Sugar gliders are native to Australia, Tasmania, Indonesia and Papua-New Guinea. Their descriptive name comes from their love of sweet foods and a membrane that allows them to glide. Sugar gliders are marsupials which means that they raise their young in a pouch on the mother’s belly. They are small mammals and adults weigh between 4 and 5 ounces.
Sugar gliders have gray fur and a cream colored chest and stomach with a black stripe running the full length of the spine. They have large, hairless ears that move independently of each other and are in constant motion to pick up sounds.
The tail of the sugar glider is used for stability and balance. During gliding it acts as a rudder to control the direction of flight. A membrane of skin reaches from the wrist to the ankle and it is this membrane that gives them the ability to glide.
Sugar Gliders As Pets
Sugar gliders recognize the people that handle them and express affection and displeasure. They are social animals and do better in pairs. Sugar gliders can be very vocal and loud and bark much like a small dog.
Sugar gliders recognize the people that handle them and express affection and displeasure. They are social animals and do better in pairs. Sugar gliders can be very vocal and loud and bark much like a small dog.
Sugar gliders can live up to 15 years in captivity. They do need fresh fruit daily and a reasonably larger cage is necessary for their home. Although they do require some work, sugar gliders can make fun, enjoyable, and loving pets.
Basic care
Gliders can be kept in several ways, but the most easiest time to introduce gliders is always going to be when they are young and newly weaned, before they become territorial.
You can keep same sex pairs together. It’s always best to obtain them at an early age, especially if they are from different breeders. Younger animals tend to adapt and to accept quicker than older ones. Two males should be neutered, not only because their scent glands will develop and they can mark territory and have an unpleasant odor, but also because once they start coming into maturity (some males will as young as 3.5 months out of pouch), one may become more dominant than the other and attack and injure or even kill his cage-mate.
Joeys should never be put in a cage with adults they do not know. They could easily be injured or killed. Even if you think your gliders are very tame, it’s in their still “half wild” nature to PROTECT THEIR COLONY.
The way to tell sexes apart is even easy when they first come out of the pouch. The female will have a “slit” in her belly. That will be her pouch for carrying joeys of her own in the future. The male will have a “little button” in the place of where a pouch would have been if he had been a female.
Gliders are nocturnal creatures, bright lights usually annoys them. The large eyes are especially adapted to night vision. Gliders are an excellent choice for the person who works days and wishes for an interesting pet to play with at night.
It is not recommended to keep gliders in a bedroom that is also occupied by humans, unless the human occupants enjoy being kept awake all night by toys, bells, running on wheels, chirping, barking and any other of the many loud noises gliders can make when they are fully awake. Gliders are extremely loud at night.
Gliders do make a variety of sounds. An annoyed glider makes sort of a “bee-hive” sound. Mother’s make interesting noises to her offspring and so on. I can always tell when babies are out of the pouch without even looking. They make little singing noises in the sleeping pouch and mother is answering them as she grooms them. Gliders can also make a "barking" sound too. This could go on for a long time.
When introducing new gliders to your home, it’s best to have a 30 day quarantine period. The new glider or gliders need to be kept in a different room and have a vet wellness check up and fecal to check for parasites. The test should be preformed one more time towards the end of the 30 day quarantine to be on the safe side before you bring the new gliders near your current gliders. Even if they aren’t going to be housed together, this is very important.
Gliders are still this side of wild and can hide sickness until they can’t any longer. It’s a wild instinct many gliders still possess. A sick glider in the colony can attract unwanted attention from predators, thus being a risk to the rest of the colony. A sick glider will be either killed or driven off by his family so gliders have adapted to being able to hide illness, even without showing any other symptoms. A vet exam with parasite screening yearly is a good way to make sure our animals are the best they can be.
Local Klang Valley Glider vets:-
Dr JennyHANDS “N” PAWSC-17G, Jalan PJU 1/45,Aman Suria Damansara, 47301 PJTel: 03-7804 6539Dr Jenny can neuter male gliders safely.The clinic can deworm and treat serious conditions for gliders.Call before you go to make an appointment.
Dr YeohYEOH VETERINARY CLINIC & SURGERY126, Jln SS 24/2, Tmn Megah, 47301 PJ, SelangorTel: 03-78048684Dr Yeoh can neuter male gliders safely.The clinic is able to treat minor things on gliders and general check up but not great for serious cases.Call to make an appointment.
These other vets are supposedly able to treat sugar glider too but am not so sure. Call to find out...
My Vet Clinic
No. 29-G, Jalan Cecawi 6/33, Section 6, Kota Damansara, PJ 47 810.
Tel: 03-6142 2122
E-mail: jhlyuuki@yahoo.com
She available on Monday & Tuesday (if not mistaken)
Dr Vellayan
10, Jalan L2, Phase 6A Taman Melawati 53100 Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 918 013-6246 Tel / Fax: 03-4108
Wisma Medivet, 8 Jln Tun Razak, 50400 Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 03-40426742, 03-40425873
Fax: 03-40413660
Emergency: 03-40426742
ANIMAL AND kennels Polyclinic 147, UPC Indah, Batu 3, Jln Klang Lama, 58000 KL
Tel: 03-79828731, 03-79824687, 03-79825491
Fax: 03-79835285
BANGSAR VETERINARY CLINIC & SURGERY
94, Lorong Maarof, Spinning Bangsar, 59000 Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 03-22844051
Fax: 03-22833427
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