 | Posted by: | Dario, vmpr7@hotmail.com | | Subject: | Confounded | | When: | 5:47 AM, 08 Oct 2000 | | IP: | 24.160.159.155 |
I have a big cage outside, about 9'h x 9'l x 5'w. It has been raining here in texas and a cold front moved in today(50 degrees). As I went to check on them after I got back from work(3:30 am), the eldest of my girls(6 years old) sprung out of their nest hole like she always does. To my fright, I found the other two girls in the bottom of their nest practicly dead. I proceeded to warm them up slowly with a lot of rubbing, and applied a little mouth to mouth. After a while they came alive slowly, after not showing any signs of life. But the girl(the Bully as I called her), that I have recently introduced (about 2 weeks ago) to a pair of girls that have been together for about 2 years already, was found, besides aparently frozen, also disenvoweled through her anal opening. She was still alive since she gave signs of life after I brought them inside the house and warmed them up. The flesh was also moist, as if it had just happened. Could the eldest girl had attacked her while the Bully was defenseless or almost dead? Are there any instances of canibalism among sugargliders?
This has been a very weird event. I would really appreciate any information.
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| Posted by: | Judie, RichJHausmann@cs.com | | Subject: | Confounded | | When: | 6:07 AM, 08 Oct 2000 | | IP: | 205.188.199.27 |
I am so sorry to hear of such a bad situation. First of all, by introducing another glider to an established pair, even though all were adult females does not sound good. And then with the weather being cold and the gliders outside was another mistake. You may want to have the remaining two check out by a vet in the morning to be sure all is well with them. It is quite possible that from the stress of a new glider having been introduced just recently may leave them wide open for a virus or a bacterial infection especially after almost freezing to death. You also may want to consider keeping them in the house until late spring and just let them play outside in the enclosure in the evening when it is warm for a few hours and bring them back into the house to another cage.
As for the mutalation it is quite possible the new glider did it to herself due to the high stress level.
| Posted by: | Dario, vmpr7@hotmail.com | | Subject: | none | | When: | 3:16 PM, 08 Oct 2000 | | IP: | 24.160.159.155 |
THANK YOU JUDIE. I really was in the dark with that one. The two remaining girls(Cristabella and Krishna) are behaving o.k., but I will take your advice and take them to the vet just to make sure. Cristabella, the one that froze and came back to me, is very nervous and werry, she has always been like that but now she has an extra touch. I do not blame her, after all, she was so close to death. Unfortunately the other one died, the mutilations were to severe. I immediately put them in my room last night, they have a portable cage I move them around. What is the temperature lows they can withstand safely???
Again, thank you. And I wish things go as desired for you...
| Posted by: | Rachel2, SugarGMommy@aol.com | | Subject: | none | | When: | 3:32 PM, 08 Oct 2000 | | IP: | 205.188.193.32 |
OMG! Gliders CANNOT live outside! I am not going to pretend that what you did was ok! Where in Texas do you live? It was butt freezing cold this whole weekend. It was so cold I wouldn't leave my 50 pound dogs outside for more than 10 minutes.Would you let a hamster live in an outside cage? Why would you let a glider live in an outside cage!? THat is NOT ok. I am amazed that all of your gliders aren't dead. Good luck to your last glider...She'll need it!
| Posted by: | KarenE, KarenElfrank@aol.com | | Subject: | none | | When: | 4:19 PM, 08 Oct 2000 | | IP: | 152.163.201.77 |
I am so sorry that they lesson you learned had to be such a costly one. Rachel2 is correct in that gliders cannot live outside.
Aside from the temperature changes, there are too many predator hazards which you cannot control while you are away.
Gliders are also extremely prone to stress and there are so many things that could happen outside to cause extreme stress. I would imagine that the cold snap caused them more stress than you could imagine.
We do wish you luck with the remaining glider. Please take very good care of her. She had definitely been through enough for such a wonderful little creature.
| Posted by: | Mary, intr01dc@frank.mtsu.edu | | Subject: | none | | When: | 4:52 PM, 08 Oct 2000 | | IP: | 12.77.82.217 |
Gliders do eat other gliders when they dir or injured. In The wild it is for survival. A dead or injured glider can cause the colony to be weak. So they do often eat the glider. I think they maybe were freezing to death and the other one started to eat her..and maybe realized she wasn't really dead. There are many many dangers outside. Gliders should never be keept outside. They are stricklu indoor pets unless you live in Australia or a similar climate.
| Posted by: | Judie, RichJHausmann@cs.com | | Subject: | none | | When: | 6:48 PM, 08 Oct 2000 | | IP: | 205.188.199.52 |
Dario,
Gliders should be kept at room temp. Preferably around 72-78 degrees. They go into Hypothermia at 65 degrees. They also do not deal with Heat either. They start having problems at 90 degrees.
This is why the glider is viewed as a strictly indoor pet. I personally think a well screaned and enclosed area is nice in the evening for them but personally I would bring my gliders inside after playtime. I am glad to hear that two of your gliders appear to be O.K. but a trip to the vet I feel is merited because of the one that was mutalated and from being Chilled. Besides it all is well you would feel a lot better hearing it coming from your vet.
If you decide to dismantel your enclosure you can send it to me. I would love to have it for all of my gliders for just playtime. I would even enclose it and run a heater in it just to keep it nice and toasty. I live in the KC area so it is cold back here.
Judie Hausmann
I keep my glider room at a constant 80 degrees year round as I am a breeder.
| Posted by: | Bourbon | | Subject: | none | | When: | 4:47 AM, 09 Oct 2000 | | IP: | 216.248.35.214 |
okay Now I am sick again... Rachel, I feel what you feel. as I am sure the others do. okay I admit I have issues, here it is 2 gliders that have died unneedlessly, Is it tragic? yes of course it is, so please understand our reaction. The first thing I thought when I first read this thread, is .. here you had 3 gliders, had them outside, and didn't know what their temp tolerances were. something a bit of research would have prevented.
I would like to say however; I still would love to have your story to put on the realstories page, so others can also learn from this incident. I am trying very hard hard to be objective but it is difficult and my apologies right up front. I have erased , and rewritten this the best I can 3 times now.
the page I am refering to is at
<a href=http://www.angelfire.com/nb/sugarglider/realstories>http://www.angelfire.com/nb/sugarglider/realstories</a>
please don't let these deaths be in vain, not only learn from them, but also prevent even more gliders from the same demise.
| Posted by: | Dario, vmpr7@hotmail.com | | Subject: | none | | When: | 8:09 PM, 09 Oct 2000 | | IP: | 24.160.159.155 |
I am living in south Texas and have had the glidders for over five years living in the outside enclosure. I have been very careful in bringing them inside when temperatures fluctuated much, but this day was not the case and I was unable to get home until the time I did. My enclosure is predator safe and have several nests in which they could get into. It was a very unfortunate case, luckly I was able to revive one of the gliders from hypothermia. It was the one mutilated that died. The two remaining girls are doing fine.
I am aware of all your comments and will take them into consideration. Thanks for taking the time to write your opinions.
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