What am I? 

Sugar gliders are found in the tree tops of Australia, Indonesia, Tasmania, Papua-New Guinea and in my home. Sugar gliders got thier name because they have a preference for sweet foods and a gliding membrane similar to that of a flying squirrel.  They are nocturnal marsupials which means they sleep during the day and have their babies in pouches.  Their average life span, in captivity, is 12-15 years. Adults weigh about 4 oz, and  5-6 inches long with a tail of equal length. They are very social animals within their colony, when you handle them every day you become part of their colony. They need a lot of human attention, they are not an animal you purchase and just put in a cage to live. If you are not able to play and handle them every day they may not be the perfect pet for you. It is best that you keep them in pairs.

  Sugar Gliders 

Sugar Gliders can be excellent family pets. They are very loyal, intelligent, and love to play. They can live a long and happy life (12-15 years) with the right loving home. My gliders have developed a strong relationship with me and my family. They are part of our family. We spend a lot of time with them. They are at least out of their cages with us 2-4 hours a night. They are nocturnal but that can be a benefit, they can sleep at home while you work or you can take them every where with you in a carrying pouch. My oldest son likes to carry them with him every where. When you carry them with you nobody knows because they sleep most of the time. Carrying them will also help you form a stronger bond with them because they get use to your scent. We can have Peanut Butter out of the cage and my son will walk in the room and he will jump to him if he gets close. We hold mama daily when joeys are in her pocket. When our joeys are born (oop-out of pocket) this is their birthday from this day on they are held daily, at first with mama til they get a little bigger.

Diet 

Diet is a very important factor in keeping a healthy sugar glider. Serious health conditions will arise if your sugar glider is not fed properly. It really is a controversial as to what the best diet is for your sugar glider. There are many different diets available, they all have their ups and downs. I suggest that you do your own research and figure out what diet works best for you and your sugar gliders. Here are a few things to keep in mind when choosing a diet. A sugar glider's diet should consist of a protein source, vitamins, fruits, and vegetables. Don't feed them a lot of hard foods because it can lead to an infection in the jaw know as Lumpy jaw. Each diet is balanced with the right amount of vitamins and minerals. So do not mix them. Mixing diets can affect the balances resulting in too little or too much of something. Feed your glider a variety within your chosen diet plan. This will prevent food boredom, and ensures a balanced diet.

I feed my gliders every night around 9.

Here are two great diets that I have found and would recommend.

2 cups warm water

1-1/2 cup honey
3 scrambled eggs
1/4c High Protein Wombaroo Powder (I buy this at thepamperedglider.com)
1 tablespoon bee pollen (I buy this at thepamperedglider.com)

Cook Eggs, set aside.

In large bowl mix water and honey. Stir until honey is dissolved.
Add in HPW powder, mix well.

In blender add in eggs, bee pollen and 1/2 to 1 cup HPW liquid. Blend for two minutes.
Add in additional liquid and blend for another two minutes.

Pour into a freezer safe bowl with an airtight lid. Keep in freezer. Will freeze to consistency of ice cream.

Feeding instructions.

1-1/2 teaspoons of HPW per glider
1 TABLEspoon of mixed fruits
1 TABLEspoon of mixed veggies
mealies for treats
(if you have a breeding pair or nursing female increase the amount of HPW powder to 1/2cup)

Once a month I will feed them scrambled eggs, chicken or meal worms instead of the BML mix.

I never feed them more than one treat a day.

I never feed them the same fruit two days in a row.

My sugar gliders favorite fruits are: pears, apples, and any type of mellon.

Original BML Diet Recipe

Put in blender:

• 1/2 cup of honey
• 1 egg (boiled or microwave, no shell)
• 1/4 cup apple juice

Blend well, turn off blender, add the following:

• One 4oz bottle premixed Gerber juice with fruit yogurt
• 1 teaspoon of Rep-Cal Herptivite Multivitamins (BLUE LABEL)

Blend until smooth, turn off blender, add the following:

• 2 teaspoons Rep-Cal Calcium with VIT.D3 Phosphorous-free (PINK LABEL)
• Two 2 1/2 oz. jars of chicken baby food stage 1
• 1/4 cup Wheat Germ
• 1/2 cup dry baby cereal (mixed or oatmeal)

Blend until you reach a very smooth consistency. Pour the BML mix into ice cube trays, cover, and freeze.

These are about right for two sugar gliders each evening.

1 ice cube of the BML mix,

2 tablespoons of frozen mixed vegetables and

2 tablespoons of fresh fruits

Safe Fruits

Acerola, Apple, Apricots, Banana, Blackberries, Blueberries, Bread fruit, Cantaloupe, Carombola, Carissa, Casaba Melon, Cheri mayo, Cherries (sweet), Crab Apples, Cranberries, Currant, Custard Apple, Dates, Elder berries, Figs, Grapes, Grapefruit, Ground Cherries, Honeydew Melon, Jack Fruit, Java Plum, Jujube, Kiwi fruit, Kumquat, Lemon, Lemon Peel, Lime, Longans, Mammy Apple, Mango, Mulberries, Nectarine, Oleo berries, Orange Peel, Orange (Navel & Valencia), Papaya, Passion Fruit (Purple), Peach, Pear, Persimmon, Pineapple, Pi tangs, Plantain, Plum, Pomegranate, Prickly Pear, Prunes, Pummelo, Quince, Raisins, Raspberries, Rose Apple, Roselle, Sap odilia, Sapote, Sour sop, Strawberries, Sour Apple, Tamarind, Tangerine, and Watermelon.

Safe Vegetables

Alfalfa, Amaranth, Artichoke, Asparagus, Bamboo Shoots, Beats, Beet Greens, Broccoli (Spears & Sprouts), Brussels Sprouts, Burdock Roots, Cabbage (Green & Red), Carrots, Cauliflower, Celery, Chayote, Chicory Greens, Chinese Cabbage, Collard Greens, Coriander, Corn (Yellow), Cucumber, Dandelion Greens, Dock, Endive, Eggplant, French beans, Ginger Root, Green Beans (Snap Beans), Jew's Ear (Pepeao), Jute (Potherb), Lettuce (Butter Head, Iceberg, Loose Leaf, & Romaine), Lupines, Kale, Kohlrabi, Mushrooms, Mustard Greens, Napa Cabbage, Okra, Parsley, Parsnips, Peas (Green), Peppers (Sweet), Potato (White), Pumpkin, Radish, Soy Bean (Green & Sprouts), Spinach, Squash (Acorn, Butternut, Hubbard, Spaghetti, Summer, Winter, & Zucchini), Sweet Potato, Swiss Chard, Tofu (Firm & Regular), Tomato (Green & Red), Turnip, Turnip Greens, Watercress, and Yams.

UNSAFE FOODS

Alcohol, Ants, Any product with caffeine, Beef, Bees, Beetles, Canned Fruit(fruit cocktail), Cat food, Chives, Chocolate, Coffee, Cottage Cheese, Fireflies, Fruit Seeds, Garlic, Hornets, Ladybugs, Leeks, Lima Beans, Millet (popular bird food), Monarch Butterflies, No food with preservatives or color additives, Nuts-with the exception of the occasional Brazil nut or Pine nut, avoid offering nuts. Nuts are high in fat and also oxalic acid, which interferes with Calcium absorption, Onions, Outdoor insects and creatures, Pile bugs, Potato Bugs, Ramsons, Raw Eggs-All eggs should be either hard boiled or scrambled, Red Wiggle Worms, Scallions, Seeds/Nuts, Snails and Slugs, Soda, Sow Bugs, Soy, Stink Bugs, Straight Milk, Tea, and Wasp.

Canned food is high in salt and should not be given.

Lakeland, FL