General Information
Sugar Gliders - What are they anyway?
Sugar gliders are marsupials, not rodents. Meaning, females have a pouch which they will carry their young (joeys). Gliders often have 1-2 babies, sometimes up to 3-4 at a time.
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Sugar gliders can live 10-15 years, if not more. They are very social animals, and must be kept with at least one other glider. When alone, sugar gliders often suffer from psychological disorders including depression and self-mutilation (over-grooming, hair loss, sores, and even open wounds). If a glider develops these disorders and the issue is not addressed, it can even result in the death of the glider.
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Male sugar gliders have scent glands that are used to mark territories and females. These scent glands, when left intact (un-neutered), can cause a strong musky smell. Diet and the individual can have different strengths of this smell. A male can be neutered, which prevents or reduces the scent glands from developing and thus reducing or even eliminating the smell.
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If you keep an intact (un-neutered) male with a female, they will mate (regardless if they are related). If you do not wish to breed a male and female glider, you should get the male fixed. It is relatively safe to neuter a male glider but extremely risky and difficult to spay a female.
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Two female sugar gliders can be housed together with little to no issues, however two intact males cannot be housed together. Two intact males will fight, even if there is no female present. To avoid this, simply neuter the males.
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While sugar gliders can be kept in a colony, if you plan to breed them it is highly recommended to breed in pairs (one male and one female). Colony or even trio breeding often leads to joeys being killed or injured.
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