What is a Sugar Glider

Sugar gilders, essentially dwell on trees and glide along from great heights. They are called 'pure sugar' because of their extreme fondness for sweet food and love of gliding. A sugar glider is also referred to as a 'pocket pet', because of their willingness to be carried along in pockets or small pouches, courtesy their small size. These are nocturnal marsupials and generally found to live in a group, ranging from 20 to 40 of them. The taxonomic or scientific classification of sugar glider is given as follows:

Kingdom	Animalia
Phylum	Chordata
Class	Mammalia
Infra class	Marsupialia
Order	Diprotodontia
Family	Petauridae
Genus	Petaurus
Species	P. breviceps

Physical Characteristics

These soft, gray creatures grow to a length in the range of 16 to 22 cm and have weights in the range of 90 to 150 grams. They have a black stripe extending from the head through their back, right up to the end of the tail, which is longer than their body. The two colored skin membranes, are a unique feature of the glider, called patagia. They glide with the help of a membrane and can travel a distance of 150 ft. They are also characterized by certain color variations, depending on their sub types. Their long tails assist in gliding and provide the much-needed balance for their small body. They have very peculiar features, such as opposable thumbs and a genitalia branched into two parts in both the male and female species.

Their life span can be a maximum of 15 years, if living in extremely favorable conditions. It is extremely hard to detect their presence by sounds, since they make a variety of them such as low barking, chirping sound, chattering and some, very strange vocalism. Their membranes, which help them to glide, form an aerodynamic cushion to enable smooth mobility and are also helpful in gathering food. These membranes are pink in color along with thin edges of fur around it. It also aids their survival by helping them escape the predatory animals.

Habitat and Domestication of a Sugar Glider

Being a nocturnal animal, sugar gliders hunt during the night, feeding largely on even small animals and insects. Its 'sweet diet' consists of the sap from tees such as gum, eucalyptus and acacia, and even nectar and pollen. The diet pattern varies according to the region, where it is inhabiting. It stays away from extremely wild areas, due to constant fear of predatory wild animals and its largely distinct body pattern, making them vulnerable.

As stated earlier, sugar gliders stay in groups, each marked and fiercely guarded by the senior members of the group. The group is headed by an adult male, who is responsible for the group. It carefully marks the members by a typical scent, from its glands, so that an intruding or visiting member is detected and immediately expelled violently. This member is also the one, who will mate with the females more often than the other males.

Even after a severe cut down and loss of natural vegetation, the sugar glider population continues to thrive across all of its habitats, throughout the world. It is a popular pet animal in countries other than Australia, since its presence is quite charming and the wondering look is quite likable. They happen to be very friendly creatures and hence can get into unnecessary trouble. Hence, if you are planning to get a pet sugar glider, better be ready to run around and constantly be on your feet.