General Information On Sugar-Gliders

Taxonomic Classification

Class: Mammalia

Subclass: Marsupialia

Order: Diprotodontia

Suborder: Phalangerida

Superfamily: Petauroidea

Family: Petauridae

Sugar Gliders are marsupials. In Australia they spend most of their time up in the trees. These nocturnal creatures often live in groups of 20 to 40. They are whitish grey animals with a black stripe running down their back.Gliders have a gliding membrane, they use this just like a flying squirrel does. If high enough, a sugar glider can glide as far as 150 ft. Adult sugar gliders can weigh upto 120-135g. They grow 10 - 14 inches long with about 6-8 inches of that being a tail. They use their tails for balance helping them steer when in glide. These gliders have some pretty odd qualities such as opposable fingers and toes and forked genitalia (in both male and female.) Gliders can make a wide range of sounds such as chirping, barking, chattering, crabbing and other odd sounds that are hard to describe. The barking sound of a glider is the funniest sound you can possibly imagine. If well cared for they can live upto 10-15 years. That mean changing their bedding or paper, cleaning their bowls, giving them new toys, letting them have playtime, give them baths and groom them or rubb their tummies.

Since they are social creatures, it's best to get a mate or spend alot of time with them, and I mean alot! This attention can include running around in a glider-proofed room, finger-wrestling, and riding around on your shoulder, or in your hair. If you have a single glider, you need to pay attention to it at least two hours everyday. If the sugar glider becomes lonely, it will become depressed and eventually die. They are not the kind of animal you can put in a cage,uest feed & forget about. If you can't always play with them everyday for at least two hours it is essential to get another sugar glider for company. Mine got depressed even though I played with him every night for more than two hours, and I had to buy a friend. He is MUCH happier now. Since they live up to 15 years, you have to be willing to take care of it for that long. You also have to make sure you have someone to take care of them when you go on vacation. If you are buying a sugar glider for your children, remember that you will have to take care of it if they lose interest. Please make sure you can handle this kind of commitment. If you can't then take it to someone who want's one or to a pet store. A pet store would take them easily.

Any Questions ??? Go ahead and type them in. Even if you are not a hubber you can comment.