Sugar glider facts

Here are some sweet facts about sugar gliders!

Sugar gliders are tree-dwelling marsupials native to Australia, Indonesia, and Papua New Guinea. A marsupial is a mammal that is born prematurely and continues to develop while attached to the nipple of the mother, typically in a pouch. This includes Opossums, Koalas, Wombats, and Kangaroos!

At birth, the baby (known as a “joey”) is only the size of a grain of rice! The baby will stay in the mother’s pouch for about 60-70 days until they are developed enough to venture out on their own.

Sugar gliders are named for their amazing ability to glide through the air using their “wings”. This skin that stretches between their wrist and ankle is called the patagium. They can effortlessly glide about 150 feet through the air, catching insects along the way!

The “sugar” part of their name comes from their preference for sweet foods. Sugar gliders are opportunistic omnivores. Their diets consist of nectar, sap, insects, and fruit.

Sugar gliders are nocturnal (they sleep during the day and are active at night), and they can see extremely well in the dark with their large, round black eyes. They also have a keen sense of smell which helps them to navigate their surroundings while searching for food.

Sugar gliders are highly social animals who live in large groups, form strong bonds and engage in grooming, playing, and even sleeping together. When it’s cold out, sugar gliders will sleep huddled together to keep warm. They can also enter a state of reduced body temperature called torpor which helps them to save energy.

Sugar gliders are sentient beings – they think, feel, and have unique personalities

• Sugar gliders are highly social animals and form close bonds with their family group. In the wild, they often nest in colonies of 5-10 individuals. They suffer immensely when kept captive in isolation.
• Sugar gliders communicate in a range of ways but largely through scent. Each sugar glider has a distinctive scent produced through scent glands in their body, which makes them recognizable to other sugar gliders. They are also very vocal animals and use a variety of sounds like barking, hissing, purring, and even singing to communicate a range of things from warnings to excitement.
• They have excellent night vision thanks to their large, widely spaced eyes, giving them a wide field of vision.
• They can precisely triangulate distances and glide ratios in preparation for gliding!
• Male sugar gliders show extensive co-operative behaviour – they work together to suppress other males, share resources such as good and nesting spots, and take care of offspring together.