Sugar Gliders

What Are Sugar Gliders?

Pippin on handbell table

Sugar gliders are marsupials, like kangaroos and koala bears, and are closely related to the possum.  Sugar gliders are native to Australia and Indonesia.  The species name is Petaurus breviceps which is latin for short-headed rope-dancer.  Their common name, Sugar Glider, comes for the facts that they love sweet food and they glide like a flying squirrel.  They have patagium or gliding membrane attached to their side and front and back legs on each side.  Their long tail, which is weakly prehensile, acts as a rudder and helps them control their glides.

Sugar gliders are omnivorous and are nocturnal.  In the wild, they eat blossoms, nectar from flowers, sap from eucalyptus trees, worms and insects.  They are also a colony animal living in groups of about a dozen per nest. Their life expectancy in the wild is around 4 to 5 years.  In captivity, they can live up to 15 years.

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.