Sugar Gliders: Exotics

Social & Environment

• Colonies

  • pairs or groups

• Arboreal

  • tall cages

  • nest boxes

• Tropical

• Cabbing

  • alarm call

• Polygamous

• Seasonally polyestrous

Diet

• Omniviors

  • 75% plants

    • Sap of acacia tree

  • 25% insect/animals

    • High Waxworms, mealworms, nuts = obesity

      • Lipid deposits in the eyes and pouch

• 2:1 Ca:P

TPR

• Temp = 32C

  • Torpor = 15C

• HR = 200-300

• RR = 16-40

Patagium

• thin membrane connecting arms to legs

  • weird wings

• for gliding

Epipubic bone

• bones in front of pubis

• paired

Syndactyly

• fusion of digits

• hind foot

marsupium

• abdominal pouch

• encloses mammary glands

Female Reproduction

• Polygamous

• Seasonally polyestrous

• Short gestation

• estrous cycle not stopped by preg

• estrous cycle is stopped by lactation and absence of placenta

• Marsupium

  • In pouch for 2.5m

• 4 teats

  • Weaned at 5 months

Preventable medicine

• NO vax

• fecals

• Blood collection

  • sedate

  • CVC

  • jug, lateral tail vein, medial tibial artery

• castrate/spay

  • open castration, incise scrotum

    • if owners want ‘pompom’

Male Reproduction

• Scrotal pouch = stalk mid abdomen

  • pompom

• Bifurcated penis

  • urinate from proximal portion

• Scent glands: head, chest

Cardiac

• primitive

• 2/3 slower metabolism

  • than eutherian mammals

• Heavy heart

  • 30%

Pathological Disease

• Hypocalcemia and Metabolic bone dx

  • Imbalance of Ca, Phos, Vit D

  • Weakness, seizures, dehydration

• Cataracts

  • high fat/CHO diet/poss. Vit A def

• Hind limb paralysis

  • Low glucose/Ca, Toxo, Cardiac dx

  • NSHP: hind limb paralysis syndrome

    • endocrine

    • “Disappearing toes”, rubber jaw

Protozoal and bacterial disease

• Diarrhea

  • protozoa

    • flagellates: trich, Spironucleus, Hexamita, Monocercomanas

  • Tx: warm fluids, antibiotics/parasitics, metro, pectin/kaolin, transfaunation

• Lumpy Jaw

  • Actinomyces

• Pasteurella

  • housed with rabbits can be deadly

Dentition

• Specialized lower incisors

• Brachydont, bunodont

  • don’t trim

Behavioural disease

• self mutilation

  • stress, isolation, enviro

  • Tx. socialize, SSRI, bach flowers, envio