Sugar Gliders
(Petaurus Breviceps)
Order: Marsupialia
Family: Petauridae
Genus: Petaurus
Species: Petaurus breviceps
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HABITAT AND RANGE:
Sugar gliders are arboreal marsupials
from Australia, Indonesia and New
Guinea. |
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PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS:
Sugar gliders have dense, gray fur with
a black stripe running from the head of
the animal down the back. The tail
itself is rounded, bushed and gray.
There is some white on the face and the
underbelly is white. An adult is
approximately 6 inches long with a 5
inch tail, weighing approximately 6 oz.
Wild-caught gliders are often dark brown
with a black stripe. A gliding membrane
extends all the way from the outer side
of the forefoot to the ankle and is
opened by spreading the limbs straight
out. They can glide up to 150 feet. |
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ADAPTATIONS:
Sugar gliders are nocturnal animals.
They are communal animals that live in
colonies of up to 12 adult males and
females in the wild. Ina group
situation, only one or two of the males
(usually older) will be responsible for
fathering the young. Gliders share a
complex chemical communication system
based on scents produced by glands in
males and by pouch and urogenital glands
in females. The male’s scent glands are
located on their heads (a bald spot) and
on their chest (a yellow spot). Each
animal has its own distinct smell which
is recognized by other members of the
group. In addition, a dominant male
actively marks the other members of the
group with his scent. In captivity, the
results are produced with one pair to a
cage. |
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DIET:
They are omnivorous and in the wild feed
on sap, blossoms, nectars, insects and
their larvae, arachnids and small
vertebrae. In captivity, they do quite
well on a diet of fresh fruits and
vegetables with a variety of nuts, cat
food and meat to supply protein. |
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REPRODUCTION AND DEVELOPMENT:
As a marsupial, Sugar Gliders are born
in an embryonic state and immediately
make their way into a pouch on the
mother. They will remain in the pouch
for approximately 2 ½ months. Females
are polyestrous and cycle about every 29
days. Gestation is 16 days and the young
weigh about 0.19 grams at birth. The
youngsters are weaned after 40 days and
first leave the nest at about 111 days,
becoming independent shortly thereafter.
Litter sizes range from one to three
with two being the most common. |
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STATUS IN WILD:
They are not a threatened species in the
wild. |
