Petaurus breviceps
Sugar Glider
Sugar gliders are wild-type marsupials with exacting dietary and social needs. They are frequently mis-sold as pocket pets and very frequently surrendered.
PetauridaeLifespan 10–15 yearsCare complexity 5/5Not a beginner animal
At a glance
- Scientific name
- Petaurus breviceps
- Family
- Petauridae
- Origin
- Forests of Australia, Indonesia and New Guinea
- Lifespan
- 10–15 years
- Adult size
- 16–20 cm plus a long tail
- Weight
- 90–160 g
- Temperament
- Intensely social, nocturnal and bonded to their colony
- Activity level
- Very high at night
- Social needs
- Extremely high — keeping one alone causes severe distress
- Intelligence
- Complex social learning and problem-solving
- Noise
- Loud barking and crabbing at night
Housing and environment
- Housing
- Minimum 90 x 60 x 180 cm tall per pair, with branches and pouches
- Space requirement
- Height for gliding is essential
- Temperature
- 21–27°C
- Humidity
- 50–70%
- Exercise
- Nightly gliding and climbing in a large aviary-style cage plus safe room time
- Grooming
- Self-grooming; needs nesting pouches kept clean
Diet and feeding
Complex: a formulated glider diet with insects, nectar supplement and limited fruit
Behaviour and compatibility
Gliding, barking at night, scent-marking and pouch sleeping
- With children
- Not suitable — nocturnal, delicate and easily stressed
- With other animals
- Keep only with other sugar gliders
- Training difficulty
- Moderate; bonding takes months
Health
- Metabolic bone disease from poor diet
- Self-mutilation from stress
- Obesity
- Dental disease
- Parasites
Very few vets treat gliders — confirm one exists near you before acquiring any
Special care requirements
Their nocturnal schedule and colony needs rarely fit ordinary households