What is Torpor ?

In wild gliders, torpor is a type of temporary hibernation which lasts hours as opposed to weeks or months. Gliders do not prepare for torpor like hibernating animals do as it is a temporary measure to conserve energy while the weather is not suitable to go out looking for food. The colony snuggle together to conserve energy and emerge once the weather has improved.

In captivity, there are a number of reasons why gliders can slip in to torpor which include environmental factor. The weather here in the UK is very unpredictable and temperatures can drop very low over night and with the rising cost of energy bills, not everyone can afford to keep the heating on 24/7. It is very important however that the temperature is kept above 21 degrees Celsius at all times.

Wild colonies are large and so when all clumped together they can maintain their body temperatures. Captive gliders often live in much smaller groups, majority being just 2 or 3 sugar gliders and cannot maintain body temperatures as easily. Sometimes for whatever reason, a glider will not eat enough. We all use energy and burn calories to keep warm, but if we get cold we can put a coat on or turn the heating up. If a glider gets cold, all they have is the energy they have consumed to keep them warm. Gliders have a high metabolic rate and so the calories will burn quickly. The blood sugar levels drop and they do not have enough energy to keep the body warm and they will slip in to torpor. In the case of an unwell glider, the body's energy is being used to try and heal itself, so if the glider becomes too cold then the body is working even harder to try and keep warm as well as healing itself, this drains the energy stores and the glider will slip in to torpor.

Lethargic - sluggish or sleepy

Cold to the touch

Unresponsive

Look as if they appear to be dying or dead

Always be prepared for torpor. Make sure you have a Torpor kit that is easy accessible.

Torpor Kit

Gliderade

Honey or Applesauce,

Oatmeal

Small syringes or pipettes

 SnuggleSafe microwave heatpad

Dioralyte dehydration sachets

Fleece Square

 

When you find a glider cold and lifeless on the floor of the cage (or anywhere really), it’s natural to assume they are dead. Unless they are obviously dead (bad smell or mutilation of the body) be aware that they may actually be in torpor. When a glider is in torpor they are incredibly cold and stiff, they can feel as cold as ice. It is quite shocking.

 

 

The first thing you need to do is warm them up.

The best place is next to your skin (inside a bra is ideal), or on a heat pad. Never place the glider directly on top of a heat source, they cannot move or feel discomfort and so could burn if the heat source is strong enough.

 

While the glider is warming: Prepare some Gliderade using warm water

(1 teaspoon powder to 5 teaspoons warm water).

If you do not have any Gliderade, honey and water will suffice.

 

Also prepare some oatmeal and honey or oatmeal and applesauce.

Use 2 teaspoons of oatmeal and add enough boiling water to make a paste, add some honey or applesauce.

As the glider warms up, you should start to see a bit of movement, make sure you watch them closely because they could appear disoriented.

You should try to get some Gliderade or honey water in to them as soon as they start to feel warmer.

 

Wrap the glider up in fleece and hold upright. Using a syringe or pipette place a drop of liquid on the lips just under the nose.

Be careful the liquid does not go up the nose. Hopefully the glider will lick it off, so continue to place drops on the lips. With any luck, the glider will start to take from the syringe/pipette.

If this happens offer the oatmeal, they are often very hungry and desperate to replenish the energy banks.

 

If the glider is deep in torpor, it may be necessary to put a drop of honey on the tongue.

The sugar in the honey is a simple sugar and does not need to be digested to be taken in to the blood stream.

Just behind the front teeth is a small gap, so very gently part the lips and put a drop of honey in the gap. Bringing a glider out of deep torpor can take a while so keep warming, keep putting honey on the tongue and keep putting a drop of Gliderade/honey water on the lips, just under the nose.

If they don’t lick it off, try blowing very gently in to the face, sometimes this makes them respond.

If they still don’t lick, wipe the liquid off and continue to warm and place honey on the tongue.

If they are still unresponsive after 15 minutes, call an emergency vet.

 

Once you have brought your glider round, make sure you check their hydration levels.

To check this gently pinch the skin at the nape of the gliders neck, if it "tents" (doesn't go fully back into place) in under a second or two, your glider is dehydrated. The severity level of the dehydration can be determined by the amount of time it takes the skin to go back into place. If you are concerned about this, take your glider to the vets immediately for a sub-cutaneous injection to rehydrate him/her. Otherwise, if the dehydration level is not severe, you can offer correctly diluted Dioralyte. Don't worry about the flavour, rehydration is the most important thing.

 

ONLY once your happy they are warm and back to their usual selves can you place them back into their cage to huddle with their cagemates this will help them stay warm.

Check on them regularly, every 10-15 mins for the first hour, Then every 30-60 mins to ensure they are warm and settled.

 

Your regular food then should be made available

Majority of torpor cases are found in the daytime, food should be made available incase they wish to eat more to recover from Torpor. Add a little extra oatmeal to your SGS2 mush, you may find them occassionally awake eating, just ensure once they have had their fill they are back in bed safe and warm. 

 

Ensure you read all the prevention methods below to ensure they dont suffer from Torpor again. 

There are a number of things you can do to try and prevent torpor from ever happening...

Food

Make sure you have more than one feeding station and make sure you see everyone get up and eat something.Food aggressive gliders can also prevent others from eating so always keep a eye on behaviours.

In winter increase their food by adding extra oatmeal. Carrying a little extra weight over the winter period is not a bad thing, but make sure they don’t bulk up too much. An obese glider is not a healthy glider.

Temperatures

The room your gliders are in should always be around 23-24 degrees celcius

(around 73-75 degrees fahrenheit)

Do not let the temp drop below 21 degrees celsius (70 degrees fahrenheit), this is the absolute minimum temperature that the room should be.

If the central heating is turned off at night then invest in an oil radiator or similar and put it next to the cage.

A Temperature reader is vital next to your cage to give an accurate reading of the surrounding temperature, this should be next to and at mid height of the cage due to temp readings differing at different heights (remember heat rises) you will need a reader that provides a min and max temp as well as a alarm if the temp drops it can alert you. The temp reader should be reset twice a day when you do your twice daily checks (morning and night)

A heat rock or heat pad is NOT a suitable alternative, they provide localised heat only and they are notoriously unreliable.

Closing your window curtains within the room earlier than normal can help keep warmth in as well as blocking any areas that chills can come through like bottom of doors especially if your gliders are in your front room which has the main front door, ive found putting a door curtain up can help with this especially if you live in a older type house.

Warm Bedding

Double fleece lined pouches

Strips/squares of fleece or shredded paper are great as they can stuff their sleeping pouches nice and full and it also provides a bit of enrichment for them.

A Cage Cover

A fleece cage cover, these cover sides, back and top of the cage or simply cover the cage with a fleece blanket to try and keep some of the heat in and the cold out.

 

 

NEVER KEEP A LONE/SINGLE SUGAR GLIDER

Never keep a single glider, in the wild during bouts of torpor, the colony conserves energy and heat, 6 or 7 gliders will produce more heat than 1 or 2. This stops the blood sugar levels from dropping to a dangerous level, a single glider will not be able to do this and is at risk.

Torpor in captivity can be fatal if not caught in good time and treated immediately!

There is no time to think so make sure you read the treatment carefully and know what to do. Treating torpor can be as quick as 10 minutes, or it can take a lot longer, and I have to warn you, it is stressful but it is worth it!

It is good practice to make sure you see your gliders every night and morning, especially during cold months, even if this means you have to bribe them with a treat. If they have slipped in to torpor, when you come back from work 8 hours later, it will be too late!