Sugar Gliders and Hedgehogs

Dr. N. Matthew Ellinwood, D.V.M., Ph.D.

Spring 2012

IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY

COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE AND LIFE SCIENCES

Sugar Gliders

• Petaurus breviceps

• Marsupial

• Eastern Australia and New Guinea

• Seven subspecies

• Small nocturnal prey species arboreal mammal

Natural History• Tropical, costal, and dry land eucalyptus

and acacia forests• Live in colonies of 6-10 with a

dominant male• Occupy up to one hectare• Male marking of territory and colony

members• Group nesting, leaf lined tree cavities• Environmental stress (temp) initiates

torpor up to 16 hours per day.

Taxonomy

• Kingdom: Animalia

• Phylum: Chordata

• Class: Mammalia

• Infraclass: Marsupialia

• Order: Diprotodontia

• Family: Petauridae – small possums

• Genus: Petaurus – tree dewelling, patagium

• Species: P. breviceps

Marsupials and Sugar Gliders

• Pouches to raise young

• Epipubic bones (support pouch)– Diminished to absent in gliders – weight?

• Metabolism ~ 2/3s that of other mammals– Pulse is 200-300 bpm, 16-40 breaths/min

• Cloaca: rectal, urniary, genital opening

• Temp (cloacal = 89.6, rectal 97.3)

Anatomy• Fur, soft and velvety• Developed lower incisors• Grey back (black stripe), cream belly, • Patagium (gliding over 150 ft)• Convergent evolution with North American flying

squirrel• Wt: Males 100-160, Females 80-130• Large eyes (nocternal prey species)• 5 digits on hind legs (opposable 1st digit and digit 2-3

syndactyle)• Male scent glands frontal, gular and paracloacal scent

glands)

Reproduction• Seasonally polyestrous• Long day breeders• Polygynous within colony structure• Young are joeys, first born in Spring• 4/5s of litters are twins, 1/5 are singleton• Up to two litters per season• Estrous cycle is 29 days• Gestation 15-17 days• Birth (200 mg) migrate to pouch (70-74 days)• Nest to weaning (110-120)• Forcible dispersion from nest at 7-10 months

Reproductive Anatomy

• Two uteri

• Two vaginal opening into septally divided cul-de-sac opening in the cloaca

• Large prostate with narrow anterior segment

• Two Cowper’s glands

• Three paracloacal scent glands

• Prepenile pendulous scrotum

• Forked penis (bifid)

• Urinate from base (if traumatized penis can be amputated)

Behavior• Require socialization (1-2 hours/day)

• Bond strongly

• Nocturnal

• Day time disturbance can lead to irritability

• Cuddle, curl up in pockets (lose), hoods, etc

• Long lived (10-12) years

• Disadvantages as pets: nocturnal, odor, housing, diets

Caging• Large, multilevel

• Wire mesh

• Food and water (multiple stations)

• Nesting box– Nest material

• Toys, wheels

• Cleaning

• Movable nesting boxes

Diet

• Natural– Sap and gum– Insects– Fruit and nuts (small portion)– Natural intake

• Up to nearly 20% in body weight of sap

– Seasonal variation

Captive Diet• 50% carnivore/insectivore diet

• 50% Leadbeaters mixture– 150 mls water– 150 mls honey– One shelled boiled egg– 25 g high protein baby cereal– 1 tsp multivitamin

• Treats (fruit and nuts) limit to 5%

Diseases

• Metabolic osteodystrophy– 1% calcium, 0.5% phosphorus, 1500 IU/kg vit D– Hind limp paresis

• Dental disease

• Obesity

• Stress– Male mutilation (castration), stereotypes, alopecia

• Trauma– Bites, cords, accidents

Hedgehogs

• Central African hedgehogs

• Atelerix albiventris

• AKA African Pigmy, white footed, white bellied, four toed

• Insectivores

• Savanna of east and central Afr.

• Small nocturnal invertebrate predator species

Natural History• Dry land savanna and agricultural lands

• Live as solitary animals unless mating

• Nocturnal

• “Self Anointing”– Stress response?

• Forages widely (miles each night)

• At of 25-30 F, animals will enter a torpor state

• Estivation at higher temps

• Burrows

• Diet includes insects, grubs, snails, spiders and small vertebrates

• May have been kept in antiquity

Taxonomy

• Kingdom: Animalia

• Phylum: Chordata

• Class: Mammalia

• Order: Erinaceomorpha

• Family: Erinaceidae

• Genus: Atelerix

• Species: A. albiventris

Hedgehogs and Erinaceids• Shrew-like faces/snouts• Short tails• Very little evolved since Eocene (34-56 Ma)• Hair evolved into spines (not released as with porcupines)• Defense mechanisms• 300-600 grams• Altricial young• Lifespan 4-8 years

Hedgehog Anatomy• Tibia and fibula; fused distally

• Plantigrade

• Forelimb has 5 digits

• Hind limb has 4 digits

• Adept movers and swimmers (need exercise)

• Simple stomach with a vomiting reflex

• No cecum

• Elongated mandibular first incisors which fit between the maxillary first incisors– Spearing

Anatomy (spines etc)

• Difficult to imposible to expell

• Wholesale loss is a sign of illness

• Normal loss at ~18 months

• Individual loss and replacement

• Panniculus– Purse like string

• Obvious anogenital distance– Males have no obvious scrotal sack (para-anal recess)

Reproduction• Breed females between 6 and 18 months

– Anecdotal evidence of pubic symphasis fusion

• Pregnancy– Wt gain of over 50 grams within 2-3 weeks of access to male

– 30 days abdominal swelling and mammary development

• Infanticide and cannibalism common with first litters

• Isolate female for 1 wk pre-partum and 2 weeks post-partum

• Handled females less likely to abandon young

• Strict confinement from males

• Gestation 34-37 days

• Litters 3-4 (1-2 litters per year)

• Ovulate in presence of male and with appropriate enviornment

• Wean at 4-6 weeks

Neonatal Care• Hoglets• Covered at birth with a thin membrane to protect

mother from spines• Can be fed milk substitute with dropper

– Based on milk analysis• Canine replacer with addition of lactase (Lactaid)

• Management of neonates similar to young carnivores

Behavior

• Can potentially keep females co-housed– Best to house singly to avoid inevitable fighting

• Active animals

Caging• Large, with sufficient floor space

• 72-90 F

• Can be fastideous or not

• Litter training possible but not reliable

• Messy feces can be deposited anywhere and can be tracked anywhere

• Plant based cat litter

• Avoid bright light (10-14 hours)

• Cage substrate (will require frequent cleaning)

Diet

• Natural– Insects– Other invertabrates– Small vertabrates– Spiders– Exoskeletons

Captive Diet• Insectivore diets

– 30%-50% protein

– 10%-20% fat

• Fiber– Higher

• Meal feeding• Commercial hedgehog food (susbt less active feline)

– 1-2 Tbsp

– Supplemented with 1-2 tsps cat/dog food and ½ tsp fruit

Diseases

• Prone to corneal ulcers and bulging eyes

• Oral cancers– Overall high rate of cancer (30%)

• Dilated cardiomyopathy (>3 years of age)

• Hepatic lipidosis

• Wobbly hedgehog syndrome

• Mites

Restrictions

• Ownership

• Breeding

• State and federal licensing of breeding operations

• Aphthovirus– Food and mouth disease