Sugar Glider

Sugar Glider[1]
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)[2]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Infraclass:	Marsupialia
Order:	Diprotodontia
Family:	Petauridae
Genus:	Petaurus
Species:	P. breviceps
Binomial name
Petaurus breviceps Waterhouse, 1839
Sugar Glider natural range: Red: P. b. breviceps Blue: P. b. longicaudatus Dk Green: P. b. ariel Gold: P. b. flavidus Magenta: P. b. papuanus Lt Green: P. b. tafa Black: P. b. biacensis

The Sugar Glider (Petaurus breviceps) is a small gliding marsupial originally native to eastern and northern mainland Australia, New Guinea, and the Bismarck Archipelago, and introduced to Tasmania, Australia.

Taxonomy

There are seven subspecies of P. breviceps:

• P. b. breviceps (Waterhouse, 1839)
• P. b. longicaudatus (Longman, 1924)
• P. b. ariel (Gould, 1842)
• P. b. flavidus (Tate & Archbold, 1935)
• P. b. papuanus (Thomas, 1888)
• P. b. tafa (Tate & Archbold, 1935)
• P. b. biacensis (Ulmer, 1940)

Habitat

Sugar Glider, climbing down from a plant

In the wilds of its native habitat, the Sugar Glider is a tree dwelling creature, often living in groups of 15 to 30 (seven adults and their young).^[3] It is active by night when it hunts for insects and small vertebrates and feeds on the sweet sap of certain species of eucalyptus, acacia and gum trees. The Sugar Glider is named for its preference for sweet foods and its ability to glide through the air, much like a flying squirrel.^[4][5]

The Sugar Glider can occupy any area where there are tree hollows for shelter and sufficient food. Its diet varies considerably with both geography and the changing seasons, but the main items are the sap of acacias and certain eucalyptus, nectar, pollen, and arthropods. It is not very easy to see in the wild, being small and nocturnal, but a sure sign of its presence is the stripping of bark and tooth marks left in the soft, green shoots of acacia trees.

In suitable habitats it is common, often reaching densities of 1 per 1,000 square metres provided that there are tree hollows available for shelter. It lives in groups of up to seven adults, plus the current season's young, all sharing a nest and defending their territory, an example of helping at the nest. Adult males mark the territory with saliva and with a scent produced by separate glands on the forehead and chest, and also mark members of the group with this scent. Visitors which lack the appropriate scent marking are expelled violently. The dominant male mates more frequently with the female of the group than the other males, and does most of the scent marking. When an adult member of the group dies, it is normally replaced by one of the group's own offspring if female, but by an outsider if male.

In the more temperate south, breeding starts in mid-winter (June or July). In the north, there seems to be no particular breeding season. Two young per female is typical; they remain in the pouch for about 70 days, and after leaving it stays inside the nest for another 40 or 50 days, then begin to forage outside, usually under the care of the mother. The young are normally ejected from the group territory at 7 to 10 months of age. Sometimes they form new groups if an area is vacant, but competition for territory is fierce and not many survive the first months of independent life. In captivity, they may live up to fifteen years.

Breeding

The age of sexual maturity in sugar gliders varies slightly between the males and females. The males reach maturity between 3-12 months old while females reach maturity between 5-18 months. One distinctive characteristic on the males which forms as they reach sexual maturity is a “bald spot” on the top of their head which is in fact a sweat gland. In the wild, sugar gliders breed only once a year due to climate and habitat conditions while they can breed up to 4 times a year in captivity as a result of consistent living conditions.

A sugar glider female can have up to 4 joeys at time, while one to two is more common. The gestation period lasts only 16 days, after which the baby sugar glider will crawl into a mother’s pouch for further development. It is virtually unnoticeable the female is pregnant until after the joey has climbed into her pouch and begins to grow, forming bumps in her pouch. Once in the pouch, the joey will attach itself to its mother’s nipple where it will stay for about 8-9 weeks. The joey gradually spills out of the pouch until it falls out completely. Their eyes will remain closed for another 12-14 days and they are virtually furless at first. During this time they will begin to mature by starting to grow fur and increasing gradually in size. They will continue to nurse for at least another 5 weeks, after which the weaning process begins and they will become more independent.

Conservation status

Unlike many native Australian animals, particularly smaller ones, the Sugar Glider is not endangered.^[6] Despite the massive loss of natural habitat in Australia over the last 200 years, it is adaptable and capable of living in surprisingly small patches of remnant bush, particularly if it does not have to cross large expanses of clear-felled land to reach them. Several close relatives, however, are endangered, particularly Leadbeater's Possum and the Mahogany Glider (which, to the non-expert, looks almost exactly like a Sugar Glider). The Sugar Glider is protected by law in Australia, where it is illegal to keep them without a permit,^[7] or to capture or sell them without a licence (which is usually only issued for research).

Sugar Gliders as pets

Sugar Glider on a table

Outside Australia, the Sugar Glider is a popular domestic pet because of its lively and inquisitive nature; with plenty of attention (a minimum of 1-2 hours of daily human interaction), it bonds well to human companions. Where legal, the Sugar Glider is not difficult to breed in captivity under the right conditions.

Sugar Gliders are not exotic animals as defined by the USDA [1] and their breeding is regulated by the USDA.

As of March 2009, they are legal to own as domestic house pets in the U.S.A in 47 of the 48 contiguous states^[8], with California being the only exception. In Pennsylvania, they are legal as solely house pets, but breeders require a special permit and there are restrictions on the sale. However, individual U.S. cities may prohibit the keeping of Sugar Gliders. ^[9]

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Petaurus breviceps

Wikispecies has information related to: Petaurus breviceps

• Gliders in the Spotlight — Wildlife Preservation Society of Queensland
• Sugar Glider — Australian Fauna
• Tasmanian Parks information about the Sugar Glider