Exotic Pets - Sugar Glider - as part of the expert series by GeoBeats. I am Beth Randall, and I am the director at Critter Camp Exotic Pet Sanctuary. And this is a Sugar Glider. They are native to Australia. They are actually a type of gliding possum. Um, they have a flap of skin along the side of their body, which allows them to glide from tree to tree in the rain forests of Australia. They are a nocturnal animal, and so they are asleep during the daytime. And he is trying to get back into his sleep sack, where he spends the day. And then he comes out at night. They have very large eyes, because of their being nocturnal. They have sharp claws and sharp teeth, because they climb trees, and they crack open nuts with their teeth in the wild. They are a social animal. They do need to be with another Sugar Glider. And so, they should at least be with a same sex, or they can be with an opposite sex, as long as the males are neutered. This is his little girlfriend here. She is hiding in there. They live about 15 years. They are a marsupial, so the females do have a pouch like a kangaroo. They can be friendly, to some extent. But very often, by the time they reach maturity, they are not real interested in being handled by people anymore. And being that they do live 15 years, that can be a very long long time to have an animal that does not want you to hold them. They are an omnivore. In the wild, they will eat bugs, worms, small animals, even, and, um, fruits and vegetables. They are called a Sugar Glider, because they do like sweet things. So, a lot of times, people will put a little bit of honey on their food to make it more palatable to them. They need a protein mix type diet. There are several Sugar Glider diets on the market. You can do research, and decide which one you feel is best for you. Talk to your veterinarian. We use a special homemade insectivore mix that we make ourselves with chicken and cat food, oatmeal, oil, vitamins, and calcium. And then we also add fresh fruits and vegetables to that as well. And they do need a wheel to run in. They do enjoy running in their wheels at night. They can bark like a small dog, and they also make a crabby noise, where they kinda sound like a garbage disposal when they are not happy. They need a large cage, so that they can do a little bit of gliding. A lot of climbing, a lot of separate sleep sacks for them to play in. One thing about Sugar Glider is that they are very messy, and they will throw their food, sorta like a chipper shredder, and it will get all over the wall. A lot of people will put a shower curtain down behind their Sugar Glider's cage, to help catch some of that. Some people will also get a pup tent. And at dusk, when the Sugar Gliders are waking up, will take them in their pup tent, and they will go in there with them, and, um, let them play. And so it is kind of a fun way to enjoy your Sugar Glider. But they are an unusual animal, difficult, not for a beginner, and a long term commitment. So, something that takes a lot of thought before you get.
