Sugar Gliders

[jiannotto9492]

Does anyone have any experience with them? My girlfriend wants one and I want to know if there's anything we should know and also if there's anything we need to be careful about with having a sugar glider and a parrot.

 

[SilverSage]

I don't have one but I've loooked into them; they seem even more specialized than parrots, and no one thing I came accor


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[SilverSage]

Across time an Tim again is that you should have two at least.


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[plumsmum2005]

Sugar Glider - Questions and Answers - Everything you NEED to know

This was fascinating reading

 

[gavagai]

Did you ever get any?

I learned about them when I was about twelve and I saw a book on them in the pet store. I'd never heard of them before so I got the book and read about them and was charmed. But I'm originally from Massachusetts, and they were illegal in my home state throughout my childhood, only being legalized there in 2013.

If I get any non-avian pets in the near future it would almost certainly be sugar gliders, since they're:

1. Cuddly. Though I'm sure they exist, I've never heard of a bonded sugar glider who didn't at least tolerate being handled.
2. Nocturnal. Since my birds are aggressively diurnal, wanting to go back to the cage at sundown, and I don't like using much artificial light at night, that's a big plus.
3. Almost odorless, if you get females or neutered males. (Intact males will start secreting an odor from their heads at puberty and they love to rub it on stuff.)
4. Long-lived for an animal of their size. I personally see longevity in an animal as a plus, as I imagine most people who keep parrots do.
5. Inexpensive but more commitment than most people expect. This means that as with a lot of parrots, you can always find people giving sugar gliders up on Craigslist.
6. Cute. So cute.

The biggest drawback of sugar gliders relative to other small mammals is that they're obligate omnivores. (Well, that and the males should really be neutered if you don't want them scent-marking you, but that's avoidable by getting females.) If you've had parrots, your probably used to feeding a varied diet already. But parrots don't need insects as part of their diet. Feeder insects from pet stores are surprisingly expensive. However unlike parrots sugar gliders don't destroy their toys in the process of playing with them.

Sugar Glider - Questions and Answers - Everything you NEED to know

This was fascinating reading

That's written by a breathless fan of the species trying to persuade you to buy sugar gliders, and is a rather one-sided assessment. For the exotics they have information on, I like Janda Exotics' website as a starting point (page on sugar gliders here), since they tend to be fairly comprehensive, in line with other sources, and don't try to downplay the negative aspects of the animals they sell in order to sell you one.

Of course they also don't list all the positives as that site does, and don't list all the negatives either, that link is primarily concerned with their care.

Another negative–not for me personally but supposedly reason a lot of people give them up–is that they're noisy at night. (Since I'm a night owl and was able to sleep through my late sun conure's wakeup calls, I'm sure I could sleep though any noise a sugar glider might make, which seems to be mostly running around their cage and creaking the wheel.)

Most of my information on sugar gliders either comes from that book I bought and YouTube videos from people who have them. And the latter is an easily available resource to anyone interested in them.

 

[Owlet]

I was about to get a sugar glider some years ago but plans changed, I had already done my research though.

- They get their name because they prefer sweet nectar. They are omnivores.
- They are primarily fed sweet fruits such as melons, nectarines, etc. They are also given bugs such as meal worms which are super easy to breed yourself so you don't have to buy from a pet store. Honey is a great treat for them. Now that I think about it they have a very similar diet preference to ants.
- They are nocturnal, hence the big eyes, so they're only really awake during the night.
- They are marsupials so they have a pouch. If you get a male and female pairing that are both intact, it may take a bit to notice if there's any baby(s)
- They need a wheel. They are very active and love to use them. I can give a good, sturdy wheel suggestion if you need it.
- They bond very well to humans and would happily just stay in a pouch around your neck for the entire day and play around with you at night. A lot of sugar gliders are one person only animals. So I advise against rescuing any unless they're still fairly young, otherwise there's a good chance they're already bonded and it'll be a struggle for you.
- When they first wake up, they pee and poop. A lot. So if you're waking them up the handle them, get a towel or something.
- They can be relatively loud as they have a loud call. Nothing as loud as a parrot can get but it's still something to keep in mind. They usually only call for the same reason a parrot might, to get attention.
- DO NOT BATHE THEM. Of course there is always an exception but for the most part sugar gliders are self-bathing and it could be harmful to bathe them.
- As for cages, taller the better.
- They need a fair amount of toys and hides. If you just google "sugar glider cages" it'll come up with some amazing examples.
- Fleece and DIY projects are very handy when it comes to these guys as it's a great bedding for them.

trying to think of what else I could add..

 

[Kentuckienne]

I know someone who became a sugar glider hoarder. They're nocturnal so she hides the increase from her husband. But they do wake up only at night, and how much time can you give them then? They are cute as the dickens and soft as chinchillas.

 

[SilverSage]

I really want some. We will see if it ever becomes a reality, but the nocturnal thing would actually be great in my family with how some of us (ok it's just me) much prefer to be awake at night, and all the other pets in the house get cranky if you keep them up late!


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[VICTORYCC124]

I had sugar gliders. Two pairs of them. While they are completely adorable! Here's what you need to know...
They have to be handled on a regular basis, or they can become mean in no time at all.
They smell terrible. Their cage will always have the smell of their urine, as they mark their territory. And the more you clean it, the more they mark it. It's an inevitable, never-ending battle. I've kept a small zoo in my time, and these guys were by far the stinkiest critter I've kept (and I've kept a 135 gal turtle tank of 3 turtles).
They can & will escape their cages at any given chance.
They are nocturnal and do bark at night.
They are expensive.
The sugar gliders and the parrots will spook each other.
They require a LOT of maintenance. More than a parrot, and I have 4 parrots.
They're require a very special diet to be happy and healthy, which requires at least 30 minutes per day to prepare.

The Pros are easy to see. You should research the Cons. I would not recommend them to anyone, honestly.
Best of luck to you.

 

[SilverSage]

None of those seem like too much of a con for me

Handling; I don't get pets that I don't have time for.

Smell; nothing smells worse than human children. Just kidding. Sort of. I'll be sure to go and sniff a bunch of cages before adopting!

Escaping; sounds like all my birds! I have one who, if given the chance, will not only let himself out, but let all his friends out. It's a nightmare if you miss a lock on his cage!

Nocturnal and barking; I'm a nocturnal person. It makes me sad that my birds can't be up with me late into the night. My husband is an extremely early riser, so for a good part of the dark hours each day someone is awake who would love to play and snuggle. As for barking, I'll make sure I hear the sound in person before adopting, but I doubt it would be an issue.


Expense; do you mean they are expensive to maintain? Because the purchase price for the normal colors doesn't seem at all high. Could you give an estimate of your monthly cost to properly feed/house/vet/entertain your 4?

My parrots have their own room and go to sleep when the sun goes down. My gliders could easily be kept in a different part of the house and they never need see each other. That said, my birds are basically bomb proof at this point, with only a few exceptions.

Can you specify the ways in which their maintenance is higher?

The diet doesn't scare me, I'll just have to be sure I can get everything I need easily before adopting. A big part for me will be insuring that each component is either carried at most pet stores or available online or that I have another way to get it when we move. My husband is military and we move a lot; I'm not willing to suddenly find out that I can't take them with me because I won't be able to feed them correctly.

For me personally they are in the same category as any pet that seems awesome; they are filed under "maybe someday" but not right now (particularly since I live in Hawaii, and they are illegal here). If/when the time comes that I have room in my life to add a whole additional species specialty pet on top of my parrots, fish tanks, dogs, cat, human children, needy husband, school, work, and whatever else is going on at the time, I'll be sure to not just "do my research" but actually get hands on experience; hear the bark, smell the cage, have someone show me their feeding and cleaning routines, and maybe even get bitten. Don't worry, I won't dive in blind just because of how adorable they are.


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[gavagai]

They smell terrible. Their cage will always have the smell of their urine, as they mark their territory. And the more you clean it, the more they mark it. It's an inevitable, never-ending battle. I've kept a small zoo in my time, and these guys were by far the stinkiest critter I've kept (and I've kept a 135 gal turtle tank of 3 turtles).

Were these intact males? I've heard that intact males do that, but neutered males and females don't. I hadn't heard that the urine smells bad (the smell complaints I heard about were the males' heads), but I'll take your word on it.

They are expensive.

To care for, you mean? Because I think one of the reasons you see so many people rehoming them on Craigslist is because they are cheap. Normals can be obtained for as little as $125 from USDA-licensed breeders, and I've seen them for as little as $30 (though also as much as $250) from illegal backyard operations.

The sugar gliders and the parrots will spook each other.

Can you expand on this? What happens? And is it a problem even if you cover the cages during their respective sleep periods? What about keeping them in different rooms?

They require a LOT of maintenance. More than a parrot, and I have 4 parrots.

Aside from the 30 minute diet, what maintenance do they require? Are you talking more play time, more cage cleaning, more vet visits?

 

[Mariar]

I know this post is older but i own gliders and alot of them...i clean twice a day and do food prep twice a week...my house doesnt smell and they are friendly..most of the time..right now my current count is seven. ..my oldest was put down in January. ..he was almost 15....they do require lots and lots of time outside of the cage..strict diet...expensive vet care..and dont buy from a breeder...go to glider gossip.com people are always looking to rehome..mine have always been rescues or rehomes.my gliders are on my schedule...they are super active in the morning and late night but not all night. Never buy canned veggies. .i had an entire family wiped out from a virus found in a can of corn. Now i buy frozen veggies and organic baby food..plus frozen fruit..they get protien 4 times a week..eggs,chicken,shrimp. And the reason people get rid of them is they are really expensive to bring to the vet..alot cheaper than when i first started rescuing but you need two and you need time..lots. as for intacted males they do smell ..i have one intact male...but his story is differnt..his testies never dropped..so he has his scent glades but no scent. Ive been working with gliders for about 20 years...pm me with questions or concerns..quick note...gliders in the wild eat birds..do not have parrots and gliders out at the same time..it can be deadly