Here are some simple facts:
- Gliders can live 12-15 years in captivity
- They live about 7-10 in the wild
- They are nocturnal
- sleep during the day
- awake at night
- They are marsupials, not rodents!
- females have pouches
- They are colony animals
- They can actually go into a depression and die if left alone
- They CANNOT be potty trained
- they both pee and poop approximately for the first 10 minutes after waking up
- They have a sweet tooth! Just watch it because they are prone to obesity.
- They do eat meat!
- I've read stories of gliders catching and eating live mice! I've never witnessed anything like that before though.
- They have scent glands on top of their heads and on their chests
- unneutered males are more prominent
- Intact males are stinkier due to the hormones and their scent glands
- You cannot get a female spayed--it's too invasive of a surgery and not worth the risk
- LPC offers laser neuters
- quick heal time
- cauterizes as it cuts
- less painful
- call for a price quote!
are suger gliders a good pet for a 11 year old
ReplyDeleteHello!
DeleteThank you for reaching out to us. Every person is different, so to give a simple yes or no isn't always the best way to go. You know your child the best, so can make the best judgement call. Things to keep in mind about gliders are:
1. They are nocturnal--this means they need someone to interact with them nightly when they are awake. They are also very vocal at night between crabbing, barking, and jumping around. With school, this is something to keep in mind.
2. Gliders require a delicate, balanced diet. It takes a lot of time to prep the food, let alone the science and math just figuring out what to buy for fruits and veggies. They do need a 2:1 calcium to phosphate ratio in their food.
3. Gliders live for about 12-15 years. What happens with the glider when the 11 year old gets a job? Moves out? Goes to collage where they aren't allowed in the dorms? Will you take over as primary care giver?
4. Gliders, although adorable and soft, are not cuddlers. They like to run, jump, and play when awake, and rarely sit still.
5. Like all animals besides humans, they don't speak English. If you are doing something they don't like, they will bite. In the wild, gliders bite the bark of the acacia tree with their long, thin, bottom incisors. I can say from experience that their bites hurt. Is your child calm and understanding during situations like this?
6. Gliders cannot be potty trained. They will pee/poop whenever and where ever. Is that something your child (or you) is okay with?
7. Finally, they require a lot of room. Although they are small, their cages are not. Do you/your child have the space for them?
So, after all of that, you can make the judgement call based on what you know about your child. I hope this helped a little bit. If you have any questions, please feel free to email me at niky@lexingtonpetclinic.com or set up an appointment where we can talk in person. Our phone number is 651-452-5450.
-Niky