Ask Dr. Jenn: Can I Keep a Sugar Glider as a Pet?

Sugar gliders are adorable! With their large eyes, long fluffy tail, and velvety fur, all within a tiny body, you can’t help but love them! But sugar gliders are not the average pet. They have a lot of special requirements to keep them happy and healthy.

Sugar Gliders in the Wild

Sugar gliders are marsupials from the tropical forests in Australia and New Guinea. The female sugar glider has a pouch where her babies will continue to develop after birth for another two months before they are big enough to move into the nest.

These little animals fit easily in the palm of your hand. When fully grown, female sugar gliders weigh 90-130 grams (3-4.5 ounces). Males are slightly larger weighing 115-160 grams (4-5.6 ounces). They grow to around 16-21cm (6-8 inches) in body length with a long, curling tail that, when stretched out, is about the same length as their body.

Similar to flying squirrels, sugar gliders have a gliding membrane of furred skin from their front legs to their back legs. This allows them to glide from tree to tree in the forest. They have prehensile hands to grab branches and to pick up their food.

Caring for a Pet Sugar Glider

As you can see, sugar gliders are very unique animals. They are not like a hamster or guinea pig that can be placed in a small cage. Proper husbandry, diet, and socialization are very important to help them live a long, healthy life. With proper care, they can live 9-15 years in captivity.

Sugar gliders are very social animals. In the wild, they live in groups of six to ten.  In captivity, if housed alone, they can become depressed and may chew out their fur or stop eating. This doesn’t mean you have to have multiple sugar gliders. If you are willing to devote a lot of time to your sugar glider – at least two hours a day – he or she will develop a strong bond with you. Since sugar gliders are nocturnal, the best time to bond with them is in the late evening.

Sugar Glider Cages and Habitat

Although they sleep most of the day, sugar gliders are very active at night and need a lot of space to run around, climb, and glide from place to place. The minimum cage requirement is at least three feet tall, 3 feet long, and 2-3 feet wide, but bigger is better. The cage should have multiple perches at different levels to move between. Swings, toys, and hammocks also provide environmental enrichment. Sugar gliders like to sleep in small dark places that are off the ground. A nest box and fleece pouch placed high in the cage make good sleeping spots.

Sugar Glider Diet and Health

As the name suggests, sugar gliders’ diet consists of a lot of sugar – approximately 50% of their calories come from sap or nectar. They are omnivores and the rest of their calories come from eating insects. In captivity, the recommended diet is 50% Leadbeater’s mixture – a replacement for nectar that consists of honey, water, eggs, and vitamins (the recipe can be found online), and 50% insect and animal protein. A commercially available insectivore or carnivore diet is ideal because it provides the right balance of vitamins and minerals. Eggs, crickets, and baby mice can also be offered. Fruits and nuts can be given occasionally as treats but should not be a consistent part of their diet.

Deciding if a Sugar Glider Pet is Right for You

Sugar gliders can be wonderful pets for the right person. During the day, a pet sugar glider may nap in the shirt pocket of his human. At night, he may glide across the room and run up and down your arms as you watch TV. His antics may make you laugh, and he may pose for selfies with you for Instagram.

But sugar gliders are not the right pet for most people. They are active and noisy at night. They require a big cage and a lot of attention. They scent mark and can have a musky smell. They have very specific dietary needs. And with a life span of nine to fifteen years, you are making a long-term commitment.

If you and your daughter decide a sugar glider will fit into your lifestyle, look for a sugar glider that is still young and was hand-reared so that he or she is used to being handled by people.  Be patient with your new pet and give her time to adjust to her new environment. Let her sleep during the day and learn her schedule. Once you are bonded and comfortable with each other, send me a selfie with your new best friend sitting on your shoulder.