What Do Sugar Gliders Eat? (Complete Food List)

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Planning out a meal for your pet sugar gliders?  

You can tell that a sugar glider diet would involve sweet foods from the animal’s name. 

Despite their love for sugary foods, did you know that they are omnivorous?

In this article, I’ll show you what sugar gliders eat and how you should feed them.

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What Foods Do Sugar Gliders Eat?

There is a variety of foods available. This typically depends on the habitat they’re in. Let’s explore the different habitats and the different diets.

To give you an idea, here’s a YouTube Video from Sugar Glider Diaries about what her pet sugar gliders eat.

What Do Sugar Gliders Eat As Pets?

“Sugar gliders eat exudates (fluid) from plants and insects. (1)”, says  International Sustainable Program Researcher Dr. Ellen Dierenfeld

Captive sugar gliders’ diet must have nutritional requirements they get from the wild. 

Some pet owners give their pets a BML sugar glider diet to achieve this.

Let’s talk about their natural diet — which fruits and greens can you feed your glider?

What Fruits Can Sugar Gliders Eat?

Sweet fruits have freshwater to hydrate your nocturnal pet animals. Not only that, but they also have Vitamins and minerals to keep your fur babies strong.

Here is an array of fruits or fruit juice you can give your sugar glider in moderation.

Banana

A fresh ripe banana treat is the best. You can also choose banana slices or banana chips.

You can feed them banana seeds, but refrain from giving them the banana peel.

A banana jam is also a no, as it could have too much sugar or sugar substitutes that can harm your baby.

Strawberry

One strawberry makes an excellent treat. Like bananas, strawberry chips are good.  There should be no artificial nectar products or flavors added.

Remove the calyx. It could kill those nocturnal creatures if they feed on pesticides.

Apple

The fruit itself is safe, same with the apple juice. remove the apple seeds as these are toxic to gliders. 

Oranges

Of the variety of orange fruits, organic oranges are the best. Sugar gliders can eat orange peel in moderation.

When feeding, always remember to remove the harmful orange seeds. 

Papaya

You can give your sugar glider a mouthful piece of papaya per meal. Papaya seeds are not harmful to eat, but still, not that recommended.

To make sure you’re feeding , better remove the seeds. They are not delicious, anyway.

Remove the papaya peels as well.

Sugar glider favorite treats also include other fruits such as mango, blueberries, and strawberries.

What Vegetables Can Sugar Gliders Eat?

You can give your pet gliders some greens with low calcium levels. 

Take a look at this sugar glider food list:

Sweet Potatoes

Take note that I mentioned sweet potatoes and not the white ones. White potatoes are not a healthy food for sugar gliders.

A small cube of these sweet treats can fill your furry companion’s tummies.

Corn

Owners of sugar gliders should serve them fresh or frozen ones. Keep canned corns away from your captive sugar gliders.

It will ruin their calcium to phosphorus ratio and cause disorders in sugar gliders.

Tomatoes

All types are tomatoes make an occasional excellent treat for your sugar glider. The good thing is that all kinds of tomatoes are safe for them. 

Fresh organic tomatoes are the best choice. With organic ones, there’s no need to remove the tomato peels. 

Carrots

The best choice of carrot treats is the fresh and frozen ones. Avoid canned food. 

Remove the peels, or better yet, give your sugar glider an organic vegetable.

Squash

For non-organic squash, remove the peels. You should also take the stems and seeds off before feeding.

You can cook the vegetable or keep them raw. When you prefer to cook, do not add any seasoning.

boil or put your veggies to warm up in a microwave.

You can feed your sugar glider some cucumber, low-calcium lettuce.

Examples include Boston lettuce, broccoli, and some sprouts for other vegetable options.

What Do Sugar Gliders Eat in The Wild?

A wild gliders’ natural diet depends on the everyday foods around them. These social animals need protein sources such as insects.

They also eat fruits and greens for the vitamins and minerals.

Here are some of the natural treats they love to munch on.

Animal Protein Sources

• Cicadas are insects high in protein, low in fat, and feature a lot of muscles.
• Earthworms are rich in amino acids lysine and methionine. 
• Moths have high antioxidant contents for a more robust immune system. Also, it has high levels of fiber for good digestion and potassium for blood pressure.
• Crickets are an excellent calcium supplement. This promotes bone strength. Did you know that crickets have 180% more iron than beef meat?
• Mealworms have high-quality proteins, vitamins, and amino acids.
• Bird eggs are high in protein but low in carbohydrates and sugar.
• Beetles have antioxidants, high iron contents, fiber, omega-6 fatty acids, zinc, and calcium.
• Spiders are rich in folic acid for healthy cell formation and zinc.

The Fresh Fruits and Greens

• Kiwi has Vitamin C, good protection against diseases, and boosts immunity.
• Acacia trees’ gum is a good source of fiber for good digestive health.
• Honeydew is rich in nutrients to help strengthen the bones and muscles.
• Eucalyptus tree sap is an immune system booster and a good antiseptic.
• Pollen is rich in vitamins, antioxidants, and minerals.
• Nectar contains amino acids, proteins, and ions.

5 Best Sugar Glider Dry Foods

You can feed your pet sugar glider with dry foods, too! With plenty of products in the market, which is the best sugar glider pellet food?

Here’s a list of the 5 best sugar glider dry foods for sale in pet stores and online.

• Sunseed Vita Prima Sugar Glider Food

• Vitakraft Vitasmart Sugar Glider Food

• Exotic Nutrition Glider Complete Sugar Glider Food

• Happy Glider Fruity Flavor Sugar Glider Food

• Suncoast Sugar Gliders Wholesome Balance

When and How to Feed Your Sugar Glider

Sugar gliders need roughly 15-20 percent of their body weight in food every day. (backup) This isn’t much considering they only weigh 3-5 ounces. 

The Food Quantity

Depending on their size and weight, a sugar glider needs around 0.45 ounces to 1 ounce of food for a complete meal.

This equates to 1/4 to 1/2 ice cubes of your sugar glider food recipes. Add a teaspoon of nutritional pellets.

Also, feed your gliders 2-3 tablespoons of fresh fruits, vegetables, and nuts.

You can give your sugar glider protein-rich mealworms or the like as a treat.

ALSO READ: What is the TPG Diet for Sugar Gliders?

The Feeding Schedule

The ideal feeding schedule is twice to thrice a day.

Let me give you an example feeding schedule for your reference.

ALSO CHECK: Why Is My Sugar Glider is Getting Fat

For Feeding Twice a day

 For Feeding Thrice a Day

Is Your Sugar Glider Refusing to Eat? What to Do About It?

The key is not to panic. When you’re introducing new food to your sugar glider, it’s normal for your pets not to eat a unique treat.

Introduce the meal to your furry friend with small servings. Let them adjust to the new flavor of food until they get used to it. 

Like people, they have their taste in food too. Exploring their favorites will be one of your duties as a fur parent. 

Yet, if that’s not the case, take them immediately to the veterinarian. 

If your baby is eating less than his usual serving or not eating, it could be sick. It needs immediate attention.

What Do Sugar Gliders Drink As Pets?

You can never go wrong with fresh, filtered water. It is always the best option. 

You can give your pet glider fresh fruit juice for an occasional treat. Do not add artificial flavors to your juice.

What To Avoid Feeding Sugar Gliders?

You should avoid feeding sugar gliders with dairy food. These include milk, yogurt, cheese, and chocolate.

Also, do not give them pesticide-treated fruits and veggies. Always look for organic ones.

Several sugar glider recipes are easy to prepare at home. They have the nutrients your sugar gliders need. 

FAQs

How do sugar gliders find food in the wild?

They tear the bark off the trees with their teeth, then eat holes in the wood until they get the delicious sap reward. They also consume fruits and, on occasion, seek out protein sources.

Do sugar gliders eat birds in the wild?

Yes, sugar gliders eat birds in the wild, but it is not a big part of their diet.

“Sugar gliders are preying on swift parrots in Tasmania(1), ” according to conservation researcher Dejan Stojanovic. He discovered sugar gliders eating birds in 2014.

Conclusion

Knowing what sugar gliders eat will save them from health problems caused by a poor diet.

Take care of your social creatures by feeding them a healthy balanced diet.

Always remember, a healthy sugar glider makes a happy glider.

What is your sugar glider’s favorite food? Let us know below!

Resources

• 1. Dierenfeld ES. Feeding Behavior and Nutrition of the Sugar Glider (Petaurus breviceps). Veterinary Clinics of North America: Exotic Animal Practice. 2009;12:209–15.
• 2. Wild A. Tasmania’s not so sweet invader: the sugar glider [Internet]. CSIROscope. 2018 [cited 2022 Apr 26]. Available from: https://blog.csiro.au/sugar-gliders-invasive-tasmania/

Ben Roberts

My name is Ben Roberts, and I absolutely love animals. So, naturally, I love writing about them too! As far as my animals, I have a Pit-bull, a Beagle-lab mix, a Chihuahua, and one old cat. Each one of them provides me with a new adventure every day. And the best part is they’re all best friends. Well, except the cat when he gets a little annoyed.
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