Sugies

[KaineSoulblade]

Any fellow Sugar Glider owners around? If so what so you have. What are they like?

I've got a 2 year old female, Eowyn. I've had her since 5 weeks oop. She's totally awesome and will do anything with me; from sleeping to riding in the car, where she likes to chill on top of the steering wheel and weird out other people driving by. She plays with anything she can get her sly little hands on, she has a fetish for pen caps.
She is extremely shy around everyone besides me, which is probably her only down side. Can be really nippy with my girl friend and others who want to hold her, which makes me chuckle sometimes.

I wan't to get a male to breed her with but it's extremely costly to get them up here in Washington. All the breeders are down south and the plane tickets can be more than the gliders themselves.

 

[AneesasMuse]

She's very cute! I love the shot of her asleep in your hand... she looks so comfy and content.

 

[atropos]

They shouldn't be kept alone.

Very nice looking animal, mine where also very sweet, especially the female, the male was a bit more shy.

 

[KaineSoulblade]

They shouldn't be kept alone.

That's what breeders will tell you, and that is because they live in colonies of a dozen or more in the wild. You are also told this so they can all sell an extra glider. However if you've had a joey since its eyes have opened and it has not been exposed to such an environment it makes no difference what so ever. That is as long as you've got time to spend with them and don't leave them alone for days at a time.

My knowledge on these animals is great. That was one of the first thing I tackled was wheather or not it would affect thier health to be solo or paired.

 

[AviculariaLover]

My parents got me a sugar glider for my 10th birthday, from a relative who used to breed them (I had NO idea they were getting me one, I didn't know what a sugar glider was!). She was the love of my life, however, being so young, and busy with school, I didn't always have enough time for her. When I was 15 she got sick, and the vet had a really hard time trying to treat her. She chewed her feet and tail, ripped off bandages, and refused/spit up medication. She died at 5 1/2 years old.

In a way, though, I'm glad we didnt have to become separated because of me going to college, she would have been heartbroken. She was so bonded to me, and hated everyone else in my family.

Some day once I'm done with college I want to have a small colony of gliders, maybe four or five, with a small room to themselves. They are such amazing creatures. I really miss my baby girl.

 

[P. Novak]

These creatures are absolutely gorgeous! What a cutie! I take it sugar gliders are hard to take care of?

 

[beetleman]

not at all, they need attention playing with etc,but care wise they are pretty easy,ive worked with them for years(exotic pet store) and they are a trip they love to be cuddled etc. the only problem i had with them is when i would take 1 out it run to the back of my neck sit there and then piss down in the arch of my back sometimes crap on me too(i guess being nervous) but they are very cool pets,and i love the way they communicate whith eachother and us also.

 

[KaineSoulblade]

My parents got me a sugar glider for my 10th birthday, from a relative who used to breed them (I had NO idea they were getting me one, I didn't know what a sugar glider was!). She was the love of my life, however, being so young, and busy with school, I didn't always have enough time for her. When I was 15 she got sick, and the vet had a really hard time trying to treat her. She chewed her feet and tail, ripped off bandages, and refused/spit up medication. She died at 5 1/2 years old.

In a way, though, I'm glad we didnt have to become separated because of me going to college, she would have been heartbroken. She was so bonded to me, and hated everyone else in my family.

Some day once I'm done with college I want to have a small colony of gliders, maybe four or five, with a small room to themselves. They are such amazing creatures. I really miss my baby girl.

I'm sorry to hear about that. If she was self-mutilating, she was most likely stressed from a major change. Less attention, a room change, new house, new food, lack of supplements, new pets and temperature changes ect. So it could have been many things, usually sickness doesn't cause them to hurt themselves, more so sluggishness and lack of activity. This is a very rare thing that will happen when they can't handle change. Mothers will mutilate thier newborn joeys if they get stressed under similar conditions as well. I have heard about this happening a few times but haven't seen it first hand.

They are indeed amazing. Very smart and have big personalities for being such a small creature. It is a pet peeve of mine when people refer to them as 'rodents' or the likes.

These creatures are absolutely gorgeous! What a cutie! I take it sugar gliders are hard to take care of?

I wouldn't say they are hard to take care of at all. If you own a solo glider you need to give it a lot of attention. Which is hard for some people with long day schedules. SG's are noctural so they come out to play around 10ish and bounce of the walls untill about 3-6 AM. Most people are in bed by that time. That's is probably the toughest part about having them. They eat fruits and veggies. Yogurt or babyfood for protien mixed with vitamin and calcium suppliments. If you can spend an hour or two with them a day, that is plenty sufficient. You can buy 'bonding' pouches that hang around your neck, much like the pouches you buy for them to sleep in, and you can just cart them around on your daily routines. Even if they are sleeping they generally just like to be near you. Every once in awhile Eowyn wakes me up in the middle of the night barking like a puppy (its exremely loud and cannot be ignored) I come down and she is standing up like a prairie dog at her door waiting to be played with. As annoying as it is to be woken up at 3 am after a long day, its somehow endearing when you see thier cute faces staring at you, waiting.

Here's another pic thats a fave.

 

[phil jones]

not at all, they need attention playing with etc,but care wise they are pretty easy,ive worked with them for years(exotic pet store) and they are a trip they love to be cuddled etc. the only problem i had with them is when i would take 1 out it run to the back of my neck sit there and then piss down in the arch of my back sometimes crap on me too(i guess being nervous) but they are very cool pets,and i love the way they communicate whith eachother and us also.

so what are they and what do they do are they like squirrels ? or chipmonks ? phil

 

[KaineSoulblade]

so what are they and what do they do are they like squirrels ? or chipmonks ? phil

They are marsupials from Australlia. They are related to roos and wallabees.

 

[KaineSoulblade]

No other folks with gliders? I figured with all the exotic pet owners here, there would surely be more.

 

[P.jasonius]

That's what breeders will tell you, and that is because they live in colonies of a dozen or more in the wild. You are also told this so they can all sell an extra glider. However if you've had a joey since its eyes have opened and it has not been exposed to such an environment it makes no difference what so ever. That is as long as you've got time to spend with them and don't leave them alone for days at a time.

My knowledge on these animals is great. That was one of the first thing I tackled was wheather or not it would affect thier health to be solo or paired.

If you have had a joey since its eyes have opened, then it was weened WWAAAAYYYY too soon. Very bad breeding practice, whoever told you that was just wrong.
I have to disagree with you. I had a breeding pair (the male passed a few months back) and have had 4 successful litters. Everyone I've talked to that had (notice the wording) a solo glider had it die on them unexplainably and on extremely short notice. You need to get another glider. You need to get another glider. Unless you have yours out 5-6 hours every day you need to get another glider.
That having been said, I would also like to refute that breeders tell you this because they simply want to sell another glider. I have given every glider away that I have 'bred'. I also don't suggest getting a male for yours, their personalities change once they have a litter. My female is still sweet and tame, but nowhere near what she was like. The male went through an extremely dominant phase as well because of the female. On the other hand, I have only kept two gliders of these litters, and they are both still very sweet, because they have not been bred. Glider joeys, at least around here, are very hard to find good homes for. There is a petting zoo near me that literally has dozens of them from homes that no longer wanted them because they got mean (ie the family treated them like hamsters and left them in their cage).
Please, please don't take this as an attack, but your point of view on gliders is not correct. She will not be ok alone. Get another female to keep her company, or keep her with you whenever you are home. My friends had their male I gave them die for 'no reason'. Was fine one day, the next he was very sluggish, and then died in their hands that night. I have heard very similar stories from solo glider keepers I don't know how many times. Do more research, don't be prideful about this. Hell I have a male and a female about six weeks out of the pouch right now, I'll give you the female.
But if you ignore my warning, look for the signs of depression, eating in bed, sleeping alot, won't accept treats, doesn't play on her wheel anymore...

 

[AviculariaLover]

I agree, like I mentioned before, my glider got sick, started mutilating herself until her hind legs were paralyzed and she finally died... the only reason I can think of is because of stress caused by being a solo glider and I did not have enough time to play with her. I spent as much time with her as I could, but being a young girl in middle/high school, it was really tough and I would hear her cry for me during the night.

The pet store I work at has gotten in two gliders, I'm going to try my hardest to make sure they are sold together.

 

[KaineSoulblade]

Please, please don't take this as an attack, but your point of view on gliders is not correct. She will not be ok alone. Get another female to keep her company, or keep her with you whenever you are home. My friends had their male I gave them die for 'no reason'. Was fine one day, the next he was very sluggish, and then died in their hands that night. I have heard very similar stories from solo glider keepers I don't know how many times. Do more research, don't be prideful about this. Hell I have a male and a female about six weeks out of the pouch right now, I'll give you the female.
But if you ignore my warning, look for the signs of depression, eating in bed, sleeping alot, won't accept treats, doesn't play on her wheel anymore...

Attacks don't bother me, but since you insisted I don't take this as one then I won't. However it's a bold statement to tell me that my point of view on gliders is incorrect. I have done extensive research, spoken with glider vets and have weened several joeys in my time working with them. All of them are still alive and healthy. That is fact, not point of view, furthermore its experience and knowledge.

It is people who think they know how a glider thinks that say "this is the way they are." There is no way all sugar gliders are, just like there is no way all tarantulas are of any specific species. Some folks have parahybanas as agressive as an OBT, mine is the exact opposite. Some T's don't do well to being handled, they may get stressed and die. Mine have not and my oldest is rolling up on ten years of age.

Now back to Sugar gliders. You have read too many bias reports and blogs if you think Sugar gliders cannot live happily solo. That is most certainly not true in all cases. It is true to specific cases such as a group living together to later be split up, but that doesn't imply it's always correct. I have never had or seen a solo glider die first hand from anything but old age, and I would say 3/4 of the gliders I have seen or had friends own, are solo. If you have got a lot of time to spend with them and you want a strong bond, there is no harm in owning a solo glider. In fact if you don't raise gliders together they can be extremely territorial and hostile to one another if introduced at an older age. Hence the reason I will not fly a new male glider up here on the chance my female will accept him. Its a lot of monet to put on chance.

I don't need a lesson of mating gliders as I have been in possession of those as well. One of the breeding pairs rejected thier joeys. So I had to raise 3 week old joeys, feeding them with a syringe. The two said joeys grew up to be very healthy and loving and are still doing well with thier adopted parents. It is preference that joeys are weened at 8 weeks OOP, however there are cases where that won't happen and its not always a catastrophe.



Avic lover, its quite possible that your sugie did self mutilate because you had exposed her to tons of attention and then were unable to at a later time. It is possible, but they rarely self mutilate because of a lack of attention. Its usually because of a big environment change and in some cases illness. Total bummer you lost her, but don't think just because she was a solo glider this happens to all solo gliders because its simply not true.

 

[AviculariaLover]

Once I hit high school was when it became tougher to giver her all the attention she needed. And she might have gotten sick from something, the vet wasn't totally sure, but we tried giving her antibiotics with a dropper and it was a total nightmare, she fought scratching and screaming. And she ripped off all her bandages and violently attacked them until she was sure they were "dead". The vet even tried putting a little miniature collar on her, like you see on dogs... that didn't last long.

She always had a bit of an attitude, heh.

I just always felt bad that she was lonely at night when I had to sleep... some weekends I would stay up late to play with her. I would want to keep multiple gliders in the future just so they wont be lonely during their most active hours.

A question now... would two females would be the best to try to keep together? Would siblings be preferred or does it not really matter as long as they are about the same age and raised together and they'll generally get along?

 

[KaineSoulblade]

A question now... would two females would be the best to try to keep together? Would siblings be preferred or does it not really matter as long as they are about the same age and raised together and they'll generally get along?

If they are raised together you are guaranteed that they will get along. As far as; two females, male and female or two males. I would personally go for two females. Reason being that females do not produce the musky scent that males do through their scent glands, and you wont have to get them fixed (its pricey and very few vets work on gliders). If you get a brother and sister, he will surely attempt mating, which of course is a no no.

That’s my personal preference. I like the sweet and docile temperament that 'most' females express, but you may want two males if you like a more tightly-wound and playful gliders. I really like them all but can do without the musky smell. Which you have to put up with lots of during mating and breeding, uck.

If they are not siblings and you want to introduce two foreign gliders to one another let them meet and watch their reactions. An older or larger glider can seriously hurt the other glider if the meeting doesn’t go well. If they seem indifferent to each other you can keep them in separate cages next to each other. Let them have contact during play time or tent time. Sometimes you can get two gliders to bond this way, eventually moving them in the same cage.

Hope that helped. Let me know when you get knew little ones, I'd like to see pics so be sure to post.


PS, about the nightly barking. That will continue depending on personality. Remember when I spoke of the two babies that I had to hand raise? The female barked for me every night at around midnight on the dot, meanwhile her brother ran like a champ on his wheel. She would be standing next to the cage door awaiting me when I came into the room. If I opened the door she would run up my arm to my shoulder excitedly and her brother would give me a glance and begin bounding in the wheel once again.
They are smart and knows this gets our attention. So be prepared when you get two new babies, one or both might be waking you up!