Pygmy Pets Exotic Animals

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Quick Facts

Pocket Pets

Casper (Albino Sugar Glider)

Sugar Gliders As Pets?

Gliders and Their Cousins

Feeding Your Sugar Glider

Nutritional Content Table

Lactose Intolerant?

Calcium Deficiency

Hygiene

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Quick Facts

Sugar Glider Petaurus breviceps. Belongs to a group of animals called phalangers which means "fingery one"

Type of animal A mammal, specifically a marsupial (carries its young in a pouch)

Special characteristics has soft grey fur with a black stripe down its back. Overall length is 10 to 12 inches with the tail accounting for half the overall length. The last couple of inches of the tail are also black. The eyes are dark and large. The ears are large, erect and hairless. They have five fingers on the front hands and four toes and a large, flattened, opposable big toe on the hind feet. Two of the toes are fused together (syndactylous) to form a grooming comb. Females have a pouch in roughly the area one would expect to find a navel on a placental mammal. Mature males have a bald spot in the middle of their forehead and another on their chest. These are scent glands. Sugar gliders have a gliding membrane called a patagium that allows them to glide from one tree to another.

Country of origin Australia and Indonesia.

Lifestyle Nocturnal (active at night), arboreal (tree dwelling). Live in groups of up to twelve individuals

Diet in the wild Sap and gum from various species of eucalyptus and insects and small vertebrates.

Diet in captivity A selection of fresh fruits each evening along with a good quality dried cat food. Nuts, cottage cheese, yogurt and insects can also be fed as occasional treats.

Housing A large bird cage, no smaller than 20 x 20 x 30 tall. Bigger is better. Add some non toxic branches for your pet to play on. Provide a bird's nesting box, placed high up in the cage, as sleeping quarters. Food dishes should also be placed high in the cage.

Breeding In captivity, gliders will often mate 3 times a year.

Gestation 16 days

Length of time spent in the pouch approx. 10 weeks

Litter size Usually 2, sometimes 1, rarely 3.

Baby gliders Are called joeys. All baby marsupials are called joeys.

Lifespan 5 to 7 yrs in the wild and 10 to 15 years in captivity.