In Reply to: behaviors of expecting glider mommies posted by CandiMI on April 14, 1999 at 09:31:49:

Sounds like you are gonna have some joeys! My female, didn't go far from the cage when she first got preggers. Juliet is a wild caught glider and I have noticed a big diference in her personality too. She is a lot calmer if not a little tamer. When females are breeding or lactating, they require more protien. Try increasing her protien levels to 50%. I suppliment My females food with mealworms. I let them have around 10 large ones each night. I also make them come to me to get them. It has really helped with the bonding process with both females. Juliet is always cooing and sniffing for more. When Juliet first had joeys in the pouch, I never noticed a pea, but I did notice two distinct looking lumps, for only a couple of days. After that, she just began to look matronly", or quite plump. I have been back and forth on her if she is really with joeys or not. Than cleo got pregnant. About a week after the Joeys moved into pouch, she stretched and I could actually see two distinct pea shapes. Within two days, she had the classic two lumps (like pict. in Caroline Macphersons book). And then a couple after that she just started to look plump much like Juliet. I will have a definite, on Juliet within two weeks. I have tried to see her belly, she would let me near it much either. It feels soft and hard at the same time, nor have I noticed any movement, but I am watching for those legs and paws. The increase in protien has really improved all of my gliders overall look. The males won't eat as many worms as the females, but their coats are nice and fluffy and very soft to the touch now. It would not be unusually for her to be with joeys again, as they can have up to 3 pairs sometimes more a year in captivity.

As for being concerned for her now, all you can do is watch her carefully, increase her protien levels and give her lots of attention. When the joeys are born, keep an eye on them for any signs of aggreesive behaviour towards the joeys from the mother. You may have to take them away from her if she abandon's them from a poor diet.

Hope this helps....

JO

: Hi everyone. I think at least one of my female gliders is w/ joey, possibly both might be. They are only fairly tame so its hard for me to get a good luck at the bellies and the one has always been alittle large. Bumble is the one I really expect, When she is sitting on a branch or on the side of the cage I have noticed what appears to be a bulge ( maybe two? ) that is moving around...would this be a sign of a joey inside? She is also overly calm, doesn't play as much, isn't running around like a mad woman like she used to, and is eating yogurt and anything with protein like crazy...outside of that she seems comfortable and healthy...does this sound like shes expecting? She had one female baby w/i the past 6 months that the previous owners kept. My other female Sassy also appears to have something small in her pouch, but she on the other hand is acting just as hyper as always with her running around and jumping, gliding out of the cage to run around me ( She wont really let me hold her but likes to sleep in
a pocket or race around my back...so I cant really check her belly and I'd also be afraid of knocking any joeys loose from a nipple, but wont her activites do this also? Her eating seems about the same, when I got her I was told that she had two joeys in the pouch but lost them both... should I be concerned now?

: Thank you so much for your help and advice, I'm really excited about the prospect of my babies having babies, but also nervous and trying not to get too excited incase something goes wrong.
: Sincerely
: Candi... Sassy, Bumble, & Max

Follow Ups:

• Thank you for the info JO, I will definately keep everyone posted! n/m CandiMI 15:29:24 4/14/99 (1)
  • Candi, Jo 18:12:02 4/14/99 (0)