GliderCENTRAL

Raising gliders in Australia

Posted By: Anonymous

Raising gliders in Australia - 07/31/09 03:08 PM

I know a few of you were interested in seeing what we do in Australia in regards to gliders. Here is a photograph illustrating what we provide for gliders being raised for release back into the wild.

http://vexie.killerkitten.org/d/48322-1/800x600-IMG_9022.JPG

Here are also some photos I've taken of my babies
http://vexie.killerkitten.org/d/48217-2/800x600-poi2.JPG
http://vexie.killerkitten.org/d/48321-2/circle+window.JPG
http://vexie.killerkitten.org/d/48213-1/800x600-poi.JPG

Posted By: Anonymous

Re: Raising gliders in Australia - 07/31/09 03:11 PM

ill upload more photos if any of you are interested when they go into a large outside aviary. There they get the exercize needed for release as they need to be very fit to survive in the wild and have adequate gliding skills.
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: Raising gliders in Australia - 07/31/09 03:20 PM

awesome! the first picture of the glider has a really long face like a opposum!
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: Raising gliders in Australia - 07/31/09 03:30 PM

squirrel gliders have a longer face than sugar gliders and grow to be about 220grams smile
Posted By: saturngirl

Re: Raising gliders in Australia - 07/31/09 03:43 PM

Wow this is really interesting! Thank you so much for sharing. wink
Posted By: vet_to_be

Re: Raising gliders in Australia - 07/31/09 03:44 PM

Wow thats a unique cage. What do you feed yours?
Posted By: Incerta

Re: Raising gliders in Australia - 07/31/09 03:45 PM

What sort of plants do you have in the cage? I'm considering growing a few Aussie plants in a greenhouse for future suggies, and any ideas would be much appreciated!
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: Raising gliders in Australia - 07/31/09 04:05 PM

Those are some awsome pics. What cute little guys/girls. I can't wait to see the outside aviary. That'll be so cool.
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: Raising gliders in Australia - 07/31/09 04:20 PM

Thank you so much for sharing. It is very interesting to see them right from Australia. What types of plants do you use? I can't wait to see the outside aviary. Very interesting indeed.
Posted By: anjill_tree

Re: Raising gliders in Australia - 07/31/09 05:20 PM

What do you feed them?
Posted By: BCChins

Re: Raising gliders in Australia - 07/31/09 05:41 PM

Nattie please share any and all the information you would like this is interesting.

I would like to know about your cage (how you made it materials/size/plants).

The diet you feed and why you feed it.

Do you have gliders for pets or are they all released. If you have pets were they wild or captive bred. How do you interact with them? Are they tame.

OK I will stop for now.....

Thank you for sharing with us. We always love pictures also.
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: Raising gliders in Australia - 07/31/09 08:17 PM

Thanks for sharing. Very interesting info and awesome pics!
dance
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: Raising gliders in Australia - 07/31/09 09:01 PM

This is so cool! I can't wait to hear more information from you about your glider set-up and your glider experiences! We love pictures too! smile
Posted By: flutterbye

Re: Raising gliders in Australia - 07/31/09 09:06 PM

more info....we are hungry for info....LOL

How cool of a habitat is that...

more photos...please
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: Raising gliders in Australia - 07/31/09 09:11 PM

The cage was custom made by an aviary maker and was made especially for raising possums and gliders and dealing with injured adults. I can find out the exact materials if you would like. The front door is fantastic because each day all branches and foliage is changed so you are not constantly trying to jam branches through a small door.

There are many types of flowers in there, some are locally native, some not. We try to feed locally native diet so that when released they will know what to eat. This is just some of the things we feed

These are essentially flowering native trees which are nectar or pollen producers

Bottle brush - this would be good to grow in a green house as it flowers as a small shrub
Grevilea - would ideal to grow in a green house as flowers as a small shrub
Any eucalypt flowers - not ideal for green house as they are large trees before they flower
Acacia - not ideal for a green house as they are large before they flower, fed for their pollen and sap
Melaleuca - not ideal for a green house as they are large before they flower
Lily pilly (the fruit is also eaten) - could grow in a green house
Red powder puff shrub - also known as the pom pom (they love these and this could be grown in a green house as they flower as quite small bushes)

We also provide branches from many native trees. These provide a source of sap and also are gleaned by the gliders for any insect larvae etc.

Sap producing eucalypts and acacia such as bloodwood or spotted gum (local to my area) We cut large branches so they can chew them.
Soap bush - this is mainly gleaned for insects and for enrichment
Swamp box - A moth lays its eggs in the leaves of the swamp box, they are like big raised lumps and the gliders will eat these (as will many other possums such as ringtails and brushtails)


We also feed a slurry which has lorikeet mix, insectivore and honey, it is made into a slurry using a milk replacer made on glucose water to sweeten it. The gliders love it.

Insects such as moths etc are also eaten and provided possible. When outside we place a light source beside their cage and the insects are attracted and the gliders can then feed themselves and learn to catch insects.

The diet we feed is trying to stick to what is natural. All animals are released as we do not keep gliders as pets. They tolerate being handled without biting but I do not over handle them because we do not humanise as they need to go back into the wild and be functional.

If any of you would like scientific names for the plants or trees to track them down I'm more than happy to provide.
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: Raising gliders in Australia - 07/31/09 09:23 PM

some more pics

my girls are not normal and were not happy when placed onto a branch
http://vexie.killerkitten.org/d/48328-1/statue.JPG
http://vexie.killerkitten.org/d/48329-1/800x600-IMG_8835.JPG

A 25 gram squirrel glider which came down in a felled tree, its mother and sibling were killed on impact, this little guy died about 3am frown
http://vexie.killerkitten.org/d/48333-1/800x600-IMG_8115.JPG
http://vexie.killerkitten.org/d/48336-1/800x600-IMG_8119.JPG

A feathertail glider I saw while spotlighting
http://vexie.killerkitten.org/d/48339-1/800x600-feathertail1.JPG
http://vexie.killerkitten.org/d/48340-1/800x600-feathertail+3.JPG
Posted By: Incerta

Re: Raising gliders in Australia - 07/31/09 09:40 PM

That feathertail glider is neat; I've never heard of one of those!

Thanks for the info on plants and yes, if you can send scientific names, I'd appreciate it! I already have bottlebrush and an acacia mearnsii bonsai. I'm also trying to train a eucalyptus bonsai, but I'm not sure how well that'll work.
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: Raising gliders in Australia - 07/31/09 10:32 PM

Oh, no wonder. I have seen Peggy's squirel gliders, and they two look different than yours. Definately cuties! That feather tail glider is awesome too!
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: Raising gliders in Australia - 08/01/09 12:37 AM

soooo cool. thanks for sharing all of those awesome pictures.
Posted By: Srlb

Re: Raising gliders in Australia - 08/02/09 01:28 AM

Nattie, hi there and thanks for sharing.

I do have a question. When you gather branches from outside to bring indoors to put in your cage, do you *clean* the branches or *bake* the branches prior to putting them in the cages, or do you put them in just the way you find them so the gliders can find the *treasures* that might be on/in them?
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: Raising gliders in Australia - 08/02/09 02:20 AM

Those are such awsome pictures. That's so great, it would truely be an awsome career to have.
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: Raising gliders in Australia - 08/02/09 10:01 AM

they go straight into the cage as they are found in the wild. That way they can glean the branches for insects etc. The gliders are going back to the wild so we provide what they would find in the wild as best we can.

We have not had any problems with it so far. Though I make a real effort to get trees from non dusty roads and other forest type areas I know have not been sprayed
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: Raising gliders in Australia - 08/02/09 10:02 AM

I wish it was my career!

I do it all volunteer frown but i get alot of joy out of it
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: Raising gliders in Australia - 08/02/09 03:28 PM

Well no matter what, that is an awesome experience Nattie wink
Posted By: hushpuppy

Re: Raising gliders in Australia - 08/02/09 06:10 PM

Thanks for the pics and the info. I am enjoying it so much.
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: Raising gliders in Australia - 08/02/09 07:15 PM

Great info! Thank you for sharing smile
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: Raising gliders in Australia - 08/03/09 04:59 AM

Originally Posted By: Nattie
I wish it was my career!

I do it all volunteer frown but i get alot of joy out of it



I always thought of a career as something you enjoyed and loved. I understand though. I wish I could be doing what you are (I don't think they would survive long in america though). volunteer work just shows how much you care. hug2
Posted By: tlc_in_chitown

Re: Raising gliders in Australia - 08/03/09 02:25 PM

Thanks for sharing such useful information with us (plants, trees, shrubs)!! There is no doubt that we love our gliders, but we could be doing so much more for them. I have been looking for safe plants for my guys and thank you for helping to simplify my search!!
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: Raising gliders in Australia - 08/23/09 06:26 AM

Nattie can any of the trees you mentioned in your post be found in the US.... Im dedicating my room to my gliders and will be putting live plants in the room. And thanks I'll add the formentioned trees and flowers etc to my list of safe flowers and trees.
Posted By: Judie

Re: Raising gliders in Australia - 08/23/09 08:59 AM

The baby squirrel glider... did you try to handfeed it? From the picture it appeared to be fairly healthy... meaning good weight and did not appear to be dehydrated?

What do you use to handfeed a baby sugar glider/baby squirrel glider with?
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: Raising gliders in Australia - 08/24/09 01:25 AM

yes i hand fed it, the picture was taken after she had picked up. She was smaller and underweight and dehydrated when she came in. She is now about 160 grams

We feed our babies divetalact which is a milk replacer, depending on their age we sweeten it and add lorikeet mix, insectivore, honey and glucose to make a slurry as they get older.
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: Raising gliders in Australia - 08/24/09 01:27 AM

I know in california they have lots of eucalypts but im sure you could get some of them as specialist plants over there.

I'd keep to the shrubs though as trees will not do well in pots.
Posted By: Incerta

Re: Raising gliders in Australia - 08/24/09 02:03 AM

Originally Posted By: Nattie

I'd keep to the shrubs though as trees will not do well in pots.


I wonder how the trees would work as bonsai. I know someone who has a giant sequoia bonsai, so if that's possible, I would think anything is!
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