I was just wondering, can gliders contract rabies? As far as I know they can't, but I just wanted to make sure because we got a Rabies Alert in town and need to get our cats and dogs in for shots asap.

The lower body temperature keeps the glider safe from many illnesses that would other wise affect placental mammals. If a sugar glider came into contact with rabies the glider could not get or spread the disease. Sugar gliders are marsupials, as such their body temperature is lower than that of placental mammals.. Of coarse this does not mean that sugar gliders unable to get sick. There are still many diseases sugar gliders are susceptible to.

how do you know this? about the rabies i mean

Thank you for the reply. This I know, but I want to make sure about Rabies specifically, as it is in the area right now. Do you know for a fact suggies can't get rabies?

I also want to know how you know about the rabies, can you give us a link as to where you found this information?

Wow, what a cultural difference from there to here in the states....having a Rabies alert issued. A animal normally would have to come in contact with another infected animal to contract Rabies, but I am unsure if gliders have ever been known to get it. There is a lady on here from Australia that works with rehab/wild gliders...maybe she would know more. Let me see if I can find her screen name. I am also interested to hear more about this. Some put their gliders outside during the warm months.

I have no clue about gliders getting rabies but the best protection you can give them is vaccinating your other pets and continuing to protect the gliders from contact with any other animals that might potentially infect them (or your other pets / family members)

How are your gliders going to get rabies anyway? It takes direct contact with blood or saliva into an open wound or similar to get rabies. It dies quickly when exposed to air and as soon as it dries. You pretty much have to be bitten by an animal with rabies to get rabies. Unless your gliders are running around outside or you let your cat or dog run around outside, don't see that they get bitten by a rabid animal, and then let them bite your gliders I don't see a way for gliders to get rabies even if they were susceptible to it.

The US does occasionally have rabies alerts. A few years back a cat was found in our area with rabies. It's just really uncommon since all towns have laws for rabies shots and you can't take your dog anywhere without proof of rabies. The law out here in the country is also worded to actually encourage the shooting of dogs and other animals on your property that aren't wearing rabies tags.

OK regarding the body temp post, it is possible that they might not contract it due to the body temp and the rabies incubation, however it is not 100%. Animals that have similar biological makeup are less likely to carry rabies, however they have been found to still carry rabies, just in less cases.

Keep your gliders inside in the house away from other animals ane you should be fine. This is about the best you can do as there is no rabies vaccine for sugar gliders. Also, did you know that AU is virtually rabies free? I don't know what they are doing there but it is great!

My last comment on rabies, look at the size of your glider, now take another animal that might be carrying rabies such as a dog, a cat, squirrel, rat, racoon, ect. Your sugar glider is much smaller than most animals carrying rabies. Due to the factor of size, sorry to say but a glider would more likely die than contract the rabies due to the fight and srtuggle.

Oh, now who are the people that deal with diseases in the us, like rabies and what not? I spoke with them about sugar gliders and the topic of rabies and above is what we conluded with them. There had also been no reported cases of gliders in the US with rabies.

So again keep em inside and safe.

Thank you for all the replies! I feel much more at ease now. My two dogs had their shots, and they don't have physical contact with the suggies. So all should be fine.

Great question. Thanks for asking...