Sugar gliders. scientifically known as Petaurus breviceps, are a small arboreal (found mainly in trees) marsupial. They are members of the same order that include kangaroos, opossums, wombats, and tasmanian devils. They are found in the forests of Australia as well as Tasmania, New Guinea, and the neighboring islands of Indonesia.
Adult sugar gliders weigh about four to six ounces with the male being slightly larger. They grow to a length of six to seven inches (16-21 cm), with their tail almost as long as their body. They are covered in very thick soft gray mink-like fur with a black stripe that runs the full length of their body extending up and over the top of their head. They also have black markings on their face, legs, and back. The last couple inches of their tail, which is almost as thick as a human thumb is also black.
Sugar gliders have large, thin, hairless ears. They move independently of each other and are constantly in motion enableing them to hear even the smallest of sounds. Their large dark eyes are set towards the side of their heads to allow for a wider field of vision.
One of the oddest things about sugar gliders are their feet. Their front feet have five fingers with sharp scimetar (saber with curved blade sharp on the inside) shaped claws. The hind feet each have large opposable (able to place against one or more remaining digits) big toes. Their next two toes are fused together (syndactylous) to make one toe with two nails. This toe is typical of marsupials and is used as a grooming comb.
They get their name from their preference for sweet foods and because they can glide through the air like a flying squirrel. Gliding is made possible by a thin membrane of skin called a patagium that extends between the front and back legs. They can glide up to 50 meters at once and use their tails as a rudder to control the direction of their flight.
Being nocturnal, they hunt at night. Their diet consists of small insects, small vertebrates and the sweet sap of certain species of eucalyptus, acacia and gum trees.
Sugar gliders are highly social animals and live in groups of 15-30. They communicate with one another through a wide variety of calls that range from bird-like chirps to dog-like barking. With the group they recognize each other through scent. Each one has its own specific scent signature that the others can recognize.
Most of the time only one to two males father all the young. When the young ones are weaned and ready to live on their own, most leave the birth colony, although some do occaisionally remain. These newly dependent juveniles join together with others around the same age to form a new colony. During times of plentiful food, the new groups will sometimes rejoin the former groups making what is refered to as a 'mega-colony' of 50 or more.
First introduced into the United States about 20 years ago, they have become a very popular pet. A 2007 study conducted by the AVMA (American Veterinary Medical Association) estimates there are approximately one point one million kepts as pets. This places their popularity between hamsters (1.2 million) and guinea pigs (1 million).
Because of their social nature and ability to band quickly with their owners, they make very loving pets. Whether as a pet or in the wild they are fun and amazing animials.