Criptic's Page On Herps

your pet home from the supplier, do not get eager and handle your pet on the way home. Your newly acquired sugar glider will be upset and disoriented in it’s new surroundings, and will attempt to escape, or hide inside your car (including inside your dashboard). When you get your sugar glider home, take the container into their cage. The cage should not have a lot of activity around it, and should be in a quiet place. Open the container, and allow the sugar glider to come out on its own. The sugar glider will need to settle in and will be a little apprehensive for the first day or two. You may place a few pieces of fruit inside the nest box, in case your sugar glider is too shy to come out at first. If you do, place fruit such as papaya or mango. These will satisfy the sugar gliders thirst as well as hunger. To start the bonding process, you will want to add a piece of cloth that has been carried by you in the nesting box. They will then become familiar with your scent.

Do not be surprised when your sugar glider makes disgruntled noises at you when you first try to handle it.

Your sugar glider will need some time to learn your scent. After your sugar glider has been in its new home for a day or so, you may reach in and remove it from its nest box. You may wish to try this during the day, when it is sleepy and easier to handle. Make sure there are no other pets in the room. If your sugar glider is flighty, you may wish to first tame it by playing with it in the bathtub, in a locked bathroom. Pick your glider by the body. If it resists by gripping objects, you can use your put your finger behind its claws and gently push them off the object. Cup your glider in your hands or against your chest. Once the sugar glider has calmed down you can place it in your pocket and pet it. The sugar glider will eventually come out and explore a little. Let it climb up on your shoulder and check you out. You will want to let your sugar glider out to play nightly.

Once your sugar glider is completely bonded with you and is comfortable with its surroundings, you may attempt to teach it to glide to you. Place your pet higher than your shoulder, where it would have difficulty getting down by any other way, other than jumping to you. Show it a small treat. Place the treat in the palm of your hand, and hold it up so that your glider has to step off the shelf onto your hand to get it. Repeat the process, but this time move your hand further away. Make sure the glider has to make a small leap to reach you. Repeat, and increase the distance until the sugar glider is gliding to you.

When you turn loose your sugar glider in a room, you will have to supervise, and make sure there are no hazards. Make sure all windows and doors are closed. It doesn’t take a sugar glider long to learn how to escape. A sugar glider can drown in standing water. Buckets, bathtubs, sinks, and toilets can all drown a sugar glider. You should be cautious of anything that may burn your sugar gliders too. Your sugar glider can get a fatal burn from hot stovetops, heat registers, irons, and curling irons. Put away all toxic materials such as cleansers, antifreeze, gasoline, oil, nail polish, nail polish remover, makeup, glue, ink, alcoholic and caffinated drinks, drugs, dirty ashtrays, aerosol sprays, and poisonous house plants.

You may wake up your sugar glider during the day to play with. After an hour or so, it will want to start finding a place to sleep. You should allow it to sleep. Do not stress it out by forcing it to stay up longer than it wants to. If you handle your sugar glider at a regular time daily, you will find it will wake up on its own, in anticipation of your play time.

Do not take your sugar gliders outside until you are sure it has bonded with you. You do not want your sugar glider taking off, and never coming back. Do not take a sugar glider out in bright sunshine. Direct bright light will lead to retinal damage. Their instinct is to be as high as possible, so you should stay away from trees or other tall objects. You may wish to use a small harness and leash when taking your sugar glider outdoors. This will assure they can not get too far away from you.

You will not want to take your sugar glider out around other pets. Some dogs, and cats will bond with a sugar glider, others will try to eat them. You should use caution. Sugar gliders are not good pets for children under 12. If you decide to buy one for a child, you should keep in mind that it is your responsibility to care for the sugar glider. You will need to supervise any sugar glider outing as well. Do not allow your child to remove the sugar glider from its cage unless you are present.

Previous | Next

All photos, sounds, and text are covered in the copyright laws Please do not use without permission!!!! (permission has already been granted with all sound files on this site)