Husbandry

 

QUIK FACTS™: Husbandry
Most common presentations
directly stem from poor
husbandry and outdated diets.
Owners should be discouraged
from frequenting unregulated
internet chatrooms.
Will eat sweet, nutrientpoor
food to the exclusion of
healthy foods if offered.
Smaller “starter” cages made
of rectangular mesh are more
appropriate for young joeys.
Ideal ambient temperature for
healthy gliders is 75-80F (24-27C) 
Adults should ideally be
housed in larger, aviary-style
cages. Larger is better.
Supplemental heat from
electric heat rock and/or heat
lamp is recommended.
A common cause of death
is toxicity poisoning from
human hands or tap water.

 

 

Among domesticated Sugar Gliders, the most common presentations faced by practitioners can be traced back to poor diet and husbandry. Typically, this is the result of owners subscribing to inadequate homemade diets and outdated husbandry practices derived from internet websites or lay literature.

 

In the last decade, very little practical information has been available to practitioners regarding Sugar Glider husbandry and diet. This is despite the fact that a wide range of significant advances have been employed by numerous professional breeders for many years - with consistent success.

 

The most significant guidance practitioners can offer to Sugar Glider owners pertains to diet and husbandry issues. The goal of this section is to provide practitioners with practical strategies/techniques for raising healthy Sugar Gliders - which have proven over time to be both safe and effective.

 

New research studies regarding these animals are regularly being undertaken via grants from the Association of Sugar Glider Veterinarians™. As such, this text is continually updated.