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.