by Nancy Houser

Created on: March 03, 2009

In the wild areas of Australia, Indonesia, and New Guinea, tiny nocturnal sugar gliders fly from one tree-top to another, swooping throughout the night to consume live insects such as moths, tiny lizards, crickets, and night crawlers as their main diet, along with sweet fruits and vegetables. Where they live is simply a matter of instinct and survival-at the tops of trees with their tiny feet barely touching the ground. As human pet owners, it is our responsibility to replicate the natural world of the sugar gliders within our own boundaries in order to properly keep them as pets.

Choosing the proper housing for these little creatures which weigh less than three to four ounces is not an easy task, requiring lots of proper research and adequate information. The Internet is full of information about the cute little sugar gliders as pets, we simply need to acquire it. We find they are related to the Kangaroos, Possums and Koala Bears-on a much smaller scale but with similar pouch-carrying capabilities. We also find they enjoy swooping from heights during the night and enjoy sleeping during the day in small darkened recluse areas or tree hollows while sleeping together in a group. We find that this is the natural environment that makes them the happiest, needing to be located within the comforts of their home within our homes.

As pets, the sugar glider needs a living arrangement as if they lived in the wild. Nature has made them this way and they were built to accommodate that particular lifestyle. Not that anyone expects a grove of tall trees to be planted in the middle of the family room with colonies of insects located as food sources, but a 20"w x 20"d x 35"h or even a 21"w x 21"d x 40"h cage at its "absolute minimum" would be a perfect start. Some owners prefer the round cage, such as 21" by 40" in order for them to run in circles, and would be the perfect size for two gliders to live in.

The more sugar gliders there are in the cage, the larger and higher the cage should be for roomier gliding room and sleeping capabilities. Sugar gliders enjoy gliding and are built for it, so naturally a home which is higher than wider is preferable for them to do what "just comes naturally". When choosing the home, remember that sugar gliders enjoy climbing so the bars should be horizontal as compared to vertical. Also, the perfect wiring to use should definitely be welded wire with nothing smaller than 1" x .5" to prevent escape or a baby sugar glider becoming hurt from falling.

HOUSEHOLD

• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• Next Page >>