FAQ

Whats the difference between a flying squirrel and sugar glider?

Alot, diet, behavior, anatomy are all different. To start the sugar glider is a marsupial and the flying squirrel is a rodent. The sugar glider eats a completely different diet than a flying squirrel, which includes honey, eggs, pollen and other such things. Sugar gliders are commonly more social than flying squirrels because they are colony animals.

 

You will see a visible difference between the two. The flying squirrel has a much shorter tail that is somewhat flat in appearance. Also the flying squirrel is colored more like the squirrel in the tree across the street, while sugar gliders have facial and body markings. I have only seen one color of flying squirrel, and it was brown with a white stomach. I do not doubt that there may be a few that are different colors out there but sugar glider come in many different colors and no two are exactly the same.

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What kind of cage does a Sugar Glider need?

The bigger the better, 2'x2'x3' is minimum for a pair, and they appreciate height more than depth or width. The bar spacing should be no more than 1/2". Powder coated is best. Never anything that is galvanized, or that has rust. I have also heard about reactions to blue pvc, but I would avoid all pvc coated cages. To small of a cage, or cages such as aquariums have shown to cause health issues both physical and mental that can lead to death and definitely an unhappy glider.

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Is the type of bedding important?

YES! Absolutely no pine or cedar. I use Carefresh Natural. I have heard of people using paper towels, but none with colored print. News papers can bleed and stain your glider, also I don't think the ink is safe. Don't use puppy pads cause many have chemicals in them. 

 

Note: it is suggested that the bottom of the cage be solid rather than barred cause the bars are hard on their feet.

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Why are all the pouches made of fleece?

Because it is one of the safest materials out there for gliders, the have sharp claws and can get them stuck in other materials, which results in the glider ripping off a nail. I am using flannel at the moment but if the material gets worn the glider can get a toe stuck and possibly loose it. Both materials need to be checked daily to assure that there is no tears, loose threads or such things that the glider could get stuck on.

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Do I really need to clip there nails?

Yes, there nails can get very long if not clipped regularly. Long nails can get stuck in even the finest of pouches, and it will hurt when the glider is climbing on you. They have 18 nails, all but four of them need to be clipped. The reason the last four do not need to be clipped is because they use them for grooming. These nails are found on the back paws, you will see two toes that are partially fused together. I have heard of people clipping those nails, though less frequently. I do not clip those nails unless the glider has an injury, in which case I clip them so the glider can not open the wound.

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What do these little critters eat?

The food they eat is very important. They are omnivores. Meaning they eat about everything, but they do require a special diet. I feed HPW plus, some people feed BML, HPW and a couple other recognized diets. No mater which diet you choose the glider will also need fruits and vegetables. Some thing that should never be fed is garlic, onions, catfood, soda, and caffeine. They can eat avocado unlike birds, but not the pit or skin. Some gliders like things that other gliders don't. Mine wont touch their veggies unless I trick them into it. Others cant get enough of their veggies. You will have to test out and see which foods your gliders like. And sometimes, when you just found the perfect mix, they change their mind and wont touch it.

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Are there different breeds of sugar gliders?

No, but there are different colors. Some include the classic grey, white face blonde, leucistic, creme-ino, albino, and mosiac. Gliders typically have a darker or black stripe down their body, from their nose to the beginning of their tail. The tip of their tail is usually black. and their stomach is lighter than their body. This is not always so though, there are gliders with rings along their tails. There are gliders with white tips on their tails. And an albino or luecistic are all white so have no such markings.

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Why cant I breed a male and female that I buy from you?

If you buy a male and female they cannot breed because they are cousins. Their fathers are brothers so it would result in inbred joeys if breeding accured. In the future I may have unrelated lines and will allow breeding if that is the case. Breeding one of my gliders to another breeders is fine as long as they arent related :)

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I found a breeder and they say they are licensed with the USDA how do I verify this?

https://acissearch.aphis.usda.gov/LPASearch/faces/CustomerSearch.jspx

Type the persons name, address, or license number here. You may also view their inspection violations if any have occurred.

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Are you licensed with the USDA?

No, I am not at this point. Not all who breed are required to be licensed,  I only have 3 females I will breed and two males.  So I am under four breeding females and don't need a license. The perk of having so few gliders is that I have more time to spend with each glider to socialize and spoil them and any babies they have. The downside for customers is that I wont have a lot of babies for sale, or babies for sale all the time.

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