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Sugar Gliders
[edit]Physical Characteristics
[edit]- around 16-20 cm in length
- tail almost as long as body & thick as human thumb
- weighs 90-150 g (3-5.3 oz)
- fur generally pearl grey with black & cream patches @ base of black/grey ears
- tail tapers only moderately
- last quarter is black, often dark tipped
- twin skin membranes called patagium extend from 5th finger of forelimb back to 1st toe of hind foot
- short, rounded muzzle
- northern forms are brown & smaller
- patagium just look flabby when Sugar Glider is @ rest
- membranes used like wings to glide
- gliding membranes mainly used to get food resources
- secondary use of membranes: escaping predators
- can glide farther than 50 m (55 yd)
- can steer by curving either left or right patagium
- uses hind legs to thrust powerfully away from a tree
Habits and Behaviors
[edit]- noctournal
- adult males mark territory with saliva & scent glands
- adult males also mark members of group with scent produced by separate glands on forehead & chest
- visitors lacking scent are expelled violently
- dominant male mates more frequently with female of group than other males & does most of scent marking
- competition for territory is fierce
- Sugar Gliders bred & kept in captivity behave differently to those in the wild
Food, Feeding, and Hunting
[edit]- main food items are sap of acacias & certain Eucalyptus, nectar, pollen, & arthropods
Birth and Growth
[edit]- in more temperate south, breeding starts in mid-winter (June or July)
- in north, there seems to be no particular breeding season
- 2 young/female
- young normally ejected from group territory @ 7-10 months of age
Habitat
[edit]- lives anywhere where there are tree hollows & food
- young sometimes form new groups if an area is vacant
- adaptable & capable of living in surprisingly small patches of remnant bush