Care Tip:  Traveling with Sugar Gliders
When I mention traveling, I mean the everyday sort of traveling we do such as shopping, going out to eat, and such.  As for long term/distance traveling, that is a Sugar Glider of another color!  While I like to travel around town with my sugar gliders, I must point out that traveling with them carries some risk and they are 100% safer at home!

For day to day travels with your Sugar Gliders there are a few precautions you need to think about.  First off where will they be while you “travel”?  It is definitely safer for them to ride in a small sturdy cage as opposed to on your body in a pouch.  Make sure the cage is in a secure location with a seatbelt if possible.  If that is not possible, on the floor is better than on a seat, and never ever in the trunk!
Keeping them on your body when you drive is dangerous for a few reasons.  Not to mention the distraction to you if they wake, but they can become injured if your airbag is opened in an accident, and what if you are in an accident and the EMTs have to check you out?  What happens when they probe your chest and find a crabby sugar glider (what the heck is THAT?!) If you feel you MUST keep them on your body when you travel, carry some form of ID or other notice that identifies what they are and what should be done with them.  I also include in that information a contact person (someone NOT with me at the time!) to call to pick up and care for the sugar gliders, the ones on me and the ones at home, if needed.

If you still insist on carrying them on your person, PLEASE keep an extra small cage in the car.  Unexpected things happen, and a pouch is good short term, but if you somehow become stranded and cannot get home, as night time approaches, your sugar glider may not be so happy in the pouch.  Or if you are in an accident, they need to be put in something more secure and safe.  A small cage is best, in the bustle of the aftermath of an accident, a fleece pouch is easily missed, tossed, squashed, but a cage is easily recognized as a cage with a live animal in it.
Make sure the travel cage has your information on it as well, and some simple instructions on the care of the occupants would be good also.   I keep a small emergency cage in my vehicle at all times.

Even when I go on short trips, close to home, I still bring an small emergency “Sugar Glider Travel Bag” if the sugar gliders are with me.  This bag contains my “emergency card” (a copy also hangs from the rearview mirror for visibility), bottled water, and snacks (FOR THE SUGAR GLIDERS!).  It is best to bring something that you do not have to worry about it going bad/spoiling.  I have also found that unless you have a leak proof container, bringing juicy things can be messy.  While there is some convenience to juicy foods, as long as you bring water, and your sugar glider is comfortable drinking from the bottle cap, juicy foods are no longer needed for hydration.  Some good ideas for snacks can be found here:

Sugar Glider Cookies
Dried Fruit Snacks

Please be aware of the weather conditions when you travel!  Keep them warm in the winter and properly hydrated at all times, but especially when you have them out during the hot summer.

Now that we have the basic physical needs taken care of, we need to discuss the emotional aspects of traveling…next article please!