some people say "no wodent wheel" because of the spoke in the centre. other say "yes wodent wheel" because it is enclosed and therefore their toes don't get stuck in wire surfaces while running.

what do you all think?

Wodent wheels can be hazardous in many ways:

If the spoke clean the glider can get its tail stuck on it and deglove its tail while running. One glider got stuck on its back and ended up breaking its back, killing itself.

The running track holds urine and feces.

*There is a new Wodent type wheel out now, it has no spoke and bigger holes.*

The bucket lid wheels are safer, the urine and feces fall through the running track, the running track is wider allowing more gliders to play on it at once.

Fast Track makes a fleece/material cover with holes like the Wodent wheel for their wheel, you just slip it on.

I've always used a mesh wheel designed for sugar gliders and have had absolutely no issues. My gliders (both my past girls and my current four) leap around the wheel, so they wouldn't even be able to move properly with the bar in the middle. Why risk their safety and provide a less-fun wheel when there are so many quality glider-safe wheels available now? I don't use wire or metal wheels either, the wheels I use have plastic mesh and no areas where tiny toes can get stuck.

I also have the "Silent Runner" which is basically a Wodent Wheel with no bar, but I use it for my short tailed opossums. It would be too cramped for my gliders to jump around in and they wouldn't get good footing, plus their poop and pee would build up. I have to wash & scrub the silent runners daily in my STO cages and that's a single animal's waste, I can't imagine how gross it would get with multiple gliders using it every night!

Stealth Wheel 50 bucks on Amazon...my personal favorite.
Never had an issue--can also be used for toenail care...and I just hose it off when it gets poopy.
And my guys do put some miles on their wheel...

You are really not supposed to get the bearing assembly wet, it will cause the bearing to rust and it will reduce the life of your wheel.

I just clean it in the kitchen sink with a scrubby sponge.

Comerade,

Wouldn't it be cool to put an odometer on it? !?

Years ago, Donna Fritz, who wrote the book Gray Angels about her glider Lord Darcy, had a odometer put in one of her wheels.

I would have to read the book again to find out how far the one glider went that one evening.

She wrote to books about her life with gliders. It was written from her perspective and from what she thought was the gliders perspective. I have them both and have read them multiple times.

Lord Darcy is also where Darcy's diet came from as Lord Darcy had cancer.

It WOULD be cool to put an odometer on it, LadyMac!

I can get one on Amazon for 15 bucks. I think I will try that. :-)

Interesting book feather. I found it on Google play. Would love a book version. Still looking for it. Hubby loves to read about other's interpretation of these little beasts.

Update: found it on amazon. ordered it...

Dawn there are two books, part one and part two. I like to read them over again.