How to Select Your Sugar Glider(s)

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.