Posted: May 2, 2008, 6 a.m. EDT
Q: What are the signs that a sugar glider is pregnant?
A: That is very difficult to answer. And there are really two parts to your question. Sugar gliders are pregnant for a very short time compared to other mammals. The “joey” is born at a very young stage of development and continues development in the mother’s pouch. Some people will say a joey in the pouch is the same as a sugar glider being pregnant. Technically, that is not true. So, the only way to know is to wait to see if there is a “bulge” or two bulges in the pouch. It is not recommended that you disturb the mom to look to see if there is a joey in the pouch.
If you believe your sugar glider is pregnant, make sure you adjust the diet for the greatly increased calcium needs of your sugar glider. Many female sugar gliders become very sick during and after pregnancy because calcium is not properly supplemented.