Reading Materials for Teens I

THE SWEETEST PET


If you’re a pet owner, I bet you’d say you have the nicest animal in the world. But some animal lovers might disagree with you. These people own sugar gliders; and for them, no animal is sweeter.
The sugar glider is a marsupial. The females have pouches on the outside of their bodies. These pouches are homes to their newborns, called joeys. The joeys live inside for weeks or months until they mature. When they are fully developed, they crawl out of the pouch. There are about 200 species of marsupials.
The sugar glider belongs to the same marsupial group as kangaroos and possums.
Sugar gliders look like small, gray squirrels with dark streaks on their faces. A dark stripe runs from their nose to the tip of their tail. Adult gliders weigh between 4-6 ounces. They measure about 12 inches from their nose to their tail.
These marsupials are nocturnal, meaning they are active at night. They have large, round eyes which help them see in the dark. Sugar gliders live in eastern Australia, New Guinea, and Tasmania. In the wild, sugar gliders can live up to 9 years. When raised in captivity, they can reach 12-14 years of age.
As you might guess, sugar gliders got the first part of their name because they have a sweet tooth. Their diet consists of nectar and sap, as well as leaves, petals, and insects. One of their favorite foods is the sap that flows from the manna gum. The manna gum is a tree native to the eastern states of Australia.
The other part of the name—glider—describes their ability to soar through the air. Sugar gliders possess a loose skin membrane that’s attached to the sides of their bodies between the wrists and the ankles. When sugar gliders take off from a tree branch, they spread their limbs. This tightens the membrane, which allows them to glide up to 150 feet!
Sugar gliders are highly social creatures. They live in communities of nests with up to seven adults and their young. Communities of sugar gliders rarely fight. That’s because the males mark family members with a scent to identify each other. In fact, sugar gliders raised as pets will also mark their owner, so that the owner becomes “theirs.”
Though sugar gliders can be owned as pets, there are some things you need to know. Sugar gliders are classified as exotic pets. Before buying one, check your state and city regulations. Also, the cost of these pets runs from $99.00 - $200.00, not including the setup. A cage, exercise wheel, climbing ladders, and a nesting box for sleeping can add up to hundreds of dollars. Moreover, sugar gliders need to have a special diet that may not be found at some pet stores. Failure to provide the proper diet or housing may result in medical problems for a glider.
Veterinarians encourage neutering males to prevent aggressive behavior. Retailers suggest buying sugar gliders in pairs because they like company. If an owner is unable to purchase two, he must be willing to spend time with it. The International Sugar Glider Association recommends that adults always supervise while children are playing with these fragile creatures.
Despite the challenges of ownership, sugar gliders make wonderful pets. They bond easily with people and love to be cuddled. People can carry them in a pouch or a shirt pocket.
With proper care, these marsupials can have a good long life. Owners acknowledge that sugar gliders have a sweet tooth, but that’s not the only reason they make the sweetest pet in the world.