Size
Sugar Gliders (SG), compared to other mammalian pets, are actually quite small in adulthood. An adult specimen will probably measure a maximum of seven inches from the tip of its snout to the tip of its tail.
The average length of an adult sugar glider in captivity is only five inches, plus or minus 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.
Fur pattern
Although there are some variations, the common sugar bear has gray fur all over its upper body. The underside of the honey bear also has fur, but the fur in this region of the marsupial’s body is usually white or cream-colored. The cream colored underside can be easily seen from afar due to the strong 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’s tail is a combination of black and silver. The tip is usually covered in black fur. Now let’s turn our attention to the tail of the SG. In addition to being soft and cute, the sugar bear’s tail is important to the animal’s movement.
Line
Some people think that the glider uses its bushy tail to grab stalks and prey. No! The tip tail is actually more of a balancing 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 glider bear can also change its trajectory during gliding by changing the direction of its tail.
The face of the glider
The face of a sugar glider is short, and most of the area is taken up by large eyes. The location and size of the eyes are very important for 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 there is danger or food nearby.
The honey bear’s face is covered in striped fur, except for the ears. The ears are short, soft and move independently. This glider bear’s ability to move its ears in different directions at the same time allows this little marsupial to pick up on the sounds of 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 has become one of the victors of mammalian evolution.
Although small, the sugar glider is blessed by nature with a peculiar set of tools and senses that allow it to outsmart and easily escape larger predators.
Limbs and feet
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 finger is articulated, flexible, and has a sharp, sword-shaped claw. The same applies to its hind legs.
Their long claws allow sugar gliders to grab onto their landing spots with ease after a brief glide. Through the grip, the tip can be moved from tree to tree with relative ease and without injury. The grip lessens the impact upon landing and also helps to evenly distribute the impact of the landing throughout the body of the bear glider.
The hind legs of the honey bear are used not only for movement, but also for grooming, an activity of vital importance for marsupials. The third and fourth digits of the SG’s hind legs are physically attached to each other. This fusion creates a useful comb that the glider uses for a variety of daily grooming tasks including (but not limited to) de-worming.
The sliding membrane
The sliding 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 does not lack mobility or agility. Let’s take a look at the glider bear’s slip membrane.
Unlike the wings of a bat, the sliding membrane does not have the ligaments and bones of a skeletal structure. The slip membrane is simply a thick, flexible skin that can be spread widely during a slide.
When an adult suggests jumping from a high point to slide down, they stretch their front and back legs to activate the sliding membrane. Combine this movement with the movements of the glider’s tail 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 resemble each other, biologically they are very different. On the one hand, marsupials in general have preserved some vestiges of their reptilian evolutionary past. These vestigial reptilian characteristics affect the general behavior of the honey bear, its capacity for environmental adaptation, physical characteristics, etc.
Are you worried that this marsupial won’t live long enough for your kids to fully appreciate it? Do not be. A well-cared-for glider bear can live up to twelve years in captivity!
