Sugar gliders are very unique animals that many people in the general public don’t even know exist. Over the past 15 years, they have been domesticated and are now known to make great little pets! If you are interested in bringing a sugar glider into your home, here is what you need to know.ABOUT SUGAR GLIDERS

Sugar gliders are native to places like Australia and Indonesia. They are not rodents as some would assume, but are marsupials, meaning they raise their young in a pouch on the mother’s belly, similar to a kangaroo. They are nocturnal animals which means that they sleep through the day and are awake and active at night.

Sugar gliders get their name from the fact that they love eating sweet, sugary foods (especially fruits and vegetables) and that they have a thin membrane that stretches from their wrists to their ankles, much like a flying squirrel, that allows them to jump and glide through the air. In the wild, they can glide from tree to tree at a distance of up to 150 feet!

Adult sugar gliders weigh between 4-5 ounces and usually measure around 12 inches from nose to the tip of the tail. The tail is responsible for at least half of its length. These creatures are quite vocal and can bark somewhat like a small dog. When cared for properly, they can live in captivity up to 15 years.

Because they naturally live in colonies of 10-15 other sugar gliders, they are considered social animals and usually do better in homes if they are in pairs. This is also why they have the instinct to bond with an entire group and tend to do very well in a family setting, including with children and other pets. They usually end up having a favorite person in the family that they bond the strongest with, most commonly whoever handles them the most.

DIET

In general, 75% of a sugar glider’s diet should consist of a variety of fruits and vegetables and 25% should be protein. As previously mentioned, they tend to prefer sweet fruits and veggies. They also very much like treats included in their diet! Here are some examples of appropriate fruits, vegetables, proteins and treats you can feed your sugar glider:

Fruits & Vegetables: apples, apricots, avocados, bananas, berries, cantaloupe, carrots, cherries, sweet corn, dates, figs, grapes, grapefruit, honeydew, mangoes, oranges, papaya, peaches (*NOT the pits – toxic!), pears, pineapples, sweet potatoes, plums & raisins.

Proteins: meats (small pieces of cooked lean cuts of turkey, chicken, etc. with no added spices or sauces), hard boiled eggs, yogurt, cottage cheese, tofu & peanut butter.

Treats: live insects (crickets, mealworms, earthworms, etc; high in fat and should only be given as treats and not a main part of the diet; **don’t feed insects you collect from outside – may be contaminated with pesticides) & raw and unsalted nuts

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