Sugar Gliders: What are they anyway?

The Sugar Glider (Petaurus breviceps) is a small marsupial that is found in the forests of Tasmania, Australia, New Guinea and the neighboring islands of Indonesia. They are in the same order that includes opossums, wombats, kangaroos and Tasmania Devils.

The Sugar Glider is 6.3 to 7.5 inches in length, with a tail almost as long as the body and almost as thick as a human thumb. An adult glider weighs about 4 to 6 ounces, the male being the larger. They have very thick soft pearl grey fur with a black stripe that runs the full length of their body along the spine. The last couple inches of the tail are also black. They have dramatic black markings on the face, legs and back.

In the wild, sugar gliders are tree dwelling creatures, often living in large groups of 15 to 30. They are nocturnal and hunt for insects and small vertebrates by night. The sweet sap of eucalyptus, acacia and gum trees are also favored by sugar gliders as they are omnivores.

Sugar Gliders name derived from their love of sweet foods and their ability to glide through the air. The most distinctive features of their anatomy are the twin skin membranes called patagia, which extend from the fifth finger of the forelimb back to the first toe of the hind foot. These are not noticeable when the Sugar Glider is at rest, it just looks a little flabby, but is immediately obvious when it takes flight.

The membranes are used to glide from tree to tree or to gather food while hunting. When fully extended they form an aerodynamic surface the size of a large handkerchief. A Sugar Glider can glide for a surprisingly long distance. Flights have been measured at over 50 meters. They steer effectively by curving one patagium or the other and they use their hind legs to thrust away powerfully from a tree.

Gliders also have opposable fingers and toes and the male glider has a forked penis. 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 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.

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.