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Subject: Re: thanks Maria, I think I get it now!
Posted by Susan on January 02, 1999 at 16:59:42:

In Reply to: Re: your response posted by Maria on January 01, 1999 at 20:14:38:

Thanks for the advice and support. Things are improving, sometimes in rapid jumps, and sometimes so slowly, but it's improving and we're bonding.

: If they went from utero to the pouch in mid October, they shouldn't have been out of the pouch until late November. Sugar gliders are "born" at 16 days as little barely formed pink blobs. They go from uterus to pouch and stay in the pouch for about 60 days. At 60 days, they have barely any fur and their eyes are closed. That is usually when they come out of pouch (oop). Their eyes typically open a week to 10 days after they are oop. They are usually weaned about 45 to 60 days oop.

: : They went from uturo to the pouch in mid October and were weaned by the end of November. how old does that make them then?

: Also, you say they shouldn't be biting, but it sounds like that is common when you first get them. How can you say they shouldn't be biting? I'm not meaning to sound defensive, I just think that now maybe I got a bad batch! egad.

: I actually didn't mean that sugar gliders don't bite (I wish I never got bitten). I just meant that now is the time to teach them better behavior or it gets worse. Kind of like little kids temper tantrums. If you give in once, the tantrums get worse and harder to teach the kids not to do it. If you react to a bite by jerking away or pulling your hand back to avoid the bite, you reinforce a bad behavior.

: I have never had a "bad batch" of gliders. I have only had to exchange 1 glider due to a biting problem. Poor baby had an injury near the eye and got weaned so I could treat it. She didn't like the medicine and decided that hands were bad (I think the med stung in the cut). I warned the folks that she was hand shy and they decided to give it a try anyway. 2 weeks later, I exchanged her for another one. She took about 5 months to trust me and stop biting.

: Maria

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