sensitive to their surrounding light.
Clean their housing daily or odor will develop. A naturally clean animal, they groom themselves extremely well so keeping their cage clean along with fresh water and feed are considered mandatory for their care. They are naturally susceptible to parasites-both internal and external-so visits to the veterinarian and keeping them clean are necessary.
DIETS OF THE SUGAR GLIDERS
The sugar glider is considered an omnivorous animal, which means it has a diet of either plants or animals, making a huge mess when they eat. The best ratio is a 50% to 70% fruits and vegetables, with proteins in the remaining crickets or mealworms. While in the wild, they will eat nectar, insects, fruit, small birds or rodents. If pellets are used, do not use cat or dog food pellets-use glider pellets with the correct nutritional values.
In captivity, they have pretty strict dietary requirements as an imbalance of calcium and phosphorus can cause their paralysis. Called "nutritional osteodystrophy", it can be prevented with the proper diet and supplements of vitamins and minerals. The food preparation can take as long as ten minutes to half an hour, with insects a major part of their diet. They are known to urinate on their food or when first waking up, which is another reason the cage needs to be cleaned on a daily or every other day.
RESEARCH AREAS
North American Sugar Glider Association. Website: http://www.mynasga.org/sugarglider_dosugarglidermake goodpets.htm
Pet Sugar Gliders. Website: http://www.petsugargliders.com/sgabout.php
YouTube offers tons of live videos on sugar gliders which are better than the articles.