Over the weekend we lost one our of young females, she was in a colony of 3, her, her sister and a male. She was the smallest of the three and hadn't produced any young (the other had had 1 litter). We came home Sunday night and she was up and feeding as normal - everything seemed fine. Monday morning we discovered her dead on the floor of the cage with her eyes gone!!!! - We haven't got a clue what happened as these aren't in the house!! Does anyone have any suggestions or whether eating eyes is normal???? Obviously it's left me really upset - poor baby <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" /> I just can't begin to imagine what happened.

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- We haven't got a clue what happened as these aren't in the house!!

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I don’t understand this sentence, do you keep them outside? I feel terrible for your loss… I would recommend having a vet do a necropsy / autopsy

Yes they will sometime eat the eyes or try to distroy the body once they have realized the glider is dead. I think it is thier nature to get rid of dead so other prays don't come around. It is very sad.

I am so sorry. Did you have an necropsy done on the glider?
Make sure you watch the others close.

I see, I didn't realise they did that. We haven't had chance to have a necropsy just yet, it's been a bank holiday over here and very hectic.

Xglider - they're kept in a heated and very modified outbuilding. Most are in the house but room is limited!!

sorry about your loss......Keep us updated on the necropsy.

eyes are the first thing to go. It's emotional as well as instinct. For one, they are soft, wet, and squishy..they rot first, attracting insects and predators. Also, with many higher inteligence animals, some scientists believe that the companions of the dead animal cannot cope with the death and remove the eyes to make it seem less like the companion they remember. Kind of like some killers covering their victims with sheets or shirts or completely distroying facial features because they can't stand looking at the person. They have to dehumanize it. Just a theory so far, though.