How to care sugar glider?

Sugar Gliders are tiny marsupials that are native to New Guinea and Australia that live in colonies. Sugar Gliders use their gliding membrane that extends from their front wrist to their rear ankles to move from place to place. Full grown gliders are usually 5 inches in body length with a 6 inch furry tail. They weigh 4 to 5 ounces.

Sugar Gliders are very social animals and are adverse to solitary confinement. Their normal color is steel gray to brownish with a black stripe down the back, but selective breeding in captivity has brought out other color variations, including albinos. In captivity, they can live as long as 15 years, although 8 to 12 years is more usual. The ability to glide is one of the most amazing features of sugar gliders. 

Sugar gliders are nocturnal, they active at night, sleep during day time. Sugar gliders are naturally social animals and need to have a lot of contact with their owner in order to be socially fulfilled. Although they are nocturnal, there is still plenty of time to spend with your glider during the day. They have very large (relative to their size) eyes, which help them see at night. They also have large ears, an obvious benefit to an animal who is both preyed-upon and a predator. Those big ears allow them to hear even the smallest sound. Because they are marsupials, they like to be snuggled up in a pouch during the daytime while they sleep.

Housing 

The bigger, the better. In the wild, sugar gliders nest in holes of trees in colonies of 7 to 15 members and have been observed gliding as far as 300 feet! The width of the cage is important, the more your glider will be able to "fly". Of course, the larger the cage is, the more exercise your glider will be able to get. A cage that is no smaller that 4 feet tall by 3 feet wide are highly recommended.

Starter Kit without Cage ( RM 88.71 )

Starter Kits with Sturdy Cage ( RM 199.53 )

Example for the complete cage :

Since sugar gliders cannot be litter trained, it is important to get a cage that has a pull-out tray for easy cleaning. Bedding material such as corn cob litter can be place in your pull-out tray or other wood pelleted bedding material. Since sugar gliders are nocturnal, be sure that the cage is not in an area with a lot of noise or human traffic. Be sure to put in several sized bird perches branches or jumping ledge for chinchilla for lots of exercise. Plastic bird perches work well because they are easily washed and do not hold urine smells.

Corn cob litter

Wood Pelleted

Plastic bird perches 

It is also important that the cage is in an area where there is a noticeable light difference between night and day; otherwise, your glider will become confused about when to be awake or asleep. The cage should be kept out of direct sunlight. In the wild, sugar gliders gather in hold in the trees line with leaves for sleeping. Since sugar glider’s cage will need to be cleaned regularly, a plastic house lined with washable fleece is a good choice. Sugar gliders are most comfortable when the temperature is between 23 and 27 degrees Celsius. Much variation from that range can be detrimental to their health. A nesting or sleeping pouch will provide your sugar glider with a place to curl up and go to sleep during the day and also a place where it can hide and feel safe. In the wild, sugar gliders nest high up in trees, place the nesting pouch fairly high up in the cage. 

Sugar gliders will use their scent glands to make their pouches smell like them, so it is a good idea to have several pouches available in order to rotate them for cleaning; otherwise, the pouches can become quite smelly.