Once you’ve become a Sugar Glider owner, it’s hard to just have 2! When you have 3 or more gliders, that is considered a colony. In the wild colonies consist of up to 7 adult gliders. Once a male offspring is old enough, he will leave his family to start a new family of his own.
While it is possible for you to have a bigger colony than this, it is best to neuter all of your males in order to prevent fights among the adult males or reproduction within the same family line.
Yes it is possible to introduce multiple gliders to your existing gliders, however it will require more time and patience for multiple introductions. Once a set colony has already been established it can be difficult for gliders to try to re-establish dominance and order.
Tips for a successful introduction of multiple gliders:
- Always be sure to quarantine your new gliders for at least 30 days away from your current colony
- Never try to introduce colonies if the age gap is too wide (joey (2 - 5 months vs adults 6+ months)
- It is better to have equal amounts of males to females, or have more females than males
- Males over 4 months will need to be neutered
- Always use treats when introducing the gliders
- You’ll want to constantly swap their items between cages to mix up scents
- Not all will get along with the initial intro, just try again the next day
Introducing new gliders to your current ones will require a few more steps and days before you can do face to face introductions.
After the quarantine period:
- Take your separate cages where you've been housing your new gliders and your current gliders, and put them side by side, about 4" apart so they cannot reach each other.
- For the first few days, swap their sleeping pouch and toys (this will mix up their scents), but keep a neutral pouch in each cage (some gliders will refuse to sleep in another glider's pouch)
- After a week, once they have started sleeping in the other glider’s scented pouch, you can begin to introduce them one of two ways: on a neutral hard surface (counter or table) or with a tent.
- If you’re using the counter/table, you’ll want to place all gliders (still secure in their sleeping pouch) on the counter and rub their blankets on each other. You’ll then grab one glider’s tail and let the others sniff. After everyone has smelled, you can show them 1 by 1 the tail of any remaining gliders that they are getting introduced to. After this, you will reverse the process and allow the other colony to do the same for the first group. If there are no negative reactions, you may turn them around and try face to face. Screaming is a normal communication that you may observe, but separate them if any lunging or fighting starts. (See "Introducing Sugar Gliders" for a more detailed step-by-step) There is a good chance that the first time introducing everyone will not be successful. Simply put the gliders back in their cages and try again tomorrow.
- If you’re using the tent method: You will place all gliders (still in their sleeping pouch) on the floor. You should have toys scattered around and hanging all over the tent. You will then sit on the floor and wait for them to wake up and start exploring. Your gliders will get curious and check out the toys, check out you, and check out the new gliders. Separate immediately if they start chasing or fighting.
- If all goes well, and they are getting along, you may place all the gliders in a CLEAN NEUTRAL cage with clean toys and clean pouches. Make sure to have at least 2 pouches available in the cage.
- Be sure to leave 2 pouches in their cage at all times until all your gliders are sleeping in one pouch. Continue to monitor them often throughout the night. Gliders being vocal is normal but fighting may require separation.