Craze for Sugar Gliders

Almost as addicting as sugar, the adorable squirrel-like sugar gliders are hard to resist. Times Online says that sugar gliders are the latest animal craze in Britain, and why wouldn’t you want a small, flying marsupial from Australia in your home? But before you soar, you should have a crash course in pet ownership because this is one unusual pet to own.

These darling exotic animals have the energy level of a chinchilla, so prepare yourself especially if you have had mellow animals in the past. So that they expend their energy, it’s best to have a 24 x 24 cage with accessories like toys, a nest box or hammock, branches, ropes, ladders, exercise wheel, etc. These animals also have sharp nails and teeth, which they use in their natural habitat to hide and fend off larger predators. However, their nails can be trimmed and as long as they don’t feel threatened they will most likely not scratch or bite.

These marsupials can make excellent companions, because they form a close bond with their pet owner. They enjoy being held and curling up in your shirt so you might find that they require more attention than a dog or cat. Because sugar gliders are exotic pets, some states have made it illegal to own them. Avoid losing your pet and paying fines by ensuring your state’s legal stance before adopting one.

In order to keep your sugar glider alive for at least 15 years (maximum lifetime in captivity), you have to feed it a proper diet so it doesn’t develop a disease. Their diet is mostly made up of insects, which are high in protein. Sugar gliders also consume plants and sweeter foods such as acacia gum and eucalyptus sap. The sap can be replaced with honey and fresh fruits, but purchasing fresh food can become costly.

Sugar gliders are endearing animals with lots of love to give, but you have to be willing to give back that love and provide them with proper nutrition and housing.

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** Photo Credit:

The above photo is a picture of Kilala, the Sugar Glider owned by “Agent Retro” aka “Cherry Blossom Girl”. You can see more of Kilala and other copy written images over here on Flicker

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2 Responses

  1. Dog Forum
    | Reply

    Sugar Gliders are awesome little critters. But when they get loose they are really hard to catch, they are VERY fast.

  2. Lynn
    | Reply

    This is my photo and you stole it and used it w/o permission!!!

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