Are Sugar Gliders a Good Pet For You?

Sugar gliders are highly social, nocturnal marsupials indigenous to Australia, Indonesia, and New Guinea. They often bond closely to their caregivers. Sugar gliders' toes and fingers have small pads that help them grasp food and branches as they climb and explore their environment. They are closely related to possums, however, resemble flying squirrels. They have semi-prehensile tails, pouches like a kangaroo or possum, and patagia (gliding membrane). They are not rodents.

Average Size: Body size is 5"-7" with the tail ranging approximately the same length

Life Span of a captive bred and kept pet sugar glider: 7-10 years, up to 15 years.

Please check Yes or No to each of the below:

• I have an appropriate location and adequate space for a sugar glider?
• I know that male and female sugar gliders should not be housed together unless the male(s) is/are neutered if I have no intention of breeding
• I can provide daily, supervised time for a sugar glider outside of the habitat
• I understand a sugar gliders dietary needs and can commit to providing proper care for a sugar glider
• A mature person will provide responsible and primary care for the sugar glider(s) in my home
• I understand that finding a veterinarian that is knowledgeable and/or willing to learn about sugar gliders is important.
• I understand most emergencies with sugar gliders happen at night time and have an emergency vet that will care for them on hand

DIET

Providing a balanced and nutritious diet plan is detrimental for your sugar gliders health and longevity. Although there are many diet recipes of which can be found on the internet, be certain you are feeding one that has been laboratory tested on both the food products and the animals to be certain you are feeding a diet plan your pets will thrive on. We recommend Critter Love® Plus, Complete OR Breeders alongside one of the Critter Love® salads.

Feeding:
Provide fresh food each evening approximately thirty minutes to your sugar glider(s) waking up. Remove feeding dish first thing in the morning. Provide fresh water 24 hours a day in an open water dish. One that hangs on the side of the cage such as this one is recommended.

Provide a few pieces of kibble in the sugar gliders cage 24/7 as a snack and/or aide to dental hygiene. We recommend Critter Love® kibble which can be located on our Food and Sides section.

Grooming & Hygiene
Sugar gliders keep themselves clean and unless ill will not require baths of any sort.

Nails will require tip trimming or attaching a piece of sandpaper (wet/dry) to your sugar gliders wheel.

Since all sugar gliders are potential carriers of infectious diseases (such as giardia and coccidia), always wash your hands before and after handling your sugar glider and/or the habitat contents.

Normal behavior & Interaction
Sugar gliders are nocturnal, meaning they are awake at night and sleep during the day. They are social and is recommended to have a minimum of a pair housed together. Sugar gliders communicate with a vary of sounds. Different sounds can be found on our "All about sugar gliders" page.