Well Lola and Manny's joey is doing great :) This may sound a little bit much but I finally bought a live madagascar dragon tree to put in their newly built cage. I thought it would be better than buying more toys since it is pretty close to their natual environmentIt will be a bit of a pain when cleaning especially since it is 6 feet tall but I think the babies will enjoy it! I will post pics soon.

6' man it sounds like will have a blast with it.

I'm jealous, great idea

i would be concerned about having potting soil in the cage.

Thats just me

Ashaer,
Thanks for the concern, but I do not really see the harm in what potting soil can do to a glider? They do not even mess with it. Just thought it was neat to bring nature to them

Sugar gliders are bark strippers, so it will be interesting to hear how that goes over time. I tried bamboo once and the next day it was naked, no leaves. It sure would be exciting to have a very large outdoor enclosure where you could use pots and have many things for them to explore. I wonder if sugars would dig down into dirt? Australians???

I have a feeling the tree doesn't stand a chance, lol

Lol Kazko!
I know they definatly like nipping at the leaves! I am hoping that it will withstand their destruction! Doesn't hurt to try though i watched them last night and they had no real desire to dig in the dirt. I thought maybe since it was so big and sturdy it might be able to last, but only time will tell!

Are you sure before you got the tree it wasn't sprayed with chemicals? I know the garden stores here usually use something.

Again just concerned.

Just wondering (i'm in the middle of building my suggies a bigger cage), how much was was your tree and was it hard to find?

Ashaer,
I know they use minimal chemicals with the fertilizers but I do not think it is a high enough degree to cause damage to the suggies. That is something I will keep in mind though and keep an eye on :)I thought they only used chemicals in the fertilizer mostly...I definatly will not be using them so they should be fine. I did spray it down with water today so I would imagine if there were any residue that would help. Thanks again for the input, I appreciate it.

Nataku,
I bought the tree for $30 which is not too bad and I found it at home depot :) It is called a madagascar dragon tree.

http://www.purina.com/cats/safety/PoisonousPlants.aspx

You have to be very careful when putting live plants that are not native to there environment in with gliders. This plant is listed as could be toxic to cats. Personally I wouldn't put it in as as kazko says they strip the bark and very well could ingest residue from the plant being sap suckers in the wild. I have the floor of my cage is dirt and grass and they don't go down to the dirt much. In the wild they rarely make it to the forest floor as this there would be an increased chance of being eaten or attacked by a preditor.

I only place native plants like eucalypt and acacia in the aviary with my guys. Other wise check out plants safe for birds, this would be a uch better place to start. Also many plants that you buy from a nursery are sprayed. Never place a plant in with your gliders until it has been washed down thoroughly and placed out in the sun for a while, this helps to break down any chemicals on the plant. Some plants have also got lots of fertlizers in them. Although my gliders don't play in the dirt they may be attracted to the smell of some fertilizers and these very well could be toxic as Rheasha said.

looks like your tree is on the list posted by Jett, i would remove it immediately just to be on the safe side because if it is bad for cats then it probably isn't good for gliders either

I really appreciate everyone being up front and sharing information. I should have researched this before, in my excitement I impulse bought. I did research numerous sights and do agree that it comes up as toxic for dogs and cats. Yet I have not found a website that indicates it is toxic to sugar gliders specifically . I even found a website that listed them as safe specifically for suggies from coast gliders www.firstcoastsuggies.com/FAQ.php#question34. In this situation, I know what to look for as far as signs. I also found out that the bark is not toxic at all. It is just the leaves to dogs and cats. From what I have read there is not reason for major alarm since this is not listed as toxic to suggies, but I will be extremly cautionary and watchful to make sure. Thanks again everyone!

Jett, I also appreciate the specifics you gave me since I know very little about plants :)

So wait ... are you saying that you're going to keep it in the cage even though you know that it is potentially toxic? I wouldn't have that much faith in one site that says that it's safe. If it can be toxic to cats and dogs, it can be toxic to gliders for the same reason. We know that they like to tear leaves off of plants, and you can't watch them all night long. This could be a disaster ...

quote:

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Originally posted by sunnypanda


I know they definatly like nipping at the leaves!

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I have never even heard of that site before. Honestly, I wouldn't trust some of the stuff I find online and don't. One time I saw a website that said it was ok to neuter your own glider, and gave the instructions on how to do it! I would rather err on the side of caution if there is any safety issue and remove the tree. It not worth possibly losing your gliders over.

You are right Angie :) That is why I double referenced it with my glider book and it references it as a safe house plant for suggies. I forgot to mention that in my last post.

I see what you are saying Dizzy, but at the same time I do not go by what is toxic to cats or dogs(they are 2 completley different species)and I forgot to mention in my last post that my glider book from Barrons mentioned it was a safe plant for sugar gliders. I have to disagree with you that just because it is toxic to dogs and cats means it is toxic to sugar gliders. The leaves are toxic to dogs and cats not sugar gliders. I have looked at numerous sources and did find sites mentioning that they were toxic to animals such as cats and dogs, not sugar gliders specifically. If anyone can show me a site that says it is toxic to suggies then please let me know. Other wise there is no cause for concern. :)

I'm really not trying to get your dander up here; but what I said was that if it can be toxic to cats and dogs, that it can be toxic to gliders. I'm aware that they are entirely different species, but they are all mammals. Has there really been that much research with what plants are definitely safe? How many gliders have died ingesting a houseplant, and that death was not recorded as being caused by a particular plant? I was just stating that I don't think it's worth the risk. Of course, that's your choice.

Also know that most of the glider books out there are old and outdated.

This is a little odd:

I went to the Gliderpedia which directs me to a list of Plants and Trees:

http://www.sugarglider.com/gliderpedia/index.asp?PlantsAndTrees

That list color codes individual plants according to toxicity to sugar gliders. And it has two completely contradictory codes - both green and pink!! They are defined as follows:

Green = Non-Toxic SAFE:
These plants are not poisonous and there is no known record of toxicity. Exposure to these plants is not expected to cause any symptoms or adverse reactions.

Pink = Animal toxicity:
These plants are known to cause problems in animals and should be avoided completely.

What the heck?!

Dizzy, Yeah I saw that site to and thought it was kind of wierd that it was coded as both non toxic and toxic? I am thinking it means that there have been known cases of animals that have had reactions but not suggies... wierd. I am just going by my glider book since that sounds like a better source. No I wasn't offended or anything. You are just stating that it is good to be on the cautious sideJust wanted you to know where I was coming from. It is really a judgement call and preference since some sites list it as toxic to animals in general and others state that it is safe for gliders(including the book).Let me know if you find anything else :) For now I will keep a very close eye on the suggies. Wierd thing is it is a native plant to lemurs in Africa.

Hey, I looked on that website and I didnt see anything about an ornage tree, I have one in the house but I'm not sure if its toxic? Any help?

Lol, wow big tree :P

Just a thought what about a plastic tree. Once dirty take it out and wash it. I think the real tree would soak up the urine from them and would start to smell If u know what I mean.
Just a thought