# sugar gliders



## adder99 (May 16, 2010)

just wondering how to rais a baby sugar glider. 
1. what do they eat?
2.shuld i handle it?
3.do babys need to be kept warm even if they hav fur?
4.how long do they live for?
5.what sort of enclosure do they live in, (im thinking a bird cage) but what size?

thanks heaps, Josh


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## snakehandler (May 16, 2010)

We have kept them for a while, there are some good sites from the States that have sugar glider diet mix that you can make up, they also eat insects, love fresh eucalyptus, pinkie rats, zebra finches and meal worms.

We were able to handle them all the time, very tame, but get used to a few bites, once they are hand tame they are find. Keep the babies the same as the adults, in a nice hollow in a very large enclosure. I would recommend an enclosure about 4-5 meters high x 8-10 long x 8-10 deep....most people will disagree, but when you see them in action, the more space they have the better they are.


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## gregcranston (May 16, 2010)

snakehandler said:


> I would recommend an enclosure about 4-5 meters high x 8-10 long x 8-10 deep....most people will disagree, but when you see them in action, the more space they have the better they are.


Where do you expect to get an enclosure this massive? Of course the bigger is better, but I think this size is out of the reach of the vast majority of people.


adder99 said:


> just wondering how to rais a baby sugar glider.
> 1. what do they eat?
> 2.shuld i handle it?
> 3.do babys need to be kept warm even if they hav fur?
> ...


I wouldn't recommend trying to hand raise a baby sugar glider at any stage, but especially when they are under 6 weeks oop. But if you needs emergency info on it, check out some of the U.S. glider forums, such as; http://www.glidercentral.net/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php
The adults eat a nectar mix, various vegies and some fruits, insects, they will browse leaves and native flowers, the odd pinkie etc.
If you get them hand tame at 8-10 weeks oop, and handle them regularly, they are very good and tame pets. Of course you can still try and tame up an untame one, but it is very hard work sometimes and doesn't always work as well as you'd hope. 
The parents generally keep the babies warm in first few weeks oop, as they are not great at regulating their own heat at first when their fur is thin.
Apparently they can live till about 14-15 years of age, but I think around 8-11 in captivity is more common, if kept in ideal conditions.
Bird aviaries are the go for keeping them in, the bigger the better, but minimum would be 2-2.5 metres high by 3-4 metres long and 1.5-2m deep, but that's just my opinion.


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## snakehandler (May 16, 2010)

Build the enclosure....its not that hard, and if you really respect the animals you keep, you make sure you give them as much space as you can!


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## REPTILIAN-KMAN (May 16, 2010)

i only wish in nsw we could keep sugar gliders


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## gregcranston (May 16, 2010)

Even Healesville Sanctuary doesn't have their sugar gliders in enclosures that big. A 4.5m x 9m x 9m aviary wouldn't even fit in my backyard, lol.


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## Mrs I (May 16, 2010)

I am with greg, most people dont have that sort of room and i am sure something that high would have to have council approval, a large bird avairy is fine, mine is approx 4 metres x 2.5 metres x 2 metres and suits my pair fine.

What is horrible is the little house cages that people in the states keep them in...


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## adder99 (May 17, 2010)

yeah thanks guys. hes started eating a bit of jam and apple. for the moment ive got him a a small bird cage but i will be sure to give him more space.


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## Mrs I (May 17, 2010)

Umm where did you get this little one from ??

Is it on license ??

A baby will not survive on apple and jam ....


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## gregcranston (May 17, 2010)

adder99 said:


> yeah thanks guys. hes started eating a bit of jam and apple. for the moment ive got him a a small bird cage but i will be sure to give him more space.


 That won't sustain it for long, my mix is:

[FONT=&quot]my diet consists of a nectar that is made up by adding: 400-500g honey, 125g Farex original mixed cereal (7-9 months, fine grains), 100g Wombaroo Small Carnivore Food (order by email, PM me for email details) [/FONT][FONT=&quot]in 1kg boxes, or 250g), 2 eggs (is your choice weather to hard boil them, I don’t, or add the shell), 2 Tbl spoon water to help mix it up.[/FONT]
 
As far as solids, they tend to be more interested in the sweet vegetables than fruit I’ve found, a favourite is corn kernels, also sweet potato finely chopped, also grapes, apple and orange can be offered, they usually have their own individual preferences. Wombaroo also makes other supplements that can be sprinkled on solid food, or even made into soft pellets and given as a solid food. They also like to browse native branches and flowers.
Mealworms are also a good treat, but not very often.

And of course, always provide fresh water.


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## Tegstep (May 22, 2010)

Where did you get this guy from?
You need to get in touch with some wildlife carers/wildlife vets to give you some help with this. A baby sugar glider is going to deteriorate very quickly on such a limited diet. 
These aren't kittens or puppies (which you can stuff up easily enough anyway). They are tiny little animals which have very specific needs and very few resources to fall back on when they're not getting the appropriate care.


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## xavarx7 (May 22, 2010)

umm these questions should be asked and found out way before buying such an animal


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