Sugar Glider Zone

Sugar Glider Websites

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 13 Nov 2005 22:39:00 -0500

Here is a list of some helpful Sugar Glider websites:

http://www.glidercentral.net - Glider Central has the best section of forums, where you can post a question and get an answer from someone experienced with sugar gliders. Some of the best-known sugar glider breeders post there.

http://www.sugargliderauthority.com - This is the website for Sugar Gliders: The Ultimate Guide, which is the most current, comprehensive sugar glider resource available.

http://www.isga.org - This is the website of the International Sugar Glider Association. There is health information here, along with a list of veterinarians who treat sugar gliders.

Sugar Glider - This is another website with a lot of information on everything from sugar glider cages to sugar glider breeding and lots more.

http://www.sugargliderinfo.com - Another great site put together by a true Sugar Glider lover.

Finding a Veterinarian for your Sugar Glider

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 25 Jul 2005 14:36:00 -0400

Finding a veterinarian who will treat your sugar glider is very important ! And it's important to find one before your sugar glider ever becomes ill , because most veterinarians are not experienced in dealing with gliders. The easiest way to find a veterinarian, if you buy from a local breeder, is to ask the breeder for the name(s) of veterinarians who are qualified to treat sugar gliders.

If you don't have a local breeder to recommend a veterinarian, there are a number of on-line sources that list vets who have either been recommended by other sugar glider owners or who have identified themselves as being willing to treat gliders. You can check the verterinarian lists at Glider University or International Sugar Glider Association (ISGA) .

It's a good idea to arrange a wellness visit with your chosen veterinarian once your sugar glider arrives home, just as you would take a new puppy or kitten to the vet. While sugar gliders do not currently require vaccinations , a wellness visit will allow you, your vet and your sugar glider to all become acquainted. Be sure to ask the veterinarian how much experience he has in treating sugar gliders. It's not enough for a vet to be “interested” in gliders. In an emergency, you want to deal with a vet who has treated a fair number of sugar gliders and who is familiar with their particular health concerns.

If you live in a remote area where it is not possible to find a veterinarian who is experienced in dealing with sugar gliders, you will have to become as knowledgeable about their health concerns as possible. You will probably have to work with a local vet and educate him or her about sugar gliders' specific health issues. You may also want to consider purchasing a veterinary textbook, such as Ferrets, Rabbits and Rodents: Clinical Medicine and Surgery Includes Sugar Gliders and Hedgehogs. Such a textbook will help both you and whatever vet you eventually work with.

CLICK HERE to take a look at the Veterinary Textbook

Sugar Glider Runs Marathon

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 21 Jul 2005 21:08:00 -0400

Sugar Gliders have been known to run up to 5 MILES a night on their wheels, but not all wheels are safe for Sugar Gliders. Open wire wheels increase the risk of foot, neck or tail injuries. Solid running surface Wodent Wheels are much safer and are approved and recommended by the ASPCA. Choose the 8" Wodent Wheel for joeys and the 11" Wodent Wheel for adult Sugar Gliders.

CLICK HERE to order Wodent Wheels

Great White Sugar Gliders

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 20 Jul 2005 21:16:00 -0400

Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water…

Sugar Gliders’ gums move up and down over their teeth! Sort of the way great white sharks do. :) So if you’ve been wondering why your sugar glider’s teeth seem to shrink and lengthen before your eyes, that’s the reason!

Seriously, though, this dental “fun fact” means that it’s easy for food to get stuck in their gums, causing irritation, and possibly infection and a condition called “lumpy jaw.” Some sugar glider owners don’t feed dry pellet food because it’s believed that dry food can more easily cause these kinds of problems.

Sugar Gliders – Courtship Stinks

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 19 Jul 2005 14:24:00 -0400

Sugar gliders use scent glands on their bodies to mark their territories and to identify other sugar gliders from their group. When they reach sexual maturity, adult male gliders have two visible scent glands: one on their chest and the other on their head. The scent gland on the head looks like a bald spot, which makes it easier to tell the difference between male and female adults. The male will mark his territory by dragging his chest along branches. Each sugar glider has a slightly different scent “signature” that other sugar gliders recognize them by. When a male and female sugar glider meet up, the female rubs the top of her head on the male’s scent gland. Then the male says, “howdy!” by rubbing his head gland and chest gland on the female’s chest and cloacal area. What’s a cloaca? Well, that’s a post for another day…

Sugar Gliders: Start Segregated

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 18 Jul 2005 16:29:00 -0400

Your sweet, gentle Labrador may be a real calm, peaceful dog. And your long-haired cat may appear to be the laziest creature on Earth. But put a scampering sugar glider in their midst, and they could well turn into The Great Predator. Look at a sugar glider through your other pet’s eyes. Sugar gliders are small, fast-moving and furry. Sounds a lot like the prey that dogs and cats love to chase, doesn’t it? So until you are absolutely, positively sure your dog or cat won’t harm your sugar glider, don’t let them interact.

How to Select a Sugar Glider Breeder

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 17 Jul 2005 14:44:00 -0400

The following is an excerpt from Miles Fowler’s soon to be available Sugar Glider book.
------

You should choose a breeder carefully. You can always check first with your local pet store to see if they stock sugar gliders, but if you want to deal with someone who can tell you a lot about the particular glider(s) you’re interested in (lineage, any health issues, etc.) choose a breeder. Most breeders will also be able to answer any questions you have after you bring your sugar glider home, which is very important if you are new to sugar gliders!

A lot of experts recommend you never buy a sugar glider at a pet store, fair or a trade show, because the seller’s only interest in the Sugar Glider may be profit. Also, their stock may come from sugar glider “mills”. At some pet stores the minimum wage staff will have no idea of how to assist you in properly caring for your new family member. You are much better off buying from a true expert.

If possible, choose a local breeder. That way, you can visit the breeder’s facility to actually interact with the sugar gliders before you buy. Also, by buying locally, you avoid having to have the sugar glider shipped. Transportation and shipping are stressful for any animal, and sugar gliders are no exception. That said, there are reputable breeders who are very skilled at shipping sugar gliders, so if you cannot locate a local breeder, contact an out-of-state breeder.

Regardless of which breeder you decide to contact, there are a number of important questions to ask:

How long have you been in business?

Do you have the proper license(s) to breed and sell sugar gliders?

Do you have references and/or testimonials from other people who have bought sugar gliders from you? (Be sure to go ahead and check those references!)

Will you be willing to take my phone calls and/or emails regarding questions I have, once the sugar glider is in my home?

Do you have a health guarantee? Can I have that guarantee in writing?

Do you guarantee your sugar gliders’ ability to breed (only important if you are planning to breed them, too)? Can I have that guarantee in writing?

You should also expect that a breeder will have a lot of questions to ask you! If the breeder does not ask you questions, it could be a sign that he or she is only interested in making quick money, not in providing proper, loving homes for their sugar gliders. A breeder may ask you:

Why do you want to buy a sugar glider?

Have you considered all the pros and cons of a sugar glider? (They should be able to tell you the pros and cons.)

Are you willing to make the time commitment that a sugar glider requires?

What kind of housing/cage are you going to provide?

Are you willing to provide veterinary care if it becomes necessary in the years to come?

Are there small children in your household, and if so, how will be they be supervised around the sugar glider?

Are there other pets in your household? What preparations have you made to insure the sugar glider will be safe from these pets?

What kind of food are you going to provide for your sugar glider

You can find a list of sugar glider breeders who are also members of the International Sugar Glider Association (ISGA). You may not want to necessarily restrict your search to breeders who are ISGA members, but that is a good place to start. Additionally, entering the search term “sugar glider breeder” into Google’s or Yahoo’s search box will yield the names and contact information for many breeders.

The Great Sugar Glider Cat Food Debate

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 17 Jul 2005 12:24:00 -0400

This post is my adaptation, with permission, of a section of Miles Fowler's forthcoming book on sugar gliders. Thanks to Miles for sending me a draft of the book!

There is a great deal of debate and some swirling controversy (why do controversies always swirl?) about whether sugar gliders should ever be fed cat food. Some long-time sugar glider breeders feed high-quality (high protein) dry cat food as part of their gliders’ diet, while other breeders wouldn’t dream of giving cat food to their gliders. Caroline MacPherson says:

The protein component of a glider's diet is satisfied primarily by dry cat food although there is some concern amongst animal nutritionists that the use of cat food may impact negatively upon the long term health of gliders. However, I have been using a good quality dry cat food for 4 1/2 yrs now and have had very few problems and my gliders breed very well. I am presently using Science Diet…. Cat food manufacturers deliberately balance their feed so that the amount of calcium to phosphorus is roughly 1:1.

But the folks at Glider University say the opposite adamantly:

NEVER, NEVER, NEVER use cat food for any reason. Ever.

Now both Caroline MacPherson and the wonderful folks at Glider University are intelligent Sugar Glider experts. So, how can a new sugar glider owner decide who is right? One of the controversies centers on whether cat food can cause a Sugar Glider’s digestive system to block – this is called impaction.

Remember, cats are carnivores, while sugar gliders are omnivores. So it makes sense that cat food might not be appropriate for sugar gliders. And remember, too, that there’s a lot of cheap, junky cat food on the market, filled with grain fillers, meat by-products and ash that aren’t very nutritious for sugar gliders and might actually cause digestive system impaction.

Some expert sugar glider owners and breeders feed cat food to their sugar gliders as part of their diet, but you may wish to avoid feeding your gliders cat food for now and wait until the day the debate is over and the question is settled one way or the other. I can say with authority that Sugar Gliders do not eat cat food in the wild so they will not develop a cat food deficiency :)

If you are going to feed cat food to your sugar glider, you should give them high-quality, high-protein, low-ash dry cat food, NOT the generic cat food that you can pick up at your local supermarket.

In all events, you definitely should avoid the temptation to feed your glider nothing but cat food, no matter how convenient it is! Meanwhile, read all you can, and ask questions of other sugar glider owners.

Sugar Gliders Have Twice the Fun in the Nest Box

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 17 Jul 2005 12:10:00 -0400

Sugar Glider Females have two separate vaginas, two cervices and a divided uterus. The Male sugar glider has a two-pronged penis. Two times the fun during mating time! As strange as this may sound, most marsupials have this unique type of anatomy.

7th Annual Sugar Glider Get Away

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 16 Jul 2005 22:44:00 -0400

The 7th Annual Sugar Glider Get Away will be held on Saturday July 30th, 2005 in Fayetteville, AR.

Click Here For SGGA Details

Wild Sugar Glider Stalks Apartment

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 16 Jul 2005 21:41:00 -0400

Occasionally there are reports of wild Sugar Gliders in the US. These reports are usually made by someone that has never seen a sugar glider before in their life. I just came across another of those reports today. This one is real funny!

Click Here for - When Sugar Gliders Attack

Sugar Glider Fun Facts

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 16 Jul 2005 21:23:00 -0400

Did you know that a sugar glider can glide up to 100 meters; that’s more than a US Football field!

Baby Sugar Gliders or Joeys are born only 16 days after mating. At birth they are the size of a piece of raw uncooked rice and must crawl up to Mom’s pouch, get in and attach to a nipple. To assist in the journey to the pouch Mom will lick a path for them to the pouch… a sugar glider runway!

Welcome!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 15 Jul 2005 22:36:00 -0400

Welcome to the Sugar Glider Zone, dedicated to those wonderful, adorable creatures, Sugar Gliders! We'll be posting information and tips about sugar gliders in the near future.

Please feel free to introduce yourself by posting a Comment!