The sugar glider is one of Australia’s most engaging mammals: a pint-sized possum that can sail through the forest on a membrane of skin stretched between wrist and ankle
It is one of the many species of glider found across Australia and New Guinea, and like its acrobatic cousins, spends much of its life high in the trees. With enormous, sparkling black eyes and silky soft grey fur, the sugar glider is undeniably ‘cute’, which has led to it being kept as a pet, but experts warn that it is extremely difficult to meet its needs in captivity.
- Weird flying animals: discover the different species that can take to the sky
- It contains the world’s deadliest snake and one of the only venomous mammals – so why does Australia have so much deadly wildlife?
Where does the sugar glider live?
What is currently referred to as the sugar glider (Petaurus breviceps) occurs in eastern Australia, on the coastal side of the Great Dividing Range – the series of plateaus and low mountains that run from the Torres Strait to Victoria. It lives in forests and woodlands, especially eucalypt habitats with enough tree hollows for shelter and nesting.
Historically, the name ‘sugar glider’ used to refer to a single widespread species, but in 2021 three closely related species were recognised. The true sugar glider is Petaurus brevicep; while Krefft’s glider, Petaurus notatus, occurs across eastern and northern Australia (as well as Tasmania as an introduced species); and the savanna glider, Petaurus ariel, is found across northern Australia.
How does it glide?
A sugar glider’s most distinctive feature is its patagium, the furry membrane that runs from the forelimb to the hindlimb. When the animal leaps, it spreads all four limbs and turns that membrane into a living aerofoil. The long tail acts as a stabiliser and rudder, helping it steer and adjust its angle before landing.
This is not powered flight, of course, but controlled gliding, and it is effective enough to carry a sugar glider around 50m between trees – nearly the length of half a football pitch. The species is largely tree-dwelling and rarely needs to descend to the ground, where it would be more vulnerable to predators.
How big is a sugar glider?
An adult sugar glider typically weighs between 100-160g and is comparable to a rat in size, although it looks larger when the gliding membrane is spread. Its thick tail can reach 15cm and is partially prehensile, used to hold the leaves with which it lines its nest.
What does a sugar glider look like?
Large dark eyes dominate its pointed face and offer superior vision and accuracy when gliding at nighttime, while rounded ears swivel independently to locate sounds.
The fur is typically grey on top and paler below, with a dark stripe running from the head to the mid-back and dark rings around the eyes. Occasionally the thick tail is ended in a white tip.
Why is it called the sugar glider?
The second half of the name is straightforward: it glides. The first comes from its fondness for sweet foods. The sugar glider feeds on nectar, pollen, sap and other sugary plant exudates. But they are flexible omnivores and carnivorous, too, preying on invertebrates, and even lizards, small birds and eggs.
Where does it sleep?
By day this nocturnal creature sleeps in a nest made of leaves inside a tree hollow, emerging after dark to travel and feed. These hollows are a crucial part of its ecology, because they provide shelter from weather and predators, and a place to rear young.
- What animals sleep standing up?
- What is sleep and why do animals need to sleep?
- Do all animals sleep?
The sugar glider is highly social and groups of up to seven adults and their young may share a nest, forming small family clans. However, they will defend their territory if threatened by another clan, or a predator.
How does it breed?
The sugar glider is polygynous, meaning that one dominant male sugar glider will mate with multiple females. Like other marsupials, a female gives birth to underdeveloped young that crawl into their mother’s pouch and suckle protein-rich milk. Twins are common. After a little over two months, they emerge into the world, slowly learning how to defend themselves and forage. Mothers can produce more than one litter in a year.
Does the sugar glider face any threats?
Historically, when classified as a widespread species, Petaurus breviceps was listed as of Least Concern by the IUCN, with a large population. However, since its reclassification, scientists have realised that the true sugar glider has a much smaller range than previously thought, sharpening conservation concern.
The species’ survival depends on the availability of old hollow-bearing trees, so the destruction and fragmentation of its habitat could pose a serious risk. More research is needed to understand the impact of Australia’s catastrophic bushfires in 2019-2020, for instance. Predatory feral animals, such as cats and foxes are also a threat, along with barbed-wire fences, which can trap their gliding membrane.
How long do sugar gliders live?
Their average lifespan is around 4-5 years in the wild
