So You Wanna Get a Glider?

Written by: TMarie - GA Owner/Admin

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So, you have fallen in love with those sweet adorable pets known as sugar gliders, right? Was it the big black bug eyes? Was it the adorable ears? Was it the way they just want to snuggle up with you and sleep in your hand or pocket? Maybe it was how tiny and adorable they are or maybe by some lucky chance you got to see a glider in flight.

These are all reasons why we have all fallen in love with gliders. You are not the first and you will not be the last to be taken over by these adorable creatures. However, seeing only the cute side of a sugar glider can become a problem if you bring one home and cannot handle all the needs, time, and effort a sugar glider requires.

Sugar Gliders, or Petaurus breviceps, are native to Australia, Indonesia, and parts of New Guinea. They spend most of their time in the canopy part of the rainforest, which means they like to be up high rather than on the ground. They love to jump and glide from tree to tree and enjoy all the space they can take.

Colonization is how gliders live in the wild. Colonies usually have approximately seven gliders. A colony has its own area of the forest which usually spreads over a radius of several miles. This lets them be with other gliders as they are bonding, social creatures, but also gives them their space.

Sugar Gliders are not only mammals, but are marsupials as well. This means they have a shorter gestation period than most mammals and afterwards the baby (joey) continues to nurse and develop inside the mother’s pouch.

As far as diet is concerned, gliders are insectivores. This means they eat a wide range of things from insects to small animals to fruits and vegetables. Gliders are also “sap suckers” as they suck the “sap” from their foods when they eat. Extremely hard foods such as harder pellets can be harmful to gliders as they were not made to eat them. If you watch a glider eat, or check their cage the morning after you will often find small half crescent shaped bits of food lying around everywhere.

All this may still hold your attention and interest you. However, there are some downfalls that need to be mentioned. Above all else, sugar gliders are not only exotic animals, but wild animals as well. Although they can be domesticated, it requires a lot of work and constant work. A glider without human contact and playtime for an extended period of time runs the risk of going back to its untamed and wild ways. When you bring home your new glider, you need to spend at least an hour during the day while it is sleeping bonding with it. This way the sugar glider will get used to your scent and your company. Also of equal importance is out of the cage playtime at night. This gives your glider time to play in a bigger area and be with you at the same time.

Food for gliders you cannot just find bagged in a store either. Most of those are too hard for sugar gliders teeth as mentioned earlier. Buying food can get costly and making it can be timely. Taking the easy way out and buying something that is not good for your glider can be more of a risk than you think. This is something to think about before buying a glider.

Veterinary care is another aspect of glider ownership to think about before you buy one. Not all vets will treat sugar gliders since they are exotic animals. Also, since they are exotic animals, visits can be more expensive than with other domesticated animals. Please make sure there is an exotic vet within a distance you are willing to travel before you decide to bring home a sugar glider.

Sugar Gliders are not legal in all states and areas within the United States. Some other ones require permits from the Fish and Wildlife to own. Aside from this, many counties and cities impose their own laws against exotic animals and pocket pets. Having a glider in an illegal area is not a safe way to keep a pet and may have serious consequences.

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