Sugar Glider and Hedgehog Husbandry & Diseases

Question 1

Which class and order are sugar gliders a part of?

Answer 1

class = mammalia
order = diprotodontia

Question 2

which of the folllowing is FALSE of sugar gliders?
A. social
B. diurnal
C. arboreal
D. marsupial

Answer 2

B. diurnal

these animals are noctural

Question 3

What are the numerous scent glands of sugar gliders used for?

Answer 3

marking territory and individuals

Question 4

What is a patagium?

Answer 4

a gliding membrane that sugar gliders use when they leap from surface to surface.

Question 5

Which bone do sugar gliders lack?

Answer 5

ossa marsupialia (eupubic bone)

Question 6

T/F: sugar gliders and ferrets do not have cecums

Answer 6

false – sugar gliders have a large cecum; ferrets have no cecum

Question 7

Which of the following is FALSE about sugar glider behavior?
A. they should be kept as solitary/individual animals to avoid territorial behavior
B. extremely difficult to rouse during the day
C. consistently mark with scent and urine
D. communicate by making yaps, chatterings, and screams
E. will chew any wooden material available

Answer 7

A. they should be kept as solitary/individual animals to avoid territorial behavior

they are very social and should NEVER be kept as solitary animals

Question 8

what is the diet of sugar gliders?

Answer 8

nectar- insectivorous diet + fruit
* they want their food on an elevated surface*

do NOT feed: nuts, grains, and seeds.

Question 9

T/F: sugar gliders require elevated structures within their housing

Answer 9

true

aviary type caging is good for this.

Question 10

T/F: sugar gliders are very sensitive to heat and prefer cooler environments (55-65 degrees)

Answer 10

false – they prefer temps 75+ and require supplemental heat to maintain that.

Question 11

what is the lifespan of sugar gliders?

Answer 11

4-7 years

Question 12

What is different about the male and female anatomy of sugar gliders that should be considered if you are planning to spay/castrate?

Answer 12

Males have bifurcated penis and their testicles are attached by a short stalk to the abdominal wall

Females have 2 vaginae and 2 uteri; they also have a ventral abdominal pouch with 2 teats.

Question 13

how long is the gestation time versus pouch time for sugar gliders?

Answer 13

gestation = 15-17 days
pouch = 60-70 days

weaning in these guys is 110-120 days (long)

Question 14

What is the most common nutritional deficiency in sugar gliders that causes lethargy, weakness, limping, swollen extremities, fractures, lack of coordination, and muscle tremors?

Answer 14

Calcium deficiency

from low Ca diet, inadeq vitamin D
both of which can lead to secondary metabolic bone disease

Question 15

how do you diagnose and treat calcium deficiency in sugar gliders?

Answer 15

diagnose by looking at blood calcium levels
treat by calcium supplementation, give parenteral vitamin D, or calcitonin

Question 16

what causes cataracts and blindness in infants/joeys?

Answer 16

poor nutriton of nursing female or bacterial infection

Question 17

what are 3 possible causes of stress in sugar gliders?

Answer 17

1. excessive handling
2. arousal from sleep/rest
3. temperature fluctuations

Question 18

T/F: sugar glider pouches are sterile areas for joeys to develop after initial gestational phases

Answer 18

false – they are NOT sterile and joeys can get bacterial or yeast infections while in the pouch.

Question 19

T/F: you do not need to do a fecal at every wellness exam on every sugar glider because they are sold from captive populations and rarely carry internal parasites

Answer 19

false – you should!

Question 20

what are potential causes of constipation in sugar gliders?

Answer 20

1. not enough fluid in diet
2. not enough fiber in diet
3. poor overall diet
4. lack of exercise
5. GI problems

Question 21

What is a potential cause of aflatoxicosis in sugar gliders?

Answer 21

crickets added to diet (the crickets were likely fed aflatoxin-contaminated corn)

signs will be loss of appetite, anemia, jaundice, and death due to liver failure.

Question 22

what class and order are hedgehogs a part of?

Answer 22

class = mammalia
order: insectivora

Question 23

why are african pigmy hedgehogs no longer being brought into the United States?

Answer 23

they were asymptomatic carriers of foot mouth disease

Question 24

T/F: hedgehogs are not good pets for small children because their spines contain barbs

Answer 24

false – they are NOT barbed!

Question 25

During your exam on a hedgehog, it gets frightened and rolls into a ball. What is the BEST way to get it to unroll?

Answer 25

very difficult to do. leave it alone and it will unroll on its own. once unrolled, scruff neck, have client hold the animal, or take hind leg approach.

Question 26

Which of the following is FALSE of hedgehogs?
A. quiet and docile animals
B. nocturnal
C. rooting behavior is used to feed
D. have strict carnivorous diet
E. exhibit self-anointing (salivate excessively in response to new food/odor/salt, then spread onto quills)

Answer 26

D. have strict carnivorous diet

they have an omnivorous/insectivorous diet

Question 27

Why should you avoid ramps in hedgehog housing?

Answer 27

they have poor eyesight

Question 28

what is the lifespan of a hedgehog?

Answer 28

4-7 years

Question 29

how do you sex hedgehogs?

Answer 29

male - presence of abdominal penile button (looks like they have a belly button)

females - directly adjacent to anus, not near abdomen

Question 30

how long is gestation in hedgehogs?

Answer 30

35 days

and they wean in 6 weeks

Question 31

______________ is progressive loss of muscle control as a result of demyelinating paralysis. The etiology of this condition is unknown, but death will occur within 18-25 months. Euthanasia is likely the outcome.

Answer 31

Wobbly hedgehog syndrome

Question 32

what causes facial and eye injuries in hedgehogs?

Answer 32

rooting behavior

Question 33

what zoonotic disease can hedgehogs pass to humans?

Answer 33

salmonellosis