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sugar glider

General Information

On this page you will find some useful, general information about Sugar Gliders:

Introducing gliders

Getting them together can be a nightmare, not all gliders want company, but all of the one’s I’ve introduced have been fine.

There are a few basic guidelines, these are:

Many people put the two cages side by side (but not too close) and they swap pouches and toys for a week to allow each glider to become accustomed to the others scent and so they become aware of and familiar to each other.

To introduce them, you can allow them to play out together which is great if you have an enclosed glider proof space in which the two will have to come into contact. Some people use a tent (which can also be used for bonding) and others use the bathroom; because there are too many slippery surfaces for the suggies to climb they have to stay in a small area - but if you do this make sure the toilet lid is closed! I personally think that the slippery surface idea causes too much stress especially if the glider isn’t bonded, afterall they are arboreal and to escape from danger would run up trees!

After a week of playtime and pouch swapping you can try putting them in a cage together. The best time to do this is during the daytime, they are usually half asleep and all they want to do is curl up again (awww). Placing a glider into another glider’s cage is not ideal; the newbie would be invading the territory of the existing glider and is likely to be attacked, so use a fresh cage. Use clean pouches, bedding, toys and water bottles. Provide 2 of everything at opposite ends of the cage, so they can go about their business separately.

Be prepared to intervene if fighting breaks out, there’s bound to be a few squabbles and scuffles which is normal, usually they will squabble and have a little roll around and then stop and move to opposite ends of the cage where you will see them both sniffing furiously at each other. They will then approach on another slowly, sniff each others bums, crawl into a pouch and curl up. If it’s a male and female pair you may see the female put her head underneath the males chin, this is a submissive sign.

Some gliders won’t squabble at all, I’ve seen two young females walk up to an adult female and immediately begin grooming her which went down very well. If during any of the scuffles blood is drawn intervene immediately! Be prepared to get bitten, you will probably be bitten hard but you must take it.

If for whatever reason you are wishing to introduce a male to a female who has already been with a male, you should leave her in a fresh cage for a couple of weeks to allow the scent of the previous male to diminish.

Some people place a drop of vanilla or peppermint extract on to each glider so that they both smell the same.

Introducing 2 un neutered males isn't impossible but it will take a lot longer as they are territorial. If you needed to do this I would seriously consider neutering both of them first.

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Hygiene and Cleaning

Cleaning the cage and toys is important to the health of the gliders but also to keep the smell under control. I would recommend cleaning on a rotational basis. If you clean everything in one go the male in particular will go mad re-scenting everything. So, on week 1 wash the pouches, week 2 wash the toys, week 3 scrub the cage, this will hopefully stop the male going on a scenting frenzy. I recommend F10SCXD for cleaning; it is superb and completely safe for all your animals. Don’t go mad though - remember some bacteria is good as it helps to build up the immune system and keep it healthy. As cleaning products are developed to be more effective in killing bacteria, so the bacterium becomes more effective in building up resistance. Don’t overdo the cleaning, just keep the cage and contents clean and smell free.

Remove and replace the bedding weekly. Depending on the type of cage you use the gliders may not physically come into contact with the bedding, in my cages a grill separates the two.

Don't forget to always wash your hands after playing with your gliders!

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Companionship and Housing Gliders

Gliders are naturally very sociable animals, in the wild they would live in large groups of between 6 and 16 animals. In captivity however, many are kept on their own which leads to depression. When they are depressed, their immune system is low and they are susceptible to illness. They will become stressed which may then affect their mental health, this manifests itself in repetitive behaviours such and constant back flips or over grooming. In severe cases the glider may begin to self mutilate. Gliders have been proven to suffer from serotonin deficient depression, in laboratories this is brought about by simply housing a glider on its own.

Due to the fact people always want joeys as soon as they are weaned, a single glider does not have chance to learn to live with other gliders, they are then put in a strange cage, with a strange human owner all on their own. Due to the lack of glider interaction, introduction later in life may make stress and problems worse. Never keep a glider on it's own!

If you do decide to keep only a single glider then you must ensure you have plenty to keep your glider occupied when you cannot be around and you must spend all day with him/her and much of the evening and night so your glider has socialisation and playtime, rather than just sleeping on you.

Bearing in mind Gliders are arboreal, a tall cage is required, these can range from £100 upwards. The kind you buy are better than homemade wooden ones simply because they are easier to move around, and keep clean. Gliders (especially the males) will scent mark everything so the cage will need to be scrubbed regularly. You will find they urinate all over the bars and they’ll manage to stick fruit to them too, as well as all over your walls. Cages must be a minimum of 4ft high by 2ft wide by 2ft depth, a general rule of thumb is - the bigger the better! The bigger the cage the more likely your gliders are to display natural behaviours such as gliding. The bars should be no more than 15mm apart, any wider than this and babies could easily slip through, as could some adults, the wire should also be coated.

I personally do not like to see a cage stuffed full of toys, this takes up gliding and jumping space in the cage. Items such as ropes, bridges, branches and ledges to jump off and on. A wheel but not a wire wheel.

Live branches are an excellent addition to the cage, the glider can run along them and display natural behaviours such as stripping bark and gouging holes. You could drill some holes along the branch and fill with acacia gum or the odd mealworm or waxworm, this is great enrichment for gliders and I’m sure you’ll be amused by the happy noises they make whilst eating their discovery! Any branches must be cleaned and non toxic; you should be 100% positive that they have not been treated by fertilizer or insecticide. To clean branches use an animal friendly disinfectant such as F10 and boiling water and then used a wire brush to scrub off the lichen. Branches from Apple trees are readily available and safe to use, even better would be branches from Acacia trees or Eucalypt trees - you can also use the blooms from these, the gliders will love either destroying them or they may just discover the nectar) which is also an excellent addition to the diet. In the wild they use Eucalyptus leaves to line their nest, so you may wake up one morning to find your lovely leafy branches are now stripped and sticking out of the pouch or nestbox.

According to Dr. Stephen Jackson, Melbourne Zoo, All species of Acacia (for the sap), Banksia, Callistemon, Corymbia, Eucalyptus, Melaleuca (for nectar or pollen) are suitable for Sugar Gliders.

For a pair of gliders I would recommend having 2 sleeping quarters available. In the wild they live in tree hollows lined with leaves where they will all snuggle together so it’s nice and soft and warm. I use pouches, mainly because given the choice of a wooden nestbox or soft pouch the gliders will choose the pouch. It is important to keep claws short though as they can get stuck in the material, while most of the time the glider will back up and free himself, occasionally they’ll pull a claw out. It’s important to remove fraying or tatty pouches, gliders have been known to become tangled up and some have had to have limbs amputated, and some have perished.

Another thing to watch out for is flaps in the cage - they are designed so the bedding/waste tray can be easily removed, but for a glider it makes a useful escape route! So wedge it shut, or raise the grill so the glider cannot get through the gap between the bottom of the cage and the grill.

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Bonding with your glider

Firstly you need to take into account what the breeder means when he says ‘he’s hand tame’. What exactly does that mean? Different breeders have different meanings for the term hand tame. It could mean the glider won’t crab at you if you look at it, it could mean that the glider will take food out of their hand, or it could mean the glider will happily sit on their hand. Whatever it means you should be aware that the glider is tame with the breeder - not you! The glider knows and trusts the breeder; he doesn’t know you so you cannot expect him to be perfect with you when you get him home!

You need to gain the glider’s trust, he needs to feel safe and secure and know you won’t hurt him. Put yourself in your glider’s shoes, he’s tiny compared to you, treat him gently and talk softly to him.

When you get home, place an old piece of clothing that you have worn for a day or two (but not washed) over the cage, or you could give the breeder a small piece of fabric that you’ve worn on your person to put into the pouch. This is so the glider will become familiar with your scent while he sleeps. Then put him/them in the cage and leave them to become familiar with their new surroundings. Remember the glider is only familiar with the breeder’s home; your home will be filled with new noises and scents. Do not try and get your gliders out for 2-3 days; you should of course feed them, and you could sit in the same room and watch and talk to them softly.

During this 2-3 days try offering treats such as yogurt drops through the bars, this will give you an idea of how hand tame and confident they are. They may crab and lunge at the treat that is being offered, try to be prepared and not jump. Just leave the yogurt drop where it is, I've known joeys to do this and as they lunge they get a mouth full of the yummy treat and they learn that the treat and the treat dispenser (you) aren't so bad after all.

It’s important that while you’re still bonding with your gliders they come into contact with as few a people as possible to avoid scaring them. If people want to see your babies take a picture and show them that instead.

After this 2-3 day period, many people tend to start carrying their gliders around for a short amount of time in a bonding pouch so they learn to become more familiar with your scent and will associate it with warmth and find your presence comforting.

Once your gliders have settled into their new home you can start gaining their trust; I suggest you have a pot of live fruity yogurt at the ready. The best time to start bonding is during the daytime or early evening while they are still sleepy. Take their sleeping pouch (with the gliders in it) out of the cage and sit with it under your jumper for a while. Talk to them softly and pet them through the pouch. Open the top making sure they’re at the bottom and peek in. At this point you will probably be crabbed at, just carry on talking softly and reassuringly to them. They can’t understand what you’re saying but it’s the tone of voice that is important.

When they stop crabbing you could try offering some yogurt from the back of your hand, they will probably start crabbing again but don’t be put off, when they crab don’t pull back just stay still until they stop and then you can continue. Don’t try offering them fingers as they will be able to grab and bite them! You may experience some lunging; some gliders will swipe at you with a paw, again don’t be put off by this, just try and understand they are scared and reassure them. The aim is to gain trust at this stage, they need to associate your hands with positive experiences which will make them feel safe and reassured.

Allow the gliders to lick some of the yogurt off but don’t let him take it all. Gliders instinctively gouge to find more food - this is how they would get their fill of sap in the wild, and this is what they will do if the yogurt runs out. They need to learn that they will be rewarded for good behaviour, so do not remove your hand when they crab or bite, only top up the yogurt when they are quiet.

At this stage do not try and remove the glider from the cage or the pouch by hand.

When you can put your hand into the pouch without being crabbed at and without being bitten you are ready to progress. The aim this time is to try and pet the gliders body using the yogurt as a treat and as a distraction. Now your glider has learnt that good behaviour is rewarding try just dipping your finger (it will make stroking him easier without having to use both hands), let him have a few licks and top up the yogurt as before, then this time try and pet his body - probably easier to use your thumb at this point. When you can do this without crabbing the next step is to try and get your hand underneath him so he is sitting on top of your hand. I find the best way to do this is to use both hands, if you’re right handed as I am you will find it easier to have the yogurt on your left hand and use your right hand to scoop the glider up from behind, this way you are out of the way of the teeth and by scooping forward you can release the claws from whatever fabric they are clinging on to. I also like to position my fingers so that the gliders front feet end up holding on to my finger tips.

You will notice that I haven’t put a timescale on how long each exercise should take, that’s because each glider is different, it depends on how much work the breeder has done as well as the glider’s individual personality; and you. If you’re confident then the glider will pick this up and the process will take alot less time. It’s easier to trust a person who has confidence in you than someone who is afraid or wary of you.

You’ve gained the trust of your glider, so now it’s down to some real bonding. The best time to bond with a glider is during the daytime. Now you can scoop your glider out of the sleeping pouch you can put him into a bonding pouch which you can wear around your neck during the day, preferably one that fastens shut. You may want to put a piece of fabric from the sleeping pouch into the bonding pouch just to reassure the glider. I don’t recommend you take the glider out of the house just yet though, not until they are bonded with you. You can talk to your gliders and pet them through the pouch and offer them treats. The idea is that the gliders will be comfortable enough to fall asleep on you. After a week of being in the bonding pouch for a few hours a day you can start leaving the zip open a little and see what happens, your glider may come out and explore you, or he may stay put. The idea here is that the glider remains with you, if he doesn’t you need to gently scoop him up and put him back into the pouch. It’s difficult to say how long the bonding process will take, a glider is classed as bonded when if something startles them they will run to you; if they’re out playing and you need to catch them you can just put a leg in front of them and they will jump on, they’ll sit on your shoulder or sleep down your top without trying to escape. They’ll come to your hand if you put it out to them and you will generally just be their tree!

You could at this point start to encourage interaction through the medium of play (lol!), feathers are a favorite as they like to chase them and pounce on them, lots of fun for everyone. In the U.S they use a tent for their playtime which I think is a great idea! It puts you and them in a confined, safe space together, you can take in treats and toys that you can all play with together, you will probably be used as a springboard and as a treat dispenser machine but so long as they’re interacting with you it doesn’t matter. If the glider comes and nips your fingers - don’t treat him!

Playtime out of cage must be done in a ‘glider proofed’ room. All possible escape routes should be blocked bearing in mind they can squeeze through inch square gaps! Although gliders aren’t really chewers, electric sockets should be covered so that if they urinate near them they won’t become damp and dangerous! They’re likely to use electric cables to climb on. It’s important to remember that nothing is out of reach to a glider, so remove any ornaments and house plants from the room completely.

Trust, bonding and play will make for a fantastic pet. My bonded gliders will happily cling to me all day while I go about my daily business, I could trust them to stay there whatever I do or wherever I go bit I don't! Just because they are completely bonded doesn’t mean they won’t get curious and jump off up a tree to explore, the next thing they know is they’re lost and they panic and they’re gone! I would be devastated if that was to happen so if I go anywhere outdoors with them they go into their secure bonding pouch so I know exactly where they are. I’m not willing to even risk losing my babies.

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Bonding Do’s and Don’ts

Do go at your glider’s speed, don’t push them, the bond will be that much stronger if you allow them to come around in their own time.

Do talk to them, if you spend time watching and talking to them while they are in the cage you will notice they will pay attention, they won’t sit or roll over but they do acknowledge you.

Do reward good behaviour.

Do be patient; trust and good strong bonding doesn’t happen over night.

Do play with your gliders; allow 2-3 hours a night for out of cage playtime.

Do enjoy the time you spend with them, if it is a chore then maybe gliders aren’t for you!

Don’t punish your glider - even if it bites you hard! By shouting, swiping at them, flicking them or anything that’s negative, it will destroy all the hard work you’ve put into gaining their trust in the first place!

Don’t rush any of the stages; go at your gliders pace.

Don’t be afraid to go back a step, if for whatever reason things go wrong go back to the previous stage.

Don’t allow crowds of family and friends to coo over your gliders before they are bonded, this is likely to scare them.

Don’t chase your gliders, if playtime is in a tent it will be alot easier to put them away than if they are running loose in your room.

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Feeding and Nutrition

There is much speculation regarding what a Suggie should eat, but there are a few basic rules:

A healthy diet should consist of a protein source, a calcium source, fruits and vegetables, nectar mixes and a vitamin and mineral supplement.

Protein sources can come in the form of chicken, egg, or a good quality dried cat food (1+). Protein sources are known to have poor ratios but most high quality cat foods have at least neutral ratios.

Calcium: Calcium can be gleaned from the diet, but many use a calcium supplement. It’s important not to over supplement the calcium as it can lead to calcification of soft tissue, especially the kidneys, but can also calcify the heart, lungs and blood vessels leading to a decrease in performance and deterioration of these organs.

Calcium is probably one of the most important parts of the diet (as well as vitamin D3). Too little and your glider will suffer from a nasty condition called hind leg paralysis or nutritional osteodystrophy. If caught early enough HLP can be reversed, the first really noticeable symptom you will see is the loss of use of the back end. The glider will show stiffening and less mobility in the early stages, but these can be easily missed. Because of the lack of calcium in the diet, the body will use the calcium stores within the body - the bones! If not treated, HLP can be fatal due to either complications such as pneumonia or the body will just shut down. Veterinary attention is crucial, even if your vet has never seen a glider; he will have seen nutritional osteodystrophy before.

Can I use reptile vitamins?

Reptile vitamins are not recommended for Sugar Gliders, because of the physiological differences and the method in which they metabolise vitamin D. In the wild, reptiles will expose themselves to strong UV light (sunlight) which activates the vitamin D and opens a channel in the gut to absorb the calcium. Captive reptiles do not receive anywhere near the correct amount of UV (a UV bulb provides nothing like the same amount as the sun), so pet companies have produced supplements containing large amounts of vitamin D to compensate.

Sugar Gliders are nocturnal, so they are not exposed to the suns UV rays, they metabolise their vitamin D through the gut without the need for UV. So, by giving your suggies reptile vitamins, you run the risk of overdose because once the amount they actually need has been absorbed, the presence of vit d in the rep supplement causes the channel to remain open. This can lead to an overdose of vitamin D which in itself is toxic in high amounts and it can also lead to hypercalcaemia – an overdose of calcium.

The best supplements to use are designed for mammals, the supplements of choice are Glider Cal & Booster. The diet I feed my suggies isn’t classed as a ‘proven’ diet by the US standards, but to me it is proven. I have used it for 6 years without any problem.

What do you feed your gliders?

Per glider, I feed a heaped tablespoon of fruits and veg, which I whizz through a food processor along with any vitamins and calcium powder, this way they have to eat a bit of everything instead of picking out their favorites, it also ensures the vitamins and calcium are distributed throughout the whole mix rather than just on top.

On alternate nights they get boiled egg (again whizzed through the processor) and on the other nights they have 4 or 5 high quality cat biscuits each, I put these on top of the fruit so they soften a little.

I give a teaspoon of live Bio yogurt 2 or 3 times a week which provides calcium as well as live bio cultures which aids digestion, they especially love the Summer Fruit Bio Pot, Mango, Papaya and Passion Fruit. Gliders are not as lactose intolerant as originally thought, but don’t overdo the yogurt as it is fattening. Also avoid yogurts with aspartame or other artificial sweetners.

I also give nectar mixes; I alternate between Gliderade which is mixed with water and Nutra Glider which is mixed with fruit juice. I give a tablespoon per glider 2 – 3 times a week.

I also supplement with Glider Booster, GliderCal, Bee Pollen (2-3 times a week) which is full of protein and calcium and acacia gum (2-3 times a week) which is a prebiotic and maintains a healthy gut. As a result I do not use the GliderCal every night. Too much calcium can be just as harmful as too little.

Live insects and acacia gum can be used as an enrichment tool for gliders, try drilling holes into non toxic branches and stuffing them with insects or acacia gum (mix the gum with fruit juice to make it more appealing), and this encourages natural behaviour as well as receiving supplementation.

Calcium is probably one of the most important parts of the diet (as well as vitamin D3). Too little and your glider will suffer from a nasty condition called hind leg paralysis or nutritional osteodystrophy. If caught early enough HLP can be reversed, the first really noticeable symptom you will see is the loss of use of the back end. The glider will show stiffening and less mobility in the early stages, but these can be easily missed. Because of the lack of calcium in the diet, the body will use the calcium stores within the body - the bones! If not treated, HLP can be fatal due to either complications such as pneumonia or the body will just shut down. Veterinary attention is crucial, even if your vet has never seen a glider; he will have seen nutritional osteodystrophy before.

However, calcium is not the only mineral required in the diet, to ensure they receive the full spectrum a vitamin and mineral supplement is required (Glider Booster).

Fruits; most fruits are fine, I stay away from Rhubarb because it’s toxic, grapes because they are causing renal failure in different animals around the world and banana as they just don’t seem to like it! Try and use the fruits with good ca:p ratio’s like pawpaw for example. Make sure you remove all pits and seeds (except for in kiwi, tomato, raspberries etc) as they contain toxins which gliders are sensitive to. Feed citrus (including pineapple) only once or twice a week.

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Where should I buy gliders from?

There are many classified sites and papers all advertising sugar gliders for sale now. If you are interested in one of these adverts give the person a call, ask about the age, how 'tame' they are, what the parents have been fed, how tame the parents are.

It would be nice to know how much knowledge the person has, quiz him/her about diet and what they would recommend, and ask questions about anything you are unsure of. Ask if they have any pictures of the joeys and the parents. You want to be sure they have come from a person that is knowledgable and ethical.

Some shops sell sugar gliders too, but to be brutally honest, avoid shop sold suggies! Most shops will order them from a wholesaler so you have no idea what conditions they've come from, what they have been fed and they won't have had any socialisation.

If the shop breeds suggies then ask questions, many shops will keep their gliders at the shop premises so again they are not going to get too much interaction.

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Recommended sugar glider breeders

Small list of trusted breeders

To be added to the above list please email me details of your suggie's cages, diet and what makes you an ethical breeder.

Recommend a breeder

Link to comprehensive sugar glider care sheet

Here is a link to a care guide that I have written, it is available in .pdf (Adobe reader)format.

If you cannot view PDF files, please download the free software using this link: Download Adobe Reader free

Sugar Glider Care Guide.

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