Size
Sugar Gliders (SG), compared to other mammalian pets, are actually quite small as adults. An adult specimen will probably measure at most three inches from the tip of the snout to the tip of the tail.
The average length of a captive adult sugar glider is only five inches, give or take a few centimeters.
By the time your SG reaches the six-inch mark, you already have an adult sugar glider that is ready to breed.
skin pattern
Although some variations exist, the common sugar bear has gray fur all over its upper body. The underside of the honey bear also has fur, but the fur on this region of the marsupial’s body is usually white or cream in color. The cream-colored underside can be easily seen from afar due to the stark contrast between the fur on the animal’s neck and the fur on its head.
The sugar glider is a striped marsupial with characteristically thick stripes running from the facial region to the back. The tip tail is a combination of black and silver. The tip is usually covered with black fur. Now let’s turn our attention to the SG’s queue. In addition to being soft and cute, the sugar bear’s tail is important to the animal’s movement.
Tail
Some people think that the glider uses its bushy tail to grasp stems and prey. Nope! Suggie’s tail is actually more of a balance and steering tool. When a honey bear glides, the tail is used to balance weight and air movement, allowing the animal to land safely on the other side. The gliding bear can also change its trajectory during gliding by changing the direction of its tail.
the face of the glider
A sugar glider’s face is short, with most of the area taken up by large eyes. The location and size of the eyes are very important to honey gliders in the wild because this eye presentation allows the animal to scan its surroundings more effectively.
Think of the SG’s eyes as a wide-angle lens. It cannot see very far, but it can see the entire landscape more effectively than other mammals. In a quick scan of its surroundings, a sugar bear can determine if danger or food is nearby.
The honey bear’s face is covered in striped fur, except for the ears. The ears are short, soft and move independently. This ability of the glider bear to move its ears in different directions at the same time allows this small marsupial to pick up sounds from its surroundings more efficiently.
Combine this keen sense of hearing with a wide field of vision and you begin to understand how this little creature has withstood the challenges of natural selection and become one of the victors in mammalian evolution.
Although small, the sugar glider is blessed by nature with a peculiar set of tools and senses that allow it to easily outwit and outrun larger predators.
limbs and feet
Just like humans, sugar bears have a total of twenty digits on their limbs. A glider has a total of ten digits on its front legs. Each digit is articulated, flexible and has a sharp sword-shaped claw. The same applies to its hind legs.
Their long claws allow sugar gliders to grasp their landing sites with ease after a short glide. By gripping, the suggie can be moved from tree to tree relatively easily and without injury. The grip lessens the impact upon landing and also helps to evenly distribute the shock of landing throughout the glider bear’s body.
The honey bear’s hind legs are used not only for movement, but also for grooming, a vitally important activity for marsupials. The third and fourth digits on the SG’s hind legs are physically attached. This fusion creates a handy comb that the glider uses for a variety of daily grooming tasks, including (but not limited to) deworming.
The sliding membrane
The slippery membrane is the only thing that really separates the tiny marsupial from its larger possum cousins. Although this creature may lack height and length, it is not lacking in mobility or agility. Let’s take a look at the gliding membrane of the bear glider.
Unlike bat wings, the gliding membrane does not have the ligaments and bones of a skeletal structure. The sliding membrane is simply a thick, flexible skin that can spread widely during a slide.
When an adult suggie jumps from a high point to slide down, it stretches its front and back legs to activate the sliding membrane. Combine this move with the glider tail movements and you have a perfect little glider marsupial ready to transport from tree to tree.
Important notes:
Many people believe that a sugar glider is simply a miniature version of a flying squirrel. Although at first glance these two animals may seem similar, biologically they are very different. For one thing, marsupials in general have retained some vestiges of their reptilian evolutionary past. These vestigial reptilian characteristics affect the overall behavior of the tampon, environmental adaptability, physical characteristics, etc.
Are you worried that this marsupial won’t live long enough for your kids to fully appreciate it? don’t be. A well cared for glider bear can live up to twelve years in captivity!