#Sugar glider lifespan how to#

When given a choice, sugar gliders will eat sweet and fatty foods over healthy foods. Be sure to check that the water remains clean and change it at least once a day. We recommend outfitting the cage with both a conventional water bottle and a secondary water dish within their enclosure. Keep in mind that any change to a young Joey’s diet can induce significant stress, and is not recommended. The food and water bowls in your sugar glider’s cage should be kept in an enclosed area within the cage in order to avoid contamination, as well as unnecessary waste.Īll produce must be washed carefully because sugar gliders are prone to toxicity poisoning. We also sell containers for $5.00 if you need some in a pinch! We feed Mazuri Insectivore Diet and Mazuri Omnivore Pellets which can be found in pet stores or online. Their food only costs about $10.00/month, making sugar gliders a very affordable pet. The diet should contain 75% pellet food, 25% fresh produce, and a calcium based multivitamin, usually designed to sprinkle over their food, every other day. Another important factor in odor management is to ensure that you give your pet sugar glider a controlled diet, but more on that soon.Ī balanced diet for a sugar glider is similar to the diet of a healthy pet cat or dog. We also recommend spot cleaning your sugar glider’s cage once a day, and thoroughly cleaning and sterilizing their cage and supplies once a week. Clean the tray every day to reduce odor and protect the health of your sugar glider. The recommended sugar glider cage has a plastic tray underneath, making it easy to remove the feces that drop through the metal cage, and into the tray.

#Sugar glider lifespan how to#

How to Keep Your Sugar Glider Cage Clean (Your sugar glider’s tail can become entangled and lead to injury in a standard wheel. Note: Be sure to buy an appropriate wheel and NOT the standard rodent wheel. Sugar gliders get much of their exercise by gliding from a high place in their cage down to a low one, but exercise wheels are just as important to their physical and psychological health. Rope and wooden toys are a great choice, but for the sake of hygiene we recommend replacing homemade toys every 3-4 months. Avoid items that can entangle your sugar glider, such as wire or loose strings. Sugar gliders enjoy traditional toys, but you can easily make your own toys to keep them busy.

If you live in a much cooler climate, you will need a supplemental heat source for your sugar glider’s cage. Also consider how lighting, odor, safety and temperature will affect your pet.Ī healthy temperature for sugar gliders is 74-78 degrees Fahrenheit. When considering where to place your sugar glider cage, take into account that sugar gliders are nocturnal so they make noise at night.

Providing the Right Climate for Your Sugar Glider For adult sugar gliders, large cages are preferable, with height being the most important factor to consider when choosing your cage. There must be enough space in their cage for exercise, a food bowl and a place to sleep during the day. The enclosure should be kept in a warm room, away from heaters or air conditioners, vents and direct sunlight.Ĭhoose the most appropriate cage depending on the age and size of your sugar glider. The plastic tray should be at least 1' from the floor of the cage and lined with paper or litter. The recommended type of cage for sugar gliders is a PVC-coated wire cage, with the openings on the bars no larger than 1/2' and a removable plastic waste tray at the bottom of the cage. They naturally bond with the people who give them plenty of love, which explains why today they are as popular as more traditional house pets like hamsters and guinea pigs. Some people even carry their sugar gliders around in their shirt pockets all day, without worrying that they’ll run off. Sugar Gliders are known as a type of “pocket pet” due to their small size, and because they enjoy cuddling with their owners. The average weight of an adult sugar glider is between 3 and 6 oz. Adult sugar gliders are usually 5-6 inches tall, with a tail of equal length. Male sugar gliders reach sexual maturity at 12-15 months out of pouch, and females at 8-12 months out of pouch. Joeys should be adopted after 8-10 weeks out of the pouch. With proper care and nutrition, sugar gliders in captivity have a life expectancy of 12-15 years. They were first imported into the United States in 1993 and today they are popular exotic pets in the United States, Canada, and other countries. Native to Australia, Indonesia and New Guinea, sugar gliders are omnivorous, arboreal and nocturnal.

The sugar glider is a small marsupial, with a similar appearance to a flying squirrel (though they are not related to them).