Introducing your Glider to Others: Captive Glider Behavior in Relation to Wild Colonies

Written by: TMarie - GA Owner/Admin

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Introducing one glider to another or a group of gliders can be difficult. However, since gliders are bonding and social creatures it can also be rewarding. This article will give you a closer look at why some introductions work and some do not. It will also explain how introductions and colonies in captivity relate to their behavior in the wild.

One of the most important things to remember when trying to introduce two or more gliders is that you must go at their pace. If you try to make them bond to another glider too quickly, it may end up in tension, fighting, and even death. Sugar gliders have personalities just like humans do. This means they are not guaranteed to get along all of the time.

Another tip you might want to keep in mind is rules for gliders that have a better chance of getting along. These are acceptable duos: female and female, female and male, male and neutered male, female and neutered male. These rules come from their behavior in the wild and their instincts. In order to fully understand this, we will now go into more detail on sugar glider colonies in the wild.

Sugar Gliders live in the canopy level of the rainforest; that is the top level of the trees. They spend most of their time foraging for food also. In the wild, they live in colonies of an average of ten adults with the joeys leaving when they are weaned. A few of these are males, with the rest being females to bear the joeys. The territory of each colony spreads over several acres of land. Sometimes colonies can overlap, but gliders are very territorial for the most part, especially males and most importantly, the alpha male.

In every colony, there is an alpha male. This male is the most dominant and territorial. He will control the other couple males as well as be the one to ward off any predators. A reason why there are few males in the colonies is due to territorial issues. They often become not only territorial of their living area, but of the females as well. Males are not the only ones who can get into fights however. Females can often become jealous of each other's babies if they have the same father. In colonies, however, they have the freedom to move away from each other if problems arise.

Colonies in their natural environment give them the opportunity to move to another area should a problem arise with another member of the colony. In captivity, this is what makes it hard to keep a successful colony. The one major part lacking is the freedom to move away when a confrontation arises. Males fighting over dominance will often end up battling it out in a fuss ball until injury or even death. This is due to not being able to get away from each other and it is such a small territory.

Females will often become jealous of each other's joeys if they are fathered by the same male. This makes it hard for a trio to work in captivity. This is not to say that it will not work, but that natural instinct makes it a difficult situation.

The best start to ensuring a colony works in captivity is to neuter all males. What this does is first off prevents them from impregnating females if they are housed with any, which stops the female jealousy. Also, when the male is neutered, some of his scent glands dry up and he does not have all the characteristics of a male, which makes him less territorial and other males less territorial towards him. At the time, there is not an easy way to spay a female, and most veterinarians will not even attempt it.

Even if these precautions are taken, that is no guarantee two or more gilders will get along. Here are some scenarios to be prepared for: a glider dying or being seriously injured from a fight with a newly introduced glider; an older male raping a young female joey; a bonded glider does not teach its new mate to bond and therefore that glider bonds to the other glider and not to you; and finally, they may just never become friends and will have to be housed separately.

To make introductions run more smoothly and have a higher chance of success, here are some tips to follow.

Start by placing their cages near each other, but not so close they can reach each other. Then slowly start trading items that would carry the other's scent. For example, try swapping blankets, sleeping areas, toys, and food bowls. You can also put a cover over the cage to trap that scent in so they become accustomed. Swapping cages can also be done to see how they handle living in the other's scent.

Remember that gliders should be of the same approximate size and age. For example, putting a joey in with a glider over 6 months of age could potentially cause some issues. Big kids will pick on little kids. If you would like to put a joey in with an older glider, it is best to keep them separated until they are both at maturity (at least 7 months of age).

Making them have the same scent but putting a small amount of vanilla or peppermint on them can also help them become used to each other more easily.

You can also let one crawl on the outside of the other's cage and vice versa to see how they will interact before you let them play out of the cages together. This helps to ensure there will be no fighting. When you do decide to let them play, put them in a neutral area that does not smell like either of them and supervise it carefully for any fighting or injuries.

If they start playing happily for a few days and are clicking and chattering at each other, chances are they will be very good friends. You can then put them in a cage together. It is recommended you put them in a neutral cage, but you can also just thoroughly clean one of the cages also and then put in items with both of their scents on them slowly so something is familiar. You will want two separate feeding stations too, at opposite ends of the cage and preferably one higher and one lower. This will help to ensure they are both eating well.

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