It is important to approach your sugar glider with confidence and gentleness. Even very young joeys can rear up on their back legs, lunge and hiss or crab if they feel frightened or threatened. They can look very scary! And they can even bite you. Yes, sugar gliders do bite. The bite of a joey is not particularly painful, but the bite of an adult can draw blood. Do not attempt to get around this problem by wearing gloves, however. Gloves will mask the scent of your hands and you will continually be presenting yourself as a stranger to your glider.

There are some general rules for handling that will increase your chances for an early bonding with your sugar glider. If you approach your glider with your hand and he rears and lunges, resist the urge to quickly withdraw your hand. It’s easier said than done, but sugar gliders can detect and react to fear just like other pets. If he bites you, NEVER hit him! Never! Say NO! and continue your approach. You don’t want to teach your sugar glider that he can get his way by biting. On the other hand, respect the fact that he is a frightened wild animal. If the sugar glider persists in being aggressive, end the attempt to bond and start again the next time.

Some people begin approaching their sugar gliders with a “licky treat” on the end of their finger. This might be a little yogurt or applesauce or something else enjoyable. That way, your sugar glider will associate your approach with good things and not stress. Remember, though, that your sugar glider might still bite you if it is very frightened. Don’t shove your finger in his face. It’s always best to hold your hand back a bit from the sugar glider and let him come to you. If he does act aggressively, try to avoid screaming, jumping back suddenly, etc. (Again, I know this is easier said than done.) This will just cause more fear and stress in the glider.

Never reach in the cage and just grab the glider! This feeling of restriction makes sugar gliders feel threatened. Certainly never grab them by the back of the neck, the way a mama cat would carry a kitten. And never grab a sugar glider by the tail. Instead, use a scooping motion to pick them up with a cupped hand. If they are reluctant to leave the branch or whatever they are clinging to, use one finger to tickle their feet. This will encourage the sugar glider to hang onto you instead of the branch. Some gliders will hop on the back of your hand if you offer it, so try this approach if nothing else works.

(To be continued…)

© 2006 SugarGliderAuthority.com. Excerpted from Sugar Gliders: The Ultimate Guide. All rights reserved. No portion of this website may be reproduced in whole or in part without the express written consent of the copyright owner.

The topic of bonding is near and dear to the hearts of sugar glider lovers! When properly done, bonding results in a loving pet that is strongly emotionally attached to you. Your bonded sugar glider will probably also want to be physically near you as much as possible, too. Sugar glider owners love to carry their little pals with them, and the gliders seem to love being carried. Bear in mind that some gliders bond quickly, while others require more time. They all have little personalities, just like any other pet. So take your time and let your glider bond at its own pace. There is no reason or need to hurry. Bonding will happen, if you are willing to invest your time!

The most important qualities you can have during the bonding process are consistency, patience, and persistence. Consistently spend a lot of time with your glider, be patient if he seems less-than ready to bond, and persist in bonding with him. Don’t let him scare you off if he seems a little defensive or even aggressive.

The most important thing to remember is that gliders bond by scent. The other thing to remember is that changes in their environment can create stress that is likely to make them react out of fear. So when you bring a sugar glider into your home for the first time, don’t expect him to hop right into your hand! Instead, leave him alone to explore his new territory/environment for a few days or so, while you just keep a watchful eye on him. You can hang out in the same room as him, so he gets used to your presence. You’ll need to feed and water him during this time period, of course. Some sugar gliders can take up to a week to get used to their new environment. Don’t push your sugar glider to acclimate faster than he is ready to!

Some breeders recommend that you leave an article of clothing, such as a tee shirt, draped over the cage for the first day or so. Don’t wash the tee shirt before doing this. By leaving the tee shirt around, the sugar glider will get used to your scent and you will seem more familiar when you come close to him. You can wear this tee shirt the first time you attempt to get close to him so that he’s got a familiar, scented item to comfort him. Remember that if you are wearing a new perfume or deodorant or anything else scented, this will make you seem unfamiliar to your sugar glider.

Don’t overwhelm your new sugar glider by having too many people trying to get close to him all at the same time. He may perceive that as a threat and will react fearfully. However, if more than one person plans on bonding with the sugar glider, all of them should begin bonding activities quickly. In other words, all people who want to bond with the sugar glider should begin spending quality time with the glider from early on. Your glider may or may not pick out a “favorite” human, but gliders are certainly capable of bonding with more than one human.

(To be continued…)

© 2006 SugarGliderAuthority.com. Excerpted from Sugar Gliders: The Ultimate Guide. All rights reserved. No portion of this website may be reproduced in whole or in part without the express written consent of the copyright owner.

How should the cage be furnished?

The key principle to keep in mind is that your sugar glider’s cage should mimic its natural environment to the extent possible. In their natural environment, sugar gliders climb, jump and glide from branch to branch and from tree to tree. Here are some suggestions to help keep your glider happy:

Tree branches:

Including branches in your sugar glider’s cage will provide it something to sit on and glide or jump to/from! Attach the branches with glider-safe ties or straps. Don’t use wire twist-ties! Use a type of wood that is rated as safe for small birds, such as apple, aspen, cottonwood and willow. Many breeders prefer manzanita branches above all others. Make sure the branches have not been sprayed with pesticides. If you use a tree branch from your yard, you may want to place it in a freezer for a day or two, in order to kill any bugs in/on it.

Do not use branches from pine trees, cedar trees, fir trees or redwood trees. They all produce a sticky sap that can be quite difficult to remove from your glider’s fur. And the sap may in fact be poisonous.

Your sugar glider will have a good time stripping the bark from the branches! Once a branch is stripped and/or soiled, replace it with a new one.

Other climbing and frolicking toys:

Climbing robes, perches, ladders, bird bells, etc. are also enjoyed by sugar gliders. Check your pet store’s parrot and hamster toys. Be sure that anything you buy is sturdy enough to take the wear from an active sugar glider!

Nesting boxes or a sleeping pouch:

A nesting box is a very important part of your sugar glider’s environment! Remember, they are nocturnal and need a warm, safe place to curl up and sleep during the day. Nesting boxes can be made of wood, wicker (like a finch nest) or plastic. The hole in the nesting box should be at least 1.5 inches (3.75 cm) in diameter. If you are using the nesting box for breeding, make sure the hole is up high enough, or on top of the box, so that the babies can’t fall out. If you really want to keep your glider happy, provide more than one nesting box or sleeping pouch.

As an alternative, you can put a cloth sleeping pouch with a slit in it in the cage, and tie it to the side of the cage; sort of like a sugar glider sleeping bag! These sleeping pouches are very popular with sugar glider owners. Sleeping pouches can be washed when necessary. Be sure to clip any hanging threads inside the sleeping pouch. A hanging thread can get wrapped around your glider’s paw and cause a lot of damage.

It is not absolutely necessary that your sugar glider’s nesting box have bedding in it. You can, however, add plain shredded paper (NO newsprint or magazine print), strips of fleece material or aspen wood shavings.

Never use cedar wood shavings, as the volatile oils in them are toxic to sugar gliders and many other small animals. As a precaution, try to avoid pine shavings because they have volatile resins that can be toxic to gliders.

If your sugar glider eats its nesting material, remove the nesting material, because the sugar glider could wind up with an impacted digestive system. You can put a piece soft fabric in the nesting box in place of shredded wood, paper, etc.

Litter versus bedding material:

One of the facts of sugar glider life is that gliders cannot be litter trained. So an actual litter box is not going to change their nature. However, gliders’ stools are small and quickly dry to hardness, like mouse poop. They usually urinate while on the wire of their cage or on one of their branches. So your best bet is to line the bottom of their cage with absorbent material, such as wood shavings (NOT cedar shavings, however) or even unscented cat litter. Ideally, you want your sugar glider’s absorbent bedding to be unreachable by the glider. If you can find a cage with a slide-out tray and a layer of wire over the tray, that will work best. If you construct your own cage, put a wire layer over the bedding to prevent the sugar gliders from walking around in their own waste.

Food and water containers:

The first principle of feeding and watering sugar gliders is to place the food and water high up in the cage. Gliders feel comfortable eating up high, because they are tree-dwellers. For a food container, you can use anything from a heavy “crock” type pet food dish that can’t be tipped over to bird dishes that clip onto the wire. Be sure to dump out and clean the food dishes every day, in order to prevent food from spoiling and making your glider sick.

For a water container, you can also use a heavy “crock” type pet food dish, or a sipper-type of water bottle. Water bottles work nicely because your sugar glider can’t pee and poop in them, as they might in a dish. However, until you are sure your glider has gotten “the hang” of sipping from a water bottle, also include some water in an open dish.

Toys:

Sugar gliders love playing with bird toys. Make sure that the toys do not have small parts that can easily be bitten or pulled off. They also love to hide in PVC pipe! You can give your sugar glider a chew bone, but do not use poultry bones, or pork or lamb bones.

An important note about hamster wheels: Some people think gliders and wire hamster wheels are a natural combination. However, they can cause injuries to sugar gliders. Tails can get caught in the wire wheels, and if one glider jumps on the wheel while another spins it, the first glider’s legs or paws may get caught in the wheel. Use a solid wheel, such as Wodent Wheels from Transoniq. Another benefit of the solid wheels is that you can put fine-grade sandpaper in the wheel to keep your sugar glider’s nails trimmed. There are specialty products designed to fit inside the Wodent Wheel so that it automatically trims your glider’s nails as he runs on the wheel. I recommend the 8″ Wodent Wheel for joeys and the 11″ Wodent Wheel for adult suggies.
Here’s what a Wodent Wheel looks like:

© 2006 SugarGliderAuthority.com. Excerpted from Sugar Gliders: The Ultimate Guide. All rights reserved. No portion of this website may be reproduced in whole or in part without the express written consent of the copyright owner.

What is the proper temperature for keeping sugar gliders?

Sugar gliders should be kept at a temperature between 65° F (18° C) and 75° F (24° C). Luckily, this is the temperature range in most homes, so no special arrangements are usually needed. Some breeders report that they keep their sugar gliders at 80° F (26° C). However, if your home gets very cold in winter or very hot in summer, you will need to provide heating/cooling for your glider. Do NOT use a reptile “heat rock” to heat your glider’s cage! The surface temperature of the heat rock is too high for a sugar glider’s feet. Additionally, the heat rock will require an electrical cord – a dangerous item to have near a curious sugar glider! (I will be writing about “Sugar Glider Safety” in the near future.)

How often should the cage be cleaned?

Cage hygiene is very important, both for your health and especially for the health of your glider. Dirty cages can become a breeding ground for bacteria and fungi. The cage should be spot-cleaned on a daily basis. Keep food and water dishes very clean. Check the nesting material and the absorbent material at the bottom of the cage to see if it needs to be replaced (do not let it get overly soiled, smelly, etc.). Spot clean toys and exercise wheels.

Once every 1 to 2 weeks, remove everything from the cage, including the sugar gliders, and clean everything with a weak bleach solution or other disinfecting solution. Be sure to rinse thoroughly, so that there is no bleach or soap residue left on the cage or toys. Some people find it convenient to take the cage outside and use a power washer. Other clever owners put their cages in their trucks and take them to a self-serve car wash (the kind where you hose off the vehicle yourself). Wait until everything is dry before you return your gliders to their cage.

(To be continued…)

© 2006 SugarGliderAuthority.com. Excerpted from Sugar Gliders: The Ultimate Guide. All rights reserved. No portion of this website may be reproduced in whole or in part without the express written consent of the copyright owner.

If you build your own sugar glider cage, do not use screen material designed for screen doors! Your gliders will incessantly get their claws caught in it, which could cause injury.

Sugar glider cages can be built of plywood and galvanized wire. There are a couple of considerations if you decide to build out of wood and wire. It is recommended you rinse the wire before using it, to remove as much zinc residue as possible. You should paint the wood so it does not absorb urine. BE SURE the paint is non-toxic, such as high-gloss latex paint! Also be sure the paint is COMPLETELY DRY before you let your sugar glider(s) get in it. Galvanized wire is also harder to clean than commercial enameled wire. Over time, as the gliders urinate on the galvanized wire, it will build up a white deposit unless you clean the urine off regularly. So if you decide to use galvanized wire, you should commit to a more frequent wire-cleaning schedule.

The doors on cages should be large enough to allow you to pass a nesting box, or hiding box through it. Make sure the doors have a strong latch as gliders are smart and may figure out a way to open the door if possible. If you use a tall bird cage that has a door that slides up, you will need to secure the latch with something else, such as all-plastic (no wire) trash bag ties.

Where should the cage be located in your home?

Most people keep their sugar gliders inside their home year-round. If you live where the temperature permits you to keep your glider in something like an outdoor aviary, be aware that your glider may be threatened by wandering dogs, cats or hawks and other birds of prey. Lizards who wander into his cage could pass illnesses such as salmonella to your sugar glider, and insects your glider catches and eats could be contaminated with pesticides. Additionally, if your sugar glider escapes from an outdoor enclosure, the chance of your ever finding him or her is just about zero.

Inside your home, put your sugar glider’s cage in a place where there is natural light, so that the glider can get a sense of normal day and night. But avoid putting your sugar glider’s cage directly in front of a window. In the wild, gliders are nocturnal animals who live in trees, so they get very little direct sunlight. Direct sunlight from a window could damage their eyes. Additionally, windows can be drafty, and that could make your glider ill.

Sugar gliders need light and darkness cues to tell them when to sleep, exercise, eat, etc. Gliders kept in basements or in rooms with no windows may become confused. If it is impossible to give your glider natural light, then provide a light with a timer.

If your sugar glider’s cage is not one of the tallest varieties, place your sugar glider’s cage on a table or a countertop, because gliders love to be up high. NEVER place the cage directly on large appliances (like refrigerators) or electronics (such as a TV). Large appliances often give off constant hums, vibrations and noises that can be very disturbing to sugar gliders.

NEVER put your sugar glider’s cage where it is susceptible to disruption from an electronic pest control unit that uses sound or radio waves to get rid of mice, roaches, etc. Remember, your sugar glider is just a little critter, too, and those devices could drive him crazy! They have extremely sensitive hearing.

It is not necessary to place the cage in a part of the house that is very quiet all day. You do want to keep the cage away from very noisy young children and barking dogs. But normal household noise will help your glider become acclimated to your house. Even though they sleep all day, they can tolerate a certain degree of noise and not wake up.

(To be continued…)

© 2006 SugarGliderAuthority.com. Excerpted from Sugar Gliders: The Ultimate Guide. All rights reserved. No portion of this website may be reproduced in whole or in part without the express written consent of the copyright owner.

Note: Be sure to have your sugar glider’s cage already in place and set up with his toys, bowls, etc. when he arrives in your home. You cannot have a sugar glider living in a small cage while you try to find a suitable cage at the mall or on the internet. Any extended time spent in a cramped cage will stress your sugar glider greatly, and will make the bonding process that much more difficult. It may also make him sick.

It is important to put some serious thought into how and where you are going to house your sugar glider(s). Sugar gliders need a fair amount of space, and they need a way to feel safe. Here are some of the major considerations:

What size should the cage be?

There is a lot of debate about the proper size cage for sugar gliders. But one thing is clear: the bigger (and especially taller) the cage the better! Remember, in the wild, sugar gliders glide from limb to limb and from tree to tree. So the bigger and taller cage you can provide, the better. It will make for much happier sugar gliders. If you don’t have a lot of space in your home and you need to keep your cage toward the smaller side, then you definitely will need to let your glider out of its cage for significant amounts of time, so it can climb around and exercise. (They love to run to the top of bookshelves, cabinets and curtain rods to survey their world!)

Some breeders recommend a minimum cage size of 20″ x 20″ x 30″ high for one or two gliders. Other breeders recommend 18″ x 18″ x 36″ high. The folks at Glider University recommend a minimum size of 48″ x 48″ x 60″ (4 x 4 x 5 feet) high for a single glider, and a size of 48″ x 60″ x 72″ (4 x 5 x 6 feet) high for a pair of gliders. They note that you can get away with a smaller cage than their recommended minimum only if you have a safe room where the glider(s) are permitted to run freely for at least 4 to 6 hours. Sanctuary developers and rehabilitators in Australia go even farther, recommending a cage that is 9 x 9 x 9 feet.

While it is understandable that most people will be unable to provide a cage that is the size of a small room, you should get or build the largest and tallest cage possible for your sugar glider. 30″ high does not seem nearly high enough, and anything shorter than that would simply be cruelty. Talk to your breeder and other experienced sugar glider owners before you buy a cage.

What should the cage be made of?

There are cages on the market made especially for sugar gliders. They are usually made of vinyl coated 1″ x 1/2″ welded wire. (That maximum recommended width between wires is 1/2″. Remember, a young joey can slip through a very small space.) Sugar glider cages are also usually very tall. Do not buy cages designed for ferrets, even though those cages seem to have the advantage because they are tall. The wire spacing on most ferret cages is 1″, which is too wide.

You might also check out tall finch flight cages available at many pet stores, such as the MIDWEST Collapsible Flight Cage available at PetSmart. Remember that it is always more important to have a tall cage than a wide cage. Do not buy cages designed for large birds such as parrots, because the space between the wires will be too large and your sugar gliders could escape!

(To be continued…)

© 2006 SugarGliderAuthority.com. Excerpted from Sugar Gliders: The Ultimate Guide. All rights reserved. No portion of this website may be reproduced in whole or in part without the express written consent of the copyright owner.

After you figure out the answer to the questions “How many should I buy?” and “What should their sex be?”, there are a couple of other things to consider:

o How old should the sugar glider be? Some sugar glider experts recommend picking out a recently-weaned pet, because it will probably bond with you more closely. However, many sugar glider owners report that older gliders will bond closely with their new human owners, if given enough time and attention.

If you decide to go with a recently-weaned glider, make sure that it can easily eat on its own. The minimum age at which a glider should be separated from its parents is 8 weeks out-of-pouch (OOP). An easy way to determine if a sugar glider is old enough to leave its parents is to look at the sugar glider’s tail. If its tail is fluffy, the glider is most likely old enough. If its tail is covered with short, smooth hairs, then the glider has probably only been out of the pouch for less than three weeks and it is not yet ready to be weaned and leave its parents.Note: Be sure to ask your breeder how they determine the age of your sugar glider. Some breeders base age on the approximate date that the joey was born, while most others base the age on when the joey emerged from its pouch (also known as OOP, or out of pouch).

o How do I know if the sugar glider is in good health? You should look for:

Bright, clear eyes

No protruding bones that might indicate malnutrition

Thick, soft, clean fur

No diarrhea. If a glider has diarrhea, it may appear as poop stuck to its tail or hindquarters.

The sugar glider should be alert, and it should be active (moving around its cage) if it is nighttime.

The glider may be at least somewhat hesitant when you see it, because you will be unfamiliar. Watch it interact with its breeder/owner to make sure it is accustomed to humans.

Finally, there is the Love Factor. This is a creature that you will be spending much time with in the coming days, months and years. You should feel an immediate attraction to your new Sugar Glider. If none of the joeys you look at steal your heart, be patient and wait until you see one that does!

© 2006 SugarGliderAuthority.com. Excerpted from Sugar Gliders: The Ultimate Guide. All rights reserved. No portion of this website may be reproduced in whole or in part without the express written consent of the copyright owner.

Regardless of which breeder you decide to contact, there are a number of important questions to ask:

o How long have you been in business?

o Do you have the proper license(s) to breed and sell sugar gliders?

o Do you have references and/or testimonials from other people who have bought sugar gliders from you? (Be sure to go ahead and check those references!)

o Will you be willing to take my phone calls and/or emails regarding questions I have, once the sugar glider is in my home?

o Do you have a health guarantee? How long is it? Can I have that guarantee in writing?

o Do you guarantee your sugar gliders’ ability to breed (only important if you are planning to breed them, too)? Can I have that guarantee in writing?

o Do you handle your joeys a lot once they are out-of-pouch? How much time do they spend interacting with humans?

o Was this sugar glider permitted to leave the pouch naturally, or was he removed from his mother’s pouch early? (It is always best to leave sugar gliders in the pouch until they are ready to leave, unless Mom is sick or deceased.)

o What is this sugar glider’s personality like? Is he or she shy or very outgoing? Does he or she get along with other sugar gliders?

o What diet have you been feeding him or her? This question is important because you’ll want to continue giving your sugar glider the same diet he’s used to, for at least a while after you take him or her home. If you don’t, you could end up with a sugar glider with digestive upsets.

You should also expect that a breeder will have a lot of questions to ask you! If the breeder does not ask you questions, it could be a sign that he or she is only interested in making quick money, not in providing proper, loving homes for their sugar gliders.A breeder may ask you:

o Why do you want to buy a sugar glider?

o Have you considered all the pros and cons of a sugar glider? (They should be able to tell you the pros and cons.)

o Are you willing to make the time commitment that a sugar glider requires?

o Are you willing to love and take care of this pet for up to 15 years?

o What kind of housing/cage are you going to provide?

o Are you willing and financially able to provide veterinary care?

o Are there small children in your household, and if so, how will be they be supervised around the sugar glider?

o Are there other pets in your household? What preparations have you made to insure the sugar glider will be safe from these pets?

o What kind of food are you going to provide for your sugar glider? Can you provide it with the sort of well-balanced diet I have been feeding it?

If you don’t feel comfortable with the breeder, then find another one. It’s important that you feel comfortable with the breeder, so that you won’t hesitate to contact him or her for advice on caring for your new suggie.© 2006 SugarGliderAuthority.com. Excerpted from Sugar Gliders: The Ultimate Guide. All rights reserved. No portion of this website may be reproduced in whole or in part without the express written consent of the copyright owner.

Always buy a captive-bred sugar glider! Captive-bred sugar gliders are fairly common now, and their genetic lines are quite robust. Fortunately, the chances of your being offered a wild-caught glider are small, due to the large captive-bred population. But some countries, especially Indonesia, still export wild-caught sugar gliders.

In some materials on the internet, confusion can be caused by the fact that advice is given for both wild and tame sugar gliders (in bonding discussions, for example). Some captive-bred sugar gliders may not be tame (because they were never treated properly by a former owner), but that does not mean they are “wild” in the sense of having been wild-caught. If you are offered a “wild-caught” sugar glider, the person offering it is either lying to impress you (the most likely scenario) or is involved with people who export and import wild sugar gliders. Most often, these wild-caught sugar gliders wind up in pet stores, where they may be impulsively bought by someone unprepared to take care of a sugar glider’s unique needs. Don’t support the capture of wild sugar gliders!

You should choose a sugar glider breeder carefully. A breeder should be able to tell you a lot about the particular glider(s) you’re interested in (lineage, any health issues, etc.). Most breeders will also be able to answer any questions you have after you bring your sugar glider home, which is very important if you are new to sugar gliders!

Before you buy a sugar glider from a breeder you find on the internet, read their website and ask others about their experiences with this breeder. There are several sugar glider forums and chat boards on the internet, and you can post your questions there. In fact, some of the best-known sugar glider breeders answer questions on those forums!

The majority of breeders you will find on the internet are wonderful people, concerned with raising quality, healthy sugar gliders. But there are some sugar glider “breeders” on the internet who spread misinformation about what is required to keep a healthy, happy sugar glider. Their general attitude indicates that sugar gliders are simply a commodity.

One tip-off to an unscrupulous breeder is a very cheap price. If you see a breeder offering sugar gliders extremely cheaply, it is a sure sign of a sugar glider “mill”. Breeding a healthy, quality sugar glider is not an inexpensive task! Another tip-off is a breeder who imports and/or breeds everything from anteaters to penguins to tigers. Those breeders do not specialize in sugar gliders and cannot possibly fully understand the species and its needs. They are much more likely to sell you a sick or inappropriate sugar glider. Avoid those kinds of breeders and choose a well-run breeding facility whose first concern is raising quality, healthy sugar gliders.

Avoid buying your sugar glider from a pet store, where impulse buys are encouraged. The same goes for trade shows and flea markets. Buying a sugar glider should be a carefully-considered action. Frankly, many of the sugar gliders at pet stores, come from “sugar glider mills”. And bear in mind that the minimum-wage help at most pet stores will be unable to answer your questions about caring for your new sugar glider.

If possible, choose a local breeder. That way, you can visit the breeder’s facility to actually interact with the sugar gliders before you buy. Also, by buying locally, you avoid having to have the sugar glider shipped. Transportation and shipping are stressful for any animal, and sugar gliders are no exception. That said, there are reputable breeders who are very skilled at shipping sugar gliders, so if you cannot locate a local breeder, contact an out-of-state breeder.

You can find a list of sugar glider breeders who are also members of the International Sugar Glider Association (ISGA). You may not want to necessarily restrict your search to breeders who are ISGA members, but that is a good place to start. Additionally, entering the search term “sugar glider breeder” into Google’s or Yahoo’s search box will yield the names and contact information for many breeders.

(To be continued…..)

© 2006 SugarGliderAuthority.com. Excerpted from Sugar Gliders: The Ultimate Guide. All rights reserved. No portion of this website may be reproduced in whole or in part without the express written consent of the copyright owner.

If you’ve already decided whether you want a male or a female sugar glider, here’s your next question to think about:

How many sugar gliders?

Remember, sugar gliders are social creatures. That means that they prefer to live in groups of their own species. In the wild, they live in colonies and forage at night in little groups. If sugar gliders don’t have social interaction, they will get depressed and depression could possibly lead to illness.

However, it is possible to have just one sugar glider, as long as you are willing to take it out and play with it each and every day for a substantial amount of time. If you have only one sugar glider, you must be absolutely committed to spending lots and lots of time with it. In essence, you will become the sugar glider’s “colony” if you only have one glider.

If at all possible, get at least 2 sugar gliders. And since it is easier to bring up 2 sugar gliders together than it is to introduce a new sugar glider to an existing one in your home, the best possible solution is to get at least 2 sugar gliders at the same time. Some sugar glider breeders do not encourage a first-time owner to purchase 2 gliders right away, however. They tell the owner to make sure sugar gliders are right for them, and then get a second one. Talk to the breeder you choose and see what he or she recommends.

If you decide to get more than one sugar glider, either because of time considerations or because you would simply like to have multiple gliders that can occupy each other while you are at work all day, two females or a male-female pair work well. If you want a male-female pair but do not want them to reproduce, you can get the male neutered.

Some glider owners say that two male sugar gliders will fight (especially if they are already adults), while other owners report no such problems. Neutering the males beforehand will help reduce or eliminate any fighting tendencies. In general, it is not recommended that you spay a female sugar glider. It is a much more complicated operation than the male neutering is, and will require a longer recovery time.

If you decide to get a whole group of sugar gliders in order to breed them, make sure there are at least two or three females for each (unneutered) male. (Getting a group of sugar gliders for breeding is not recommended unless you are already an experienced sugar glider owner who has carefully made the decision to become a breeder.) Otherwise, the males may fight over breeding rights with the scarce females. In a colony situation, one male may monopolize all the available females.

Remember that sugar gliders will breed if sexually-complete males and females are left together. Don’t be an “accidental breeder”! Breeding should be done carefully, with an eye toward creating healthy sugar gliders. Talk with experienced breeders before you make the decision to breed. Breeding is a time-consuming, expensive process that requires considerable devotion to and understanding of the species.

There is always a small chance that if you get two gliders, they will prefer each other’s company and will actually bond more strongly to each other than to you. This doesn’t mean that they won’t bond to you at all, but that one or both of them will simply bond more strongly with the other. This does not usually happen, according to most knowledgeable sugar glider breeders.

One way to get around this potential problem is to keep any new sugar gliders separate for a month, while they bond with you. Then when you introduce them, they are more likely to have the strongest bond with you and not the other sugar glider(s). But you might want to ask yourself this: Is it really such a bad thing if two sugar gliders are strongly bonded together? That is, after all, what they do naturally in the wild. They bond to each other. It’s not as if they are not going to bond to you at all! They will bond to you, provided you spend sufficient time with each of them.

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