About Laurie Gallagher Expertise Since 2002, I have owned, bred and now rescue and re-home sugar gliders. was a USDA Licensed breeder until June of 2007 and, as of December 2006, have converted to a sugar glider rescue and re-homing only operation. I can help with questions about diet, habitat, enrichment, behavior, bonding, rescues, joeys, health.
IF YOU SUSPECT YOUR SUGAR GLIDER IS SICK, CONTACT A QUALIFIED SUGAR GLIDER VETERINARIAN IMMEDIATELY. (I am not a veterinarian and cannot replace a visit to the vet).
Experience I was a USDA licensed breeder. I was a sugar glider breeder and rescuer for 6 years. I was also an administrator on Worldwide Sugar Glider Network (WSGN) Screen name: Lauriegall
Education/Credentials No formal education on sugar gliders but years of research and experience.
Real Estate Agent at http://www.lauriegallagher.com/ and Paralegal
Question We just aquired a sugar glider. This animal to our knowledge was not abused, but was not handled a lot. We brought him home, and essentially he attacks you if your hand is near the cage. He will try to bite and scratch. I would like to know do they bond with one, or multiple individuals.
Answer Dear Matthew:
Congratulations on getting your new sugar glider. It sounds like you need to tame before you bond. You are going to need to get this animal to tolerate, then trust hands before you can really begin to bond with him. But that is doable if you are committed.
To answer your question, sugar gliders usually bond with one person. They will tolerate other people and will be friendly with them, but they usually bond with one. What you have to watch out with when several people are involved is that he may bond with someone else in the family and not with the person doing all the work. In other words, if given a choice, they will choose a person in the group of individuals handling him. Sometimes that turns out to be someone other than the owner of the glider.
The best way to deal with a biting glider is to follow some basic bonding tips. They are the same tips I have used in other answers, so I am going to cut and paste them here for you, okay?
1. Sleep in an old T-shirt for a couple of days and put that inside his cage (you can put his pouch right inside of the shirt). Sugar gliders bond by scent, so as much of your scent as he can get the better.
2. Use a zipper or drawstring bonding pouch (during the day only) as much as possible. Eventually he will begin to fall asleep in the pouch. 3 to 4 hours a day would be optimum. An easy way to get the glider into the pouch with a minimal chance of getting bit is to open the bonding pouch, take his sleeping pouch (with the glider in it) and put the open end of his sleeping pouch into the bonding pouch as if you were pouring him in. He will likely stay in the sleeping pouch until you sort of squeeze the from the bottom down (like a tube of toothpaste), the glider should then move down into the bonding pouch. When he has, pull out the sleeping pouch and zip him up in the bonding pouch. When you are done, you can just put the bonding pouch back in his cage and open it, he will come out and go back into his cage/sleeping pouch when he is ready.
3. Play time. Your glider should have a couple of hours of play time each night. For a biting, unfriendly glider, I would suggest a "bonding tent." This is just a two person tent like the one you can find at Walmart for about $25. Don't use an old camping tent. Bring the glider (in his pouch) into the tent with you along with a toy and a treat. You can unzip the windows so family members can watch and you can hear and see what's going on in the room around you. The whole point of this is to let the glider come to you in his own time without you trying to "hold" him. Right now he is frightened of your hands, but they are curious animals, so don't be surprised if after a few times, he runs and jumps on you. The tent helps keep him contained while removing the distractions he would find otherwise in a room.
4. Treats. Whenever you approach this glider for any reason at all, come bearing gifts. You want him to learn that only good things come from your hands and fingers. So offer him mealworms (usually their favorite) always by hand. You can also give him dried papaya or mango and Yogurt drops. Once you determine his favorite food, you can give that to him by hand as well. He may be hesitant at first, but don't give up.
5. Licky treats. After he is comfortable taking treats from your fingers, try coating your fingers with blueberry yogurt or applesauce and let him lick it off your fingers. Licky treats are a great way to begin to insert your hand into his pouch. Don't try this for a few weeks, but once he seems to respond and trust you a little more, use licky treats to get close and then slowly slide your hand into his pouch. Eventually, you should aim for sliding your hand in during mid day while he is sleeping and groggy and see if you can't get your hand underneath him. Then just leave it there so he can get used to your hand being there.
This is a lot of work. We aren't talking a few weeks. We are talking months. Don't measure your progress continually. Just love him and work with him. Eventually, you will look back and see how far he's come. But if you are committed, eventually you will see progress. Don't get discouraged. He needs you. Someone else might not take the time to even try to work with him. So be happy with whatever he is willing to give and don't be surprised if you look back in 6 months or so and see a big difference.
See if this doesn't help with him. Also, what diet do you have your boy on?
