1. Sugar Gliders
Emily King

2. What Am I?
Sugar gliders are small marsupials, in the same family as the kangaroo and koala bear
They are originally from the rainforests of Australia and Indonesia
Within that last years sugar gliders have been bred in the U.S. as household pets

3. Why Am I called a “Sugar Gilder”?
The name sugar glider was given to these small animals because of what they like to eat, Sugar!
Sugar gliders like to eat sweet things like fresh fruits and veggies
They are called gliders because of the membrane that stretches from their wrists to their ankles
This allows them to glide from tree to tree

4. Classification Class: Mammalia Infraclass: Marsupialia
Order: Diprotodpntia
Suborder: Phalangerida
Family: Petauridae
Genus: Petaurus
Species: P. Breviceps

5. Rodent?
Sugar gliders are NOT rodents and therefore have some advantages as pets
They do not chew on things like hamsters or gerbils do
They keep themselves incredibly clean and therefore do not need to be bathed
Not only this but when they are fed right they have no noticeable smell
no more gross smelling cages!

6. Do they make good pets?
Sugar gliders are not rodents with that being said sugar gliders, when cared for properly, can live up to years old
Also sugar gliders are about as intelligent as dogs
They can learn their names and be trained to come when their names are called
They can also learn tricks!

7. Welcome to the Family
But this also means they don’t like being away from their family
When owners go on trips most of them will take their gliders with them because they’re small and portable
They’ll just sit on your shoulder or in your pocket
Sugar gliders bond very quickly with their human “family”
This is why once they’ve been bonded you can take them out in public without a cage

8. How BIG will they grow?
A sugar glider at full length is about 5 to 7 inches in length
Not including the tail
A baby sugar glider is called a joey like a kangaroo
They are about the size of a grain of rice when they are born
Like a kangaroo they spend the first few weeks of their life in their mothers pouch

9. What’s for lunch?
Their diet consists of 25% fruits and veggies and 75% of proteins
Gliders get their necessary protein from a special pellet food called Glide-R-Chow
To feed a sugar glider is inexpensive and easy!
They like to munch on fruits such as an apple slice and veggies

10. Housing
In fact, when sugar gliders are young they are better off in a smaller cage
This is because they become better acquainted and familiar with their families when in a smaller cage
Adult sugar gliders prefer large cages for them to play around in
But it is not a necessity

11. Do they play well with others?
Why yes, sugar gliders play great with other pets!
They form bonds not only with the humans in their families but also with the other pets
They become a pet for your pets!
The reason why your dog or cat does not see sugar gliders as food is because they’re not rodents
Therefore they do not smell like food to your dog or cat

12. Biting
If your sugar glider does bite you, the best thing to do is to not put them down
The best thing to do is to ball them up in your closed hands
This will relax the sugar glider to keep them from biting you again
Sugar gliders, when not bonded with a person, can bite
This might be because they are scared, self-defense, or because someone is unfamiliar
Once the sugar glider has bonded with someone this kind of biting will stop

13. Illnesses
Sugar gliders can experience a number of illnesses for a number of different reasons
Stress-related:
Self mutilation
poor nutrition
Poor cage conditions
Poor hygiene
Increased adrenal glad activity
Sugar gliders can also get a number of different worms
Roundworms
Hookworms
Tapeworms
They can also get fleas, mites, and lice

15. Bibliography Page http://www.sugargliderinfo.org/questions-and-answers