FIRST COAST SUGAR GLIDERS 
"HOME OF THE SWEETEST JOEYS IN FLORIDA"
SO MANY QUESTIONS!! SO MANY QUESTIONS!! SO MANY QUESTIONS! 1) A sugar glider is a small marsupial originally from the rain forests of Australia, Indonesia, New Guinea, and Tasmania. Often also referred to as "honey gliders", sugar gliders are basically a nocturnal marsupial (mammals that carry their young in a pouch). Sugar Gliders have not been in the United States for very long, only since about 1993. Sugar gliders are from the same family as the koala bear and the kangaroo. 2) No, a sugar glider is a marsupial (mammals who carry their young in a pouch). 3) In captivity a glider can live up to 15 years. 4) Sugar Gliders live in rain forests and woodland areas. They live in "families" or colonies of about 6 to 10 gliders, and you can generally find them in the highest branches of eucalyptus trees. 5)Sugar Gliders are comparatively easier to take care for than are several types of reptiles and exotic birds. And they are a lot more hardy and consequently a lot easier to take care for than some tropical fish. However, they are not as simple to maintain as goldfish, cats and dogs. Sugar Gldiers require extreme close attention to their dietary needs. You should never let your suggie outside his/her cage without close supervision and their behavior should be assessed for any changes that may indicate dietary deficiencies and/or disease. 6) Sugar Gliders are nocturnal animals, their eyes were made to see better at night. They will be asleep during the day and awake at night. There is no changing this behavior. What you may be able to accomplish is train your gliders to wake up early or stay awake for brief moments during the day. 7) Sugar Gliders are very territorial and will defend their territory from strangers. You need to be very careful when introducing gliders to each other. They can fight till their death. For more information on introducing gliders, please go to the "Introducing Gliders" page. 9) No, sugar gliders do not need baths. In fact, sugar gliders spend a lot of time grooming themselves and each other ... And being their slave, they will probably groom you too. If by any chance your glider is ill or wounded, take a warm, damp cloth and gently clean the glider. 10) A health glider should not have a strong offensive odor. Their smell is directly related to their diet. Feed them the wrong diet, and they will stink. Feed them the right diet and they just have a unique musky smell that can be kept to a minimun with constant cage cleaning. Sugar gliders do depend heavily on scent marking as a means of communication. Each sugar glider has its own unique "signature" scent, aand, in addition, carries the group scent, which identifies him/her as being part of a particular "family" of gliders. Boy gliders usually smell more than girl gliders. Some of this smell can be reduced by neutering your glider. 11) Sugar Gliders make absolutelly wonderful pets. My own gliders are my pets first and foremost. They are very social creatures and will totally bond to the person who gives them good care and treats them well. They are very small but very smart. Some owners mention that they love their gliders for their sassiness, intelligence, and adorable faces. They also have fun playing with them and carrying them in their "bra" during the day. But remember that sugar gliders do not make good pets for small children. Little children cannot control themselves and usually want to squeeze them too tight or treat them too roughly.. 13) The answer to this question is that it is really up to you. It is my experience that males are more laid back than females and tend to bond easier with their human slaves. This does not mean that females are mean and do not bond. Females are usually a bit skittish early on but with time and patience they can be as sweet as any male. Also, this is not to say that males are always sweeter than females. Gliders, just like us humans, have their unique personality which differ from each other. 14) There are many reasons to neuter your male gliders, but the most important one is to avoid joeys if you are not ready for breeding. Also, if you keep family members together, please be sure to neuter in order to avoid inbreeding. Other reasons mentioned for neutering are: reduces the smell, calms down the sugar glider, reduces the risk of many diseases, medical reasons, etc.. 15) Although sugar gliders do not need regular vet check up, it is important that you take your newly acquired suggie to the vet for a well exam. Also, it is very important that you develop a relationship with a suggie knowlegeable vet as aoon as possible. Suggies are very good at hiding their illnesses and sometimes by the time you notice that something is wrong, it is usually late. Please click here for a list of vets in your area. 17) Sugar gliders are very social animals and as so they require daily interaction with their human slave, especially if they are kept as a solo glider. There are many ways that you can have contact and interact with your gliders. You can carry them around during the day in a bonding pouch, you can have tent time with them, or you can just sit and play with them while they are in their cages. Whatever you do, make sure that you spend at least an hour interacting with your glider everyday. This rule is especially important if you keep a single glider. Gliders are prone to depression, and without company they can die.. 18) Definetly not. There are too many dangers in our houses for a suggie. Even if you have your house sugar proofed, there are still many ways for your sugar glider to get ost or worse yet, killed. Some of these dangers are: electric outlets, wires, open toilets, any standing water, toxic plants, toxic food, etc... Therefore, you should never let your sugar glider run free in your home without constant supervision by you.. 19) There is not a lot of information out there regarding how well suggies get along with other animals. Of course, we all have seen pictures of suggies riding on a dog's back or even sleeping with a cat. The amount of interaction between a glider and other household pets would have to depend on the temperament of the animals.. 20) Sugar gliders DO NOT need a heat rock. Heat rocks are very dangerous. Sugar gliders so need to remain in a place where temperature can be maintained between 75 and 85 degrees Farenheit. If you need to used auxiliary heat sources to maintain this temperature, a space heater would be a more advisable choice.. 21) Sugar gliders are marsupials, therefore babies spend very little time in momma's uterus (precisely 16 days) before migrating to momma's pouch. Once the joey is in the pouch, it wil attach itself to a nipple where it will stay for approximatelly 8 weeks until it is fully developed. After the joeys come oop (out of pouch) it will take approximately 8-10 weeks for them to be completely weaned and ready to go to their forever home.. 22) No, flying squirrels are rodents and sugar gliders are marsupials. Although they look similar, they are two distinct, unrelated animals.. 23) There are regulations for keeping a sugar glider. Most of these laws are governed and controlled by local and state agencies. It is best to check with your local government before acquiring a sugar glider.. 24) No, sugar gliders cannot swim.. 25) Gliders cannot fly, rather they "glide". When a sugar glider is gliding, the gliding membrane of the sugar glider streches outward and enables them to catch air when they jump, which subsequently permits them to glider from one place to another.. 26) Sugar gliders generally weigh between 4 and 6 ounces. They average about 135 grams.. 27) Gliders should be fed nightly. The remaining dinner should be removed early next morning. A staple food such as Happy Glider (available at my store) should be available at all times.. 28) Food gliders should not be allowed to eat are: any junk food, any food that are high in chemicals or preservatives. Nuts should be avoided as they are high in fat and many cause impaction. Other foods your gliders should not have: fruit pits (toxic), raw eggs, beef, onions, garlic, leeks, scallions, peanuts. When in doubt, check first.. 29) Sugar gliders drink water from a hamster water bottle. For added vitamins, you may offer fruit juices or special sugar glider nectar. Their water should be changed daily and should also be as pure as possible - preferably filtered or bottled. 30) Bonding is one of the words that you will hear the most during your sugar glider ownership. Bonding for the suggie owner means that your suggie trusts you. There are many levels of bonding. The levels of bonding will describe how uch your suggie trusts you and is bonded to you. For example, if you place your hand inside your suggie cage and it lunges and bites you, I would say that you are not bonded at all. But if your suggie jumps to you and stays on you as you walk around the house , I would say that he/she is highly bonded to you. So your next question should be, how do I bond with my gliders. Sugar gliders bond by smell and sounds. So, the more time you spend with your glider, the more your glider will be bonded to you. Please click on the following links for great articles on bonding. Article 1 , Article 2. 31) Sugar gliders are wild animals. Therefore, you can never say you have a totally tamed suggie. If you buy a captive bred suggie (from a breeder), your chances of getting a sweet baby that you will be able to bond with is much better.. 32) No, your sugar gliders cannot be potty trained. Sugar gliders urinate and defecate wherever they are, especially right after they wake up. So, do not be surprised if your suggie pees or poops on you. You can decrease the number of "accidents" by letting your suggies alone for about 10 minutes after they wake up.. 33) Sugar gliders are extremely sensitive to bright or blinding light. Flash pictures can actually damage their night vision.. 34) Acacia, African Violets, Aloe, Baby's Tears, Bougainvillea, Chickweed, Christmas Cactus, Cissus, Dracaena, Ferns (asparagus, birsds nest, boston), Figs ( creeping, rubber, fiddle leaf, laurel leaf, weeping), Monkey Plant, Mother in Law's tongue, Nasturtium, Natal Plum, Norfolk Island Pine, Palms (areca palm, date palm, fan palm, lady palm, parlor palm, howeia palm, kentia palm, phoenix palm, sago palm), Peperonia, Petunia, Pittosporum, Pothos, Prayer Plants, Purple Passion Plants, Sensitive Plant, Spider Plant, Sweedish Ivy, Thistle Plant, Wandering Jew, White Clover, Zebra Plant.. 35) Following are a few dangers in the house that you should watch for: 1) Make sure you only buy sugar glider approved pouches, toys, branches, etc. Special care should be taken when buying their pouches. Buy only fleece pouches. Fleece does not frail like other materials. When other materials frail, it exposes the filliment type threading used to create the material. These exposed threads can cause great damage to your suggies limbs. Do not use gerbil/hamster wheels as the wire wheels will break your sugar glider legs due to the limbs slipping through the wires and breaking while the wheel is spinning. Only use Wodent or Stealth wheels. Keep toilet seats down and jacuzzis covered as gliders drown instantly. As with any other pet, you must be sure to keep your gliders nails trimmed to keep them from getting stuck in any type of material. 36) You should handle your new sugar glider at least one a day. It will be a great help if you put an artcle of worn clothing in its cage so that it can grow accustomed to your scent. While you carry it around in the pouch, reach in once in a while and stroke it to put your scent on it. Then it will eventually learn that it is your hand going in the pouch. 37) When you first bring your suggie home, leave it alone for the next 48 hours so that it can get used to their new home. For the first week or so only exposed your new glider to the main caretakes so as not to stress it out too much. Remember that a relationship with your glider is based on the purest of trust. Give it time as it needs to learn everyone's individual scents. 38) In the world of sugar gliders, there is never too many toys! They are quite inquisitive and need mental stimulation for their busy little minds. Rearranging a cage is a great way to challenge their senses too. 39) The answer is yes!!! It is called Glideritis and it is extremely contagious and there is no cure. 40) Sugar gliders are usually scared when they first come home and that huge sound is only meant to scare and train you not to touch it. But after it learns your scent, you probably will not hear much crabbing anymore. But that also depends on your gliders personality. Plus, the crabbing will lessen once you have bonded with each other. 41) Sugar gliders sleep during the day and are active at night.
If you are like many of us, you probably have tons of questions regarding sugar gliders. I have attempted to compile a list as complete as I can of questions and answers for new slaves and old slaves alike. Please take some time to read through the next few questions before adopting a baby.
8) As an adult, a sugar glider's size is an average of 10-12 inches from head to tip of tail, with the tail usually being longer than the body. Most sugar gliders are gray with a wite belly. Sugar gliders have a uns ublack stripe that runs down the entire back and extends over the top of their head and disappears between the eyes. One of their most prominent features is their large hairless ears that are always moving independently in order to pick up even the smallest sounds. Their ears are very sensitive. Sugar gliders have large protruding black eyes that are very sensitive to light. A sugar glider has five toes on each foot and each foot has sharp hook like claws that aid them in landing and climbing. Gliders also has a patagium, which is a furry membrane of skin that stretches from their wrists to their ankles. An adult glider weights only 4-5 ounces. Boy and girl gliders look about the same. The only way to distinguish between a boy and a girl is the bald diamond shape spot that boys have on top of their head when they mature.
A drawback to owning males for many humans would be their "smell". Makes when reaching puberty develop a "bald spot" (diamond shaped spot) on their head and chest. This is their scent glands. Male gliders rub their scent glands on their family and all over heir cage to mark their territory. The smell produced is a musky smell that can be strong for some people. One way to reduce the smell produced by males is to neuter them. Neutering has shown to drstically reduce the smell produced by males. Also, if the suggie is kept in a clean environment with proper food, the smell will also be greatly reduced..
If you believe that your sugar glider might be ill, please do not second guess and make an appointment with your vet as soon as possible. Overall, as long as you keep your suggie warm, clean and on a healthy, approved sugar glider diet, they should not get sick.
