The Sugar Glider (Petauro breviceps) is a marsupial native to the Australian continent. They live in trees and are nocturnal by nature. Their diet is omnivorous, but with a particularity: they also feed on flower nectar and tree sap.
Sugar Glider Diet
The diet for sugar gliders is quite diverse, making their care in captivity somewhat challenging, and it’s only recommended for those with some experience. Here are different types of diets that can be offered to these small marsupials.
Sugar Gliders
At the Taronga Zoo in Australia, a recipe for a paste known as the “Leadbeater Mix” has been used as a base for sugar glider diets for a long time.
Leadbeater Mix:
150 ml of hot water
150 ml of honey
1 hard-boiled egg with the shell
25 g of baby cereal
1 tablespoon of vitamin-mineral supplement (like Nekton for sugar gliders)
Preparation Method: Mix the honey with hot water until the honey is completely dissolved. In a separate container, crush the hard-boiled egg into a paste, then combine it with the honey-water mixture and add the remaining ingredients. This mixture can be frozen in single-serving portions using ice cube trays for better preservation. Besides this mix, you should offer fruits, vegetables, and sources of animal protein. Here are some examples of the variety of foods that should be offered daily.
Sugar Glider Diet 1:
50% Leadbeater Mix
50% carnivorous or insectivorous animal feed
Sugar Glider Diet 2:
For 2 sugar gliders
1 cube of Leadbeater Mix
1 tablespoon of fly larvae (or other types of worms)
3 g of apple
4 g of orange with peel
2 g of pear
3 g of grapes, kiwi, blueberries, or blackberries
2 g of melon or papaya
3 g of banana or corn
3 g of sweet potato, yam, or eggplant (peeled and boiled)
Offer large insects like crickets, locusts, and worms
Sugar Glider Diet 3:
For 1 sugar glider
1/2 hard-boiled egg yolk
A dozen worms
1 tablespoon of chopped or unchopped lettuce
A piece (about the size of a tablespoon) of chopped apple, carrot, sweet potato, and banana
1 tablespoon of high-quality cat food (with a high protein percentage)
These are just examples, and you can vary the ingredients while ensuring they include fruits, vegetables, and animal protein.
If you have more questions about the care and captivity of these small marsupials, don’t hesitate to contact us.