Taronga Zoo Glider Diet

Submitted by Stephen Jackson, a doctoral student doing research on the endangered Mahogany Glider (which lives in the same areas of Australia as the Sugar Glider)

Below is a diet of the Squirrel Glider used by Taronga Zoo in Sydney, Australia (where I worked for 4 years). The diet for the Sugar glider is the same except having smaller quantities. Half of each will probably do ok.

Apple: 3g
Banana/Corn: 3g
Dog Kibble: 1.5g
Fly pupae: 1 teaspoon
Grapes/Kiwi fruit: 3g
Hard Boiled Egg: 10g
Leadbeaters Mix: 2 teaspoons (details of mix below)
Orange (incl. skin): 4g
Pear: 2g
Rockmelon/Paw Paw (Known as "Papaya" in the US): 2g
Sweet potato: 3g
Day Old chick: Wednesdays
Larger insects when available eg. mealworms.

Leadbeaters Mix

Warm Water: 450ml
Honey: 450ml
Shelled boiled eggs: 3
High-Protein baby cereal: 75g
Sustagen (Vitamin supplement): 3 teaspoons

Method
Add warm water to container, slowly add the honey and mix in. Blend eggs (no shells) until mushy. Add 1/2 honey/water mix to the blended eggs, blend. Add the remainder of honey/water mix, blend. Add sustagen and half the baby cereal, blend. Add the remaining baby cereal Blend for 1.5 minutes to make mixture lump free.

Back to the main / diet page...