When you think of a sugar glider, you may think of a flying squirrel. They’re similar in many ways, but they’re very different animals. A flying squirrel is from the rodent family, while a sugar glider is a marsupial. Native to New Guinea and Australia, this small, adorable opossum spends their days gliding through the trees due to a thin membrane on their sides connecting their front and back legs, called a patagium. This membrane stretches out, resembling wings, as the sugar glider jumps through the trees. It acts as a parachute, allowing them to gracefully glide through the air and giving them half their name. The other half comes from their affinity for sweet foods. Sugar gliders have become popular pets. They’re affectionate, curious, playful, and social little creatures. However, they require a special diet and if they don’t have their nutritional needs met, they will become sick. So, what do sugar gliders eat? Let’s take a look.
In the Wild
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A post shared by 蜜袋鼯𝑺𝒖𝒈𝒂𝒓𝑮𝒍𝒊𝒅𝒆𝒓🧸𝑩𝒆𝒂𝒓𝑭𝒂𝒎𝒊𝒍𝒚🇭🇰 (@suggie_pigpig)
Naturally omnivorous, the sugar glider will eat whatever they can find. Their diet usually changes with the seasons. Summer brings them plenty of insects to enjoy. In the winter, they eat acacia gum and sap from trees, nectar, and honeydew. Using their teeth to strip the bark off the trees, they then chew holes through the wood until they reach their sweet reward. Sugar gliders don’t require much protein, and too much of it could make them sick. While their diet is complex carbohydrate-heavy, they have a large cecum (a pouch connected to their large and small intestine) that enables them to properly ferment and digest these carbs. Sugar gliders don’t pass up an opportunity for a meal in the wild and have been known to eat small birds, bird eggs, lizards, spiders, plants, wild-grown fruits and vegetables, and anything sweet. As a Pet Image Credit: Akarat Thongsatid, Shutterstock If you choose to keep a sugar glider as a pet, take the time to learn about their nutritional needs to avoid making them ill. A sugar glider is usually happy to eat anything that they’re offered, but that doesn’t mean it’s good for them. Their diet in captivity should closely resemble their diet in the wild. A diet high in fruits and vegetables is what they prefer, opting to leave behind a more nutritionally rounded offering in favor of a sweet treat. Calcium deficiencies are common in sugar gliders if they’re not being fed properly, and this can lead to hind-leg paralysis. To avoid any potential illnesses for your sugar glider, let’s examine what a proper diet looks like for them. Various fresh fruits and vegetables should make up 75% of the diet, and protein should make up the remaining 25%. Since your glider may be picky about what they eat, it’s always recommended that supplements and vitamins be added to the diet. These will make sure your glider is getting what they need. Fresh fruits and vegetables that are safe and delicious for your sugar glider include: Fruits and Vegetables Can Include:
Apples
Avocados
Berries
Corn
Honeydew
Oranges
Pears
Sweet potatoes
Raisins
Protein Can Include:
Tiny pieces of unseasoned turkey or chicken
Hard-boiled eggs
Yogurt
Peanut butter
Treats to keep your glider happy:
Crickets
Mealworms
Earthworms
Keep in mind that these insects aren’t to be fed as the main part of a sugar glider’s diet. They’re treats and should only be fed if they’re purchased from a store. Don’t give your glider an insect that you found outside, as it could contain pesticides. You can also add sap and nectars to your sugar glider’s diet to replicate what they’d find in the wild. Acacia gum is a favorite, along with honey and maple syrup. Include this along with fruits and vegetables. Foods to Avoid Completely and Never Give a Sugar Glider:
The pits or seeds of fruit
Chocolate
Dairy
Raw sugar
Candy
See Also: How to Choose the Right Size Cage for Sugar Gliders
Packaged Food Image Credit: andyround62, Pixabay Your local pet supply store may sell food for sugar gliders. It usually comes in pellet form. These pellets are nutritionally complete but may be abandoned by your glider in favor of other tastier items. If you decide to buy packaged food for your glider, check with your veterinarian first to build a well-balanced diet that includes everything that your glider needs to be healthy. This could include fresh fruits, vegetables, and other snacks in addition to the pellets.
See Also: How to Take Care of a Sugar Glider (Care Sheet & Guide)
Conclusion Sugar gliders make fun and entertaining pets. Keep them healthy and happy with the right diet that meets their nutritional needs. Their diet shouldn’t stray too much from what they’d eat in the wild. If you provide them various fruit, vegetables, protein, and nectars, you can have a pet that will be stress-free and happy for years to come.
Featured Image Credit by gayleenfroese2, Pixabay
When you think of a sugar glider, you may think of a flying squirrel. They’re similar in many ways, but they’re very different animals. A flying squirrel is from the rodent family, while a sugar glider is a marsupial. Native to New Guinea and Australia, this small, adorable opossum spends their days gliding through the trees due to a thin membrane on their sides connecting their front and back legs, called a patagium. This membrane stretches out, resembling wings, as the sugar glider jumps through the trees. It acts as a parachute, allowing them to gracefully glide through the air and giving them half their name. The other half comes from their affinity for sweet foods.
Sugar gliders have become popular pets. They’re affectionate, curious, playful, and social little creatures. However, they require a special diet and if they don’t have their nutritional needs met, they will become sick. So, what do sugar gliders eat? Let’s take a look.
In the Wild
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by 蜜袋鼯𝑺𝒖𝒈𝒂𝒓𝑮𝒍𝒊𝒅𝒆𝒓🧸𝑩𝒆𝒂𝒓𝑭𝒂𝒎𝒊𝒍𝒚🇭🇰 (@suggie_pigpig)
Naturally omnivorous, the sugar glider will eat whatever they can find. Their diet usually changes with the seasons. Summer brings them plenty of insects to enjoy. In the winter, they eat acacia gum and sap from trees, nectar, and honeydew. Using their teeth to strip the bark off the trees, they then chew holes through the wood until they reach their sweet reward. Sugar gliders don’t require much protein, and too much of it could make them sick. While their diet is complex carbohydrate-heavy, they have a large cecum (a pouch connected to their large and small intestine) that enables them to properly ferment and digest these carbs. Sugar gliders don’t pass up an opportunity for a meal in the wild and have been known to eat small birds, bird eggs, lizards, spiders, plants, wild-grown fruits and vegetables, and anything sweet.
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by 蜜袋鼯𝑺𝒖𝒈𝒂𝒓𝑮𝒍𝒊𝒅𝒆𝒓🧸𝑩𝒆𝒂𝒓𝑭𝒂𝒎𝒊𝒍𝒚🇭🇰 (@suggie_pigpig)
A post shared by 蜜袋鼯𝑺𝒖𝒈𝒂𝒓𝑮𝒍𝒊𝒅𝒆𝒓🧸𝑩𝒆𝒂𝒓𝑭𝒂𝒎𝒊𝒍𝒚🇭🇰 (@suggie_pigpig)
View this post on Instagram
View this post on Instagram
As a Pet
If you choose to keep a sugar glider as a pet, take the time to learn about their nutritional needs to avoid making them ill. A sugar glider is usually happy to eat anything that they’re offered, but that doesn’t mean it’s good for them. Their diet in captivity should closely resemble their diet in the wild. A diet high in fruits and vegetables is what they prefer, opting to leave behind a more nutritionally rounded offering in favor of a sweet treat. Calcium deficiencies are common in sugar gliders if they’re not being fed properly, and this can lead to hind-leg paralysis.
To avoid any potential illnesses for your sugar glider, let’s examine what a proper diet looks like for them. Various fresh fruits and vegetables should make up 75% of the diet, and protein should make up the remaining 25%. Since your glider may be picky about what they eat, it’s always recommended that supplements and vitamins be added to the diet. These will make sure your glider is getting what they need.
Fresh fruits and vegetables that are safe and delicious for your sugar glider include:
Fruits and Vegetables Can Include:
Apples
Avocados
Berries
Corn
Honeydew
Oranges
Pears
Sweet potatoes
Raisins
Protein Can Include:
Tiny pieces of unseasoned turkey or chicken
Hard-boiled eggs
Yogurt
Peanut butter
Treats to keep your glider happy:
Crickets
Mealworms
Earthworms
Keep in mind that these insects aren’t to be fed as the main part of a sugar glider’s diet. They’re treats and should only be fed if they’re purchased from a store. Don’t give your glider an insect that you found outside, as it could contain pesticides.
Apples
Avocados
Berries
Corn
Honeydew
Oranges
Pears
Sweet potatoes
Raisins
- Apples
- Avocados
- Berries
- Corn
- Honeydew
- Oranges
- Pears
- Sweet potatoes
- Raisins
Tiny pieces of unseasoned turkey or chicken
Hard-boiled eggs
Yogurt
Peanut butter
- Tiny pieces of unseasoned turkey or chicken
- Hard-boiled eggs
- Yogurt
- Peanut butter
Crickets
Mealworms
Earthworms
- Crickets
- Mealworms
- Earthworms
You can also add sap and nectars to your sugar glider’s diet to replicate what they’d find in the wild. Acacia gum is a favorite, along with honey and maple syrup. Include this along with fruits and vegetables.
Foods to Avoid Completely and Never Give a Sugar Glider:
The pits or seeds of fruit
Chocolate
Dairy
Raw sugar
Candy
- See Also: How to Choose the Right Size Cage for Sugar Gliders
Packaged Food
Your local pet supply store may sell food for sugar gliders. It usually comes in pellet form. These pellets are nutritionally complete but may be abandoned by your glider in favor of other tastier items. If you decide to buy packaged food for your glider, check with your veterinarian first to build a well-balanced diet that includes everything that your glider needs to be healthy. This could include fresh fruits, vegetables, and other snacks in addition to the pellets.
The pits or seeds of fruit
Chocolate
Dairy
Raw sugar
Candy
The pits or seeds of fruit
Chocolate
Dairy
Raw sugar
Candy
See Also: How to Take Care of a Sugar Glider (Care Sheet & Guide)
Conclusion
Sugar gliders make fun and entertaining pets. Keep them healthy and happy with the right diet that meets their nutritional needs. Their diet shouldn’t stray too much from what they’d eat in the wild. If you provide them various fruit, vegetables, protein, and nectars, you can have a pet that will be stress-free and happy for years to come.
Featured Image Credit by gayleenfroese2, Pixabay
