Introducing Sugar Gliders

Sugar gliders are colony animals and need to be kept in pairs of 2 or more for their mental well being. That's why The Pet Glider will only sell you 2 or more sugar gliders when you purchase from us! The only exception would be if you have a single glider at home and wish to get a friend for them, in which case we will work with you to find the best suitable companion.

When bringing your new friend(s) home, you will need to leave them in their own cage separate from your current gliders for a few days so they can acclimate to their new environment. You may have the cage close to your current cage, about 4 inches apart so they cannot reach through and grab each other.

While you're waiting for a few days, you can swap toys and pouches back and forth between the gliders to mix up their scents. This will help significantly with the initial introductions. 

 

Below is a guide on the process to safely introducing your companions together:

Key Tips:

  • It is best to get a glider that is around the same age as your current one
  • Sugar Gliders who are younger than 5 months old will get along fine with other gliders, any gender, who are also 5 months or younger
  • Neutered males are basically the same as females (scent wise). Typically only intact males are territorial with other gliders.
  • Intact males will usually not get along unless they have been raised together. Males are territorial and will fight other males for dominance. If you place an intact male with a female, they will breed. Unless you are wanting a breeding pair, we highly recommend that you neuter any males. The only exception is male siblings who grew up together. They tend not to fight, but still may develop territorial issues later in life.
  • Neutralize everything!! This includes the cage that gliders will go into, toys, pouches, and the introduction space! You will need to use one blanket that smells like each set of gliders to swap their scents during introduction. But once they get places into the cage together, you don't want the scent of another glider on anything!
  • It's best to do introductions during the morning or early afternoon.
  • Offering treats before you begin introductions will get everyone in a better mood and lower their defensiveness
  • Remember.... PATIENCE!

Step by Step:

 

  1. Start off with a neutral space such as a counter or table. Have each of your gliders in their own pouches with their blankets.
  2. While keeping them in their own pouches, take out their blankets and rub it on the other glider. You’ll want to rub all over their body and the top of their head to get the scent transferred well. Do this for each glider.
  3. After you’ve thoroughly mixed their scents, grab one of their tails and allow the other to smell it, DON’T DO FACE TO FACE YET, if there is no interest with the tail or grabbing/biting, that is a good sign! You can swap the gliders and let the other one smell the tail of the first.
  4. If this goes well for each side (no aggression shown from either glider) you may now open up both pouches slightly and show them face to face. Some crabbing/screaming is normal. They are expected to communicate to each other, but do not allow any physical altercations. Separate the gliders if there is any grabbing or biting behavior! Do not rush this process or force one glider into another glider’s pouch.
    • Ignoring each other's presence after seeing one another is normal! Some intense sniffing is also normal. This means they are okay with each other.
      • If there is lunging or hand swiping, pull both pouches away. Try again when both have calmed down.
        • If one lunges at the other and they’re curled up in a ball, immediately separate them.
          • Some gliders will be too scared for introductions…
        1. If your gliders are younger than 5 months old, you can place both of them in the cage with their respective pouches. Young babies will usually work it out overnight. Keep a close eye on them when they start to wake up in the evening!
        2. If your gliders are older than 5 months old, you will have to separate them at the sign of aggression and try again from step 1 tomorrow.
        1. Having one glider crawl into the other’s pouch (without screaming from the other) is a good sign! At this point, you may hang BOTH pouches up in the cage. This way, if there are any disagreements at night, they will both have a place to sleep.
        2. Monitor the gliders at night. Keep an eye out for chasing and fighting. Sniffing, dancing and a low chirping sounds are normal.

          3. Check out a video tutorial on this process here