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A sugar glider (Petaurus breviceps) is a small
possum found in the forests of Australia, Tasmania and Indonesia. Its head
and body measure five to six inches with a tail of equal length. Like most
marsupials it carries its young, called joeys, in a pouch on its abdomen.
In the wild they hunt by night for insects and small vertebrates and feed
on the sweet sap of certain species of eucalyptus, acacia and gum trees.
Sugar gliders are so named for their preference for sweet foods and their
ability to glide through the air like a flying squirrel. Gliding is made
possible by a membrane of skin called a patagium that extends between their
front and back legs. They travel through the midnight tree tops by launching
themselves into the air and, spreading out their sails of skin, they literally
transform themselves into living kites. They can make glides of over one
hundred meters and by using their tale as a rudder they can control the
direction of "flight". They have even been seen to snatch an
insect out of the air in mid glide! This attractive creature has very thick
soft grey fur with a black stripe that runs the full length of the body
in line with the spine. This black stripe extends up and over the top of
the head. The last couple of inches of the tail are also black. Sugar gliders
belong to a family called Phalangers which means "fingery one".
Their front feet have five fingers with sharp scimitar shaped claws. The
hind feet have a large opposable big toe. The next two toes are fused together
(syndactylous) to make one toe with two nails. This toe is used as a grooming
comb. The glider will scratch himself with this comb and then bring the
foot around to his mouth, clean it, and repeat the process over and over.
This syndactylous toe is typical of many marsupials. (I have noticed that
my wallabies also have sydactylous toes.) The ears are large, thin and
hairless and are constantly in motion, moving independently of one another
to pick up the smallest sounds. The eyes too, are very large and dark and
are oriented towards the sides of the head to allow for a wider field of
vision.
Sugar gliders are capable of a repertoire of calls that vary
from bird-like chirps to dog-like barking. By far their most extraordinary
vocalization is the one they make when disturbed in their nest. It defies
description but sounds somewhat like those rattles they hand out at new
year parties. Calling to one another is just one means by which they communicate.
To identify each other they rely more heavily on scent. Each glider has
its own specific scent signature that other members of the group recognize.
There may be up to twelve individuals in a group. Males have a scent gland
on their head which looks like a little diamond shaped bald spot in the
middle of their forehead. There is another gland between their front legs
on their chest. Sugar gliders "shake hands" by rubbing themselves
on each others scent glands. Despite the fact that they communicate by
scent, they are not particularly smelly. You may occasionally get a whiff
of a fruity musky scent but it is not strong, doesn't last long and is,
if anything, a somewhat pleasant smell. It is not the kind of odor that
you would associate with ferrets or skunks and doesn't permeate a room.
In captivity, sugar gliders are kept in large bird cages or
aviaries. They sleep in nesting boxes similar to those used for birds.
They can be kept singly if they have lots of human companionship but it
is best to keep them in pairs. A mated pair may produce up to three litters
a year with one or two babies per litter being the norm. The babies are
easily tamed with regular handling. Two sugar gliders of the same sex will
cohabit quite happily if you don't want babies. A glider's captive diet
consists primarily of fruits, vegetables and dried cat food. They also
enjoy live insects, pinky mice (bought frozen from the pet store), scrambled
eggs, yogurt, nuts, fruit flavored pablum, monkey biscuits and fruit juices.
Tame gliders can be let out to play in the evening but they
must be supervised. My tame gliders like to sit on the curtain rod and
play in the house plants. I have a friend whose glider likes to glide down
the stairwell and them run back up the stairs to repeat the procedure over
and over like a little kid at a water slide. Gliders can become very bonded
to their owners and can often be trusted to ride on a shoulder or in a
jacket pocket. While sugar gliders really do make great pets, I don't recommend
that everyone rush out and buy one. Too many people buy animals without
really considering the consequences to themselves or the animal. Think
before you buy any pet: Do I have enough time to consistently care for
this animal? Can I provide it with a reasonably large cage? Can I afford
the vet bills if it becomes ill? Is anyone in the household allergic to
animal fur? How would existing pets react to a sugar glider? Will my husband/wife
divorce me if I bring home another pet? While owning a sugar glider is
a rewarding experience, it is a long term commitment.
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