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SUGAR GLIDERS

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SUGAR GLIDERS By Patricia Garber GENERAL INFORMATION Scientific Name: Petaurus breviceps They live about 10-15 years in captivity. Sugar Gliders are about 5-6 inches ... – PowerPoint PPT presentation

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Title: SUGAR GLIDERS


1
SUGAR GLIDERS
  • By Patricia Garber

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GENERAL INFORMATION
  • Scientific Name Petaurus breviceps
  • They live about 10-15 years in captivity.
  • Sugar Gliders are about 5-6 inches long, and the
    tail is another 6 inches. They only weigh 4-5.5
    oz
  • Sugar Gliders are indigenous to Australia, Papua
    New Guinea and parts of Indonesia

4
  • Because gliders are such social animals, they
    will do fine in a colony of one if the owner is
    able to provide plenty of attention. They bond
    well with their owners.
  • Sugar gliders are nocturnal but they are content
    with just spending the day in their owners
    pockets or a bonding pouch napping.
  • However, if owners cannot spend as much time as
    possible with their pets it is best to get at
    least two gliders.

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  • Sugar gliders are marsupials
  • The babies are born immature and grow in a pouch.
    Sugar gliders have furry membranes that extend
    from their wrists to their ankles (called a
    patagium) which allows them to glide through the
    air.
  • In the wild they move from tree to tree by
    gliding. Their hind feet have a large, opposable
    toe that helps them grip branches
  • The second and third digit forms a grooming tool.

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Things to avoid
  • Cedar shavings, use shredded newspaper, aspen or
    fir instead.
  • Chocolate and sugars.
  • Toxic plants and branches such as Autum Crocus,
    any form of the onion family, and dandelion roots
    to name just a few.
  • Pesticides.
  • Processed human food.
  • Preservatives.
  • Excessive amounts of fat.
  • Dairy products
  • Dogs and cats (Sugar Gliders are expensive
    snacks!).
  • Small children.

8
Male Glider
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  • Male gliders naturally have a bald spot on the
    top of their heads, it appears when they reach
    sexual maturity.
  • It is actually a scent gland that the male uses
    to mark his female and offspring as well as his
    territory such as the cage.
  • There are two other scent glands on the male, one
    on his genital area and another on his chest
    which causes color change in the fur or another
    bald spot.

10
Female Glider
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  • The female glider also has scent glands. One is
    located in her genital area as well as her pouch.
  • Both males and females give off a sweet musky
    odor.

12
Feeding in the wild
  • Sugar Gliders require 75 fruit/veggies and 25
    protein. Excess fat in the diet can cause
    problems later and effect any offspring.
  • It is very hard to feed captive sugar gliders the
    same diet that they would consume in the wild.
  • In the wild they eat eucalyptus gum, sap,
    insects, nectar, and honeydew as well as bird
    eggs, lizards and small birds.

13
Captive Feeding
  • Zoo quality diets
  • Insects such as crickets, mealworms, wax worms,
    spiders, and moths. These must be fed in a
    variety to avoid boredom and the insects must be
    fed richly (such as Gut Load) or dusted.
  • Fruit and veggies are a great snack, however,
    nothing canned because canned food has
    preservatives and refined sugar.

14
Housing
  • Gliders are climbers, they need a cage that is at
    least 3 feet wide and 3 feet tall.
  • They need things to climb on and toys to play
    with.
  • Their water should be changed daily and in a
    plastic dish hooked on the side of the cage along
    with the food dish to avoid contamination.
  • The cage should be cleaned at least once a week.
  • A nest box or hide box should also be placed in
    the cage as well.

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Healthy Sugar Gliders
  • Should be
  • Active, alert, and sociable
  • Eat and drink normally
  • Have healthy fur
  • Clear eyes
  • Walk normally
  • Shouldnt be
  • Lethargic
  • Cloudy eyes
  • Matted fur
  • Vomiting
  • Diarrhea

16
Most common problems
  • Malnutrition
  • Self-inflicted wounds- i.e.. Boredom
  • Intestinal parasites
  • Trauma
  • Pneumonia
  • Diarrhea
  • constipation/impaction
  • Gastroenteritis
  • Stress-related diseases coprophagia hyperphagia,
    polydipsia
  • Hind leg paralysis-associated with calcium
    deficiency
  • Blindness
  • Cataracts

17
Physical Exam
  • The PE may be done with minimal restraint,
    however anything more must be done under
    anesthesia
  • Anesthesia used is isoflurane, the glider is
    masked down with a soda bottle and surgical glove

18
Dentals
  • Gliders also get tartar and dental disease
  • If the teeth are really bad, the gliders diet
    must be changed as well.
  • The teeth are too small to do normal dental work
    on them such as fillings so they must be
    monitored for infections or extracted.

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Tartar at the bottom of the lower incisors.
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Diseases
  • Aflatoxicosis- this is where a glider eats a
    cricket that has injested food contaminated with
    toxic metabolites from fungus.
  • Symptoms may include loss of appetite, anemia,
    jaundice, bowel problems, and lethargy
  • It is treatable but the animal can die within
    hours if not brought to the vet. To prevent this
    from happening again, change the food source and
    research where the crickets or the food comes
    from before feeding it.

21
Diseases continued
  • Giardiasis- caused by Giardia lamblia. It can
    remain dormant in a sugar glider for up to 6
    months until the glider becomes stressed.
  • Symptoms behavioral changes, diarrhea, lameness,
    vomiting, jaundice, green tinge to feces, and
    dehydration.
  • Treatment bring to a vet, disinfect everything,
    cages, toys, water and food dishes and test other
    gliders in the colony

22
  • Lumpy Jaw- impacted salivary gland, most common
    cause is bacterial introduction by dental abscess
  • Symptoms a hard lump appears on face, neck or
    chest draining eye weight loss
  • Treatment bring to vet for prescription and
    soften food with water, do not feed low quality
    foods.

23
Stress
  • Causes
  • Actual danger
  • Loneliness
  • Death of the owner or fellow glider
  • Illness
  • Improper diet
  • Thyroid problems
  • Daylight when glider is sleeping
  • Sudden changes

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Stress
  • Symptoms
  • Self mutilation
  • Repeated back flips
  • Vomiting
  • Diarrhea
  • Pacing
  • Tremors or trembling
  • Anorexia
  • Sleeping patterns change

25
Treatment of stress
  • Seek vet help
  • Spend lots of time with the glider
  • If glider is new, bring something old that is
    familiar to it, and slowly change the cage over
    time
  • If changing the diet, just like other pets,
    change it slowly

26
Look how cute they are!
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