Many sugar glider enthusiasts find that bird cages work well as sugar glider habitats-although avoid cages with only vertical bars that may cause injury. Replication of this environment makes gliders as close to their natural habitat as possible. Gliders are from Australia and New Guinea and are an arboreal species-therefore spending most of their time living and gliding from tree to tree. The cage should be at least 36×24x40 inches, with height as the most essential factor. The openings in the mesh shouldn’t be larger than ½-1 inch. Cages should be constructed of PVC-coated wire with plenty of places for gliders to climb and grab. Like most exotic species, the husbandry-or overall care-of sugar gliders is important for a happy and healthy pet. Sugar gliders vocalize frequently and are typically docile, but will bite when scared, stressed, painful, or poorly socialized. They are very social and live in groups of 5-12 in the wild. Gliders can live up to 15 years old, so they are a lengthy time commitment as a pet parent. Sugar gliders can make wonderful pets and bond closely with their human families if given the specific care, enrichment, and socialization they require. They get their name from a flap of tissue connecting their wrists and ankles, called the gliding membrane, which allows this species to sail, as they cannot fly, from one place to another with remarkable accuracy. While they may look like rodents, they are actually small marsupials, most closely related to kangaroos and koalas.Īs a nocturnal tree-dwelling species, they have large eyes to help them navigate in the darkness.

Sugar gliders are lovely, interesting, energetic, and inquisitive animals that have gained recent popularity as pets.

Sugar glider toys