Is a Sugar Glider the Right Exotic Pet for Your Family?

In the world of exotic pets sugar gliders are becoming increasingly popular. One should be well aware of some basic facts about sugar gliders before they decide to take one home. You should first check with your local humane society or town clerk to see if sugar gliders are legal to own in your home town. Laws about exotic pets vary from place to place, so do your research, before you bring home an exotic pet of any kind.

Sugar gliders can be obtained from breeders and pet stores where they are legal. Check out a sugar glider rescue to give orphaned sugar gliders a home. There may be a sugar glider rescue in your area; if they are legal pet in your area. You should also check for exotic pet shelters if you cannot find a specific sugar glider rescue. They may have the well socialized sugar glider you are looking for. Look for breeders that have a USDA License to breed gliders. It is illegal in the United stated for anyone to breed with more than two females without a license.

Sugar gliders are a pet that requires a great deal of attention in general and towards their diets specifically. Sugar gliders originated in Australia, New Guinea, and Indonesia. They belong to the same mammal group as Kangaroos.

Sugar Gliders are considered marsupials and start life off in their mother's pouch. Sugar gliders are a small pet with their bodies and bout 5 or six inches long and they only weight up to 5.5 oz. Your sugar glider will want to be social. You may want to provide your young sugar glider as same sexed companion if you are gone during the day. It is hard to introduce adult sugar gliders so it is best to raise two young ones together. Be sure they are of the same sex or you will have a problem with unwanted sugar glider breeding.

Sugar Gliders can very affectionate and like to be held. Many sugar gliders like to be carried around in a loose pocket of a robe or jacket. You will bond best with your sugar glider if they sense that you can provide a place for them to feel warm and secure. You should always take care when first handling your sugar glider as they have extremely sharp claws and teeth and may become aggressive when they feel threatened.

Sugar gliders are omnivores and feed on plants and insects in the wild. Their diet mostly consisted of nectar, fruits, and insects. Sometimes in the wild sugar gliders will supplement their protein needs with small birds or rodents. It is extremely important for the health of your sugar glider that you mimic their natural diet as much as possible. The perfect sugar glider diet is a hotly debated issue among owners, but you need to have a general idea of your sugar gliders dietary needs. The imbalance of phosphorus and calcium is a major issue a sugar gliders diet. Too much phosphorus can block other vital nutrients from being absorbed into the body.

Your sugar glider can become malnourished and from too much phosphorus and even die. You must know what tour sugar glider is eating and try to make sure that all the sources of porous in their diet contains a balance of calcium to prevent disease like osteodystrophy from excess phorous. A diet high in calcium is good for your sugar glider. A sugar glided diet will have a calcium phorous ration of 2:1. You should avoid excess fat and refined sugar in your sugar gliders diet as well. You can get the best dietary advice from a seminarian who specializes in exotic pets or from the breeder you purchased your sugar glider

Sugar Gliders live for more than a decade so they are not a short term commitment pet. Some live to be 12 or even 15 years old. They can come out of their cage and glide from furniture to furniture, but they should never be left unsupervised in the house. Sugar gliders use their very sharp nails to hold on to things to surfaces when they are coming in for a landing or just climbing. Their nails need to be trimmed on a regular basis to prevent deep scratches on your house hold furnishings.

Two sugar gliders are better than one if you are gone a great deal of the day. Sugar gliders live in social groups in the forest and can actually die from depression caused by loneliness. For a single sugar glider a cage of 24x36 is usually sufficient. For more than one sugar glider or just to give your pet more exercise you will want a bigger cage. You should have toys that can withstand the sugar gliders strong teeth and nails. Sugar glider toys exercise wheels, branches, and ladders. You can change the arrangement of their accessories in your sugar gliders cage to keep your pet sugar glider from getting bored.

Sugar gliders cannot be litter trained. They will pee and defecate outside their cage and inside as well. Cages need to be cleaned often. Expect to clean up after your sugar glider when you have them outside of the cage. Letting them play in areas with washable surfaces is a really good idea.

Sugar glider might be the unique pet you are looking for. Be sure to do all your research before you bring a clever and affectionate sugar glider into your home.

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