Sugar Glider (Petaurus breviceps) Fact Sheet: Behavior & Ecology

Mainly nocturnal

(Jackson 2015b; Nowak 2018a)

• Rest during daytime hours in nest in tree hollow (Nowak 2018a)
  • Daytime predators avoided (McKay 1989)
• Forage for about 60% of the night, about 8 hours (Jackson 2015b; Nowack et al. 2015)
• May forage during the day if need more food (Jackson 2015a)

Daily torpor

• Used to conserve energy and body heat (Nowack and Geiser 2016)
• See “Thermoregulation” in Other Physical and Physiological Characteristics

Benefits

(Jackson 2015b, except as noted)

• Insulation from heat and cold
• Shelter from wind and rain (Lindenmayer 2002)
• Resting space
• Protection from predators
• Site for social activities (grooming, caring for young)

Nest sites

• Typically nest in hollow cavities of tree trunks or branches (Suckling 1984; Jackson 2015b)
  • Prefer hollows 6-40 m (20-130 ft) from the ground
• Use several nest sites in home range at one time (Suckling 1984)
  • May use multiple sites each night
• Alternate nest types
  • Where few hollow trees, may use undisturbed wood stacks (Fleay 1947; Jackson 2015b)
  • Also see “Use of tree hollows” in Interspecies Interactions

Nest construction

• Bite off vegetation and carry nest material in tail, back to tree hollow (Fleay 1947; Lindenmayer 2002; Nowak 2018a)
  • Mainly leaves; sometimes bark
  • Shred nesting materials and weave into nest

Home range

• Home range size: typically 0.5 to 4.7 ha (0.002 to 0.018 mi²) (Jackson 2015a)
  • Some individuals exhibit very large home ranges—up to 14 ha (0.054 mi²) (Quin et al. 1992)
• Shape is elliptical (Quin 1995) or a long, narrow strip (when along roads or narrow forest corridors) (Lindenmayer 2002)
• Adults patrol edges of territory (Jackson 2015b)

Dispersal

• Young generally disperse by 10 to 12 months (Suckling 1984; Quin 1995)
  • Aggressive behavior by adults initiates dispersal (Suckling 1984)
• Capable of crossing open habitat with no trees (Suckling 1984)
• Males typically disperse (Suckling 1984; Sadler and Ward 1999; Malekian et al. 2015; Nowak 2018a)
• Females may remain with natal group (Suckling 1984; Malekian et al. 2015; Nowak 2018a)
• Juveniles may form a new group (Jackson 2015b; Jackson 2015a)
  • May not be able to establish a territory (Suckling 2008)
    • Mortality is high

Most social interaction occurs inside nest

(Jackson 2015a)

• All species of Petaurus highly social (Nowak 2018a)
  • Few sugar gliders nest singly (Suckling 1984)
• Sugar gliders nest in tree hollows lined with leaves (Jackson 2015a)
  • Nest has a strong odor (Smith 1973)
• Commonly nest in groups of 2 to 7 adults and their young (Suckling 1984)
  • Up to 10 to 12 individuals maximum (Suckling 1984)
  • Commonly 0 to 1 adult males and 2 to 3 adult females (Quin 1995)
  • Adult females typically related (kin) (Malekian et al. 2015)
• Groups are territorial and do not inter-mix (Nowak 2018a)
• Group composition fairly stable (Körtner and Geiser 2000)
  • If an established group member dies, a new group member is recruited (Henry and Suckling 1984; Suckling 2008)
  • Male tenure of a group of females averages 2 years (Sadler and Ward 1999)

Vocalizations

• Alarm call
  • Shrill “yap” (Flannery 1995; Jackson 2015a)
    • Similar to high-pitched barking of a small dog (Smith 1973)
• Threat call
  • High-pitched vocalization (Smith 1973)
  • Sometimes heard during fights (Jackson 2015a)
• Other vocalizations (Fleay 1947; Flannery 1995, except as noted)
  • Gurgling chatter (Jackson 2015a)
    • Made when handled or disturbed in the nest
  • Buzzing
  • Droning
  • Hissing
  • Clicking
  • Grating

Olfactory communication

• Complex chemical communication system (Schultze-Westrum 1969; Nowak 2018a)
• Groups have distinct scents that help group members recognize one another (Schultze-Westrum 1969)
  • Territory boundaries marked passively, as individuals move through trees
• Each individual in a group has a unique scent (Schultze-Westrum 1969; Nowak 2018a)
  • Identifies that individual to other group members
  • Communicates dominance rank
• Dominant male marks members of his group with his scent (Schultze-Westrum 1969; Nowak 2018a)
  • Rubs scent gland excretions onto female’s fur
  • Also spreads scent through social grooming (licking)
• Body parts involved in scent production (Schultze-Westrum 1969)
  • Both sexes
    • Salivary glands
    • Urogenital and anal glands
    • Inner eye region
    • Region behind ears
  • Breeding females
    • Glands in inner skin of pouch
  • Adult males
    • Glands on top of head and chest

Aggression

• Little to no aggression among group members (Schultze-Westrum 1969)
  • Dominance communicated through scent (Schultze-Westrum 1969)
    • See “Olfactory communication,” above
  • May compete for food or access to mates in managed care (Ride 1970)
• Protective of territory and group members (Ride 1970)
  • Very aggressive towards non-group members (Fleay 1947)
    • Males chase away and/or kill intruders near nest (Fleay 1947; Sadler and Ward 1999)
  • Defend food resources from larger animals (Suckling 2008)

Territorial

• Territory maintained by 1 or 2 dominant adult males in a group (Schultze-Westrum 1969)
  • Passively mark territory with scent
    • See “Olfactory communication,” above
  • Patrol territory boundaries
  • Chase off intruders

Plant reproduction

• Pollinate native plants (e.g., Goldingay et al. 1991)

Predator of insects

• Help to control insect populations (Smith 1982)

Alteration of Tasmanian food webs

(Campbell et al. 2018)

• Introduced to Tasmania in 1835 (Gunn 1851; Lindenmayer 2002; Campbell et al. 2018)
• Prey heavily on endemic tree hollow-dwelling birds that native Tasmanian predators cannot prey on (Stojanovic et al. 2014; Heinsohn et al. 2015; Stojanovic et al. 2017)
• Also see “Bird predation in Tasmania” in Interspecies Interactions

Competition with other gliders

• Habitat and diet generalist: can live in same habitat used by larger, competitively superior species of lesser gliders (Jackson 2015b)
  • Competition avoided by species using different habitat niches (Lindenmayer 1997; Jackson 2000a)
  • Sugar glider can use lower-quality habitat not used by competing species (Jackson 2000a)
• In some locations, may be outcompeted by other gliders (e.g., Leadbeater’s Possum) (Jackson 2015b)
  • Also see Jackson (2000a)

Use of tree hollows

• May compete for tree hollows with invasive species (e.g., European honeybee, Common Myna) (Council 2010)
• May temporarily use nests of ringtail possum (Pseudocheirus peregrinus) (Fleay 1947)

Bird predation in Tasmania

• See “Bird predation in Tasmania” in Management Actions

Nest usage by other animals

• Abandoned sugar glider nests used by yellow-bellied sheathtail bat (Saccolaimus flaviventris) (Lindenmayer 2002)

Relationship with humans

• Popular pet in the United States and Japan (Dierenfeld and Whitehouse-Tedd 2018)
  • Also Canada and Europe (Jackson 2003)
  • Unclear where first individuals in pet trade originated from—possibly New Guinea or illegally exported from Australia (Lindenmayer 2002)
    • As a native species of Australia, legally protected; can only be exported by permit

Walking

• Walk at low speed (McKay 1989)

Running

• Bounding gait at higher speed (McKay 1989)

Gliding

• Benefits (Johnson and Hemsley 2008)
  • More efficient form of movement than running, climbing, or jumping
  • Move quickly from tree to tree
  • Stay clean and dry
  • Reduced risk of predation
  • Gliding membrane used for warmth during rest
• Abilities
  • Typically glide a distance of about 20 m (70 ft) (Jackson 2000b; Jackson 2015b)
    • Maximum glide distance needs confirmation
      • Jackson (2000b): 30 m (100 ft)
      • Fleay (1947) suggests farther
  • Can make “bank turns” (90° or less) and U-turns (Jackson 2015a)
• Preferred habitat for gliding
  • See “Habitat requirements and preferences” in Habitat
• Phases
  • Preparation and launch (Jackson 2015b)
    • Climb towards end of branch
    • Move body side to side and head up and down
      • Likely to guide direction and distance to landing point
    • Crouch with head low
    • Raise tail
    • Spring into air by pushing off using hindlimbs
  • Gliding (Jackson 2000b; Bishop 2007; Jackson 2015b)
    • Spread limbs out at right angles to body
    • Move forefeet slightly upward
    • Move limbs to change tension on gliding membrane
      • Change direction or angle of descent
      • Steer around obstacles to landing tree
      • Tail likely creates drag, rather than acting as a rudder
  • Landing and braking (Jackson 2015b, and as noted)
    • Stop by moving all limbs down and forward
      • Creates maximum air resistance
        • Loose skin acts as a “parachute”
    • End of glide may include an “upward swoop” (Lindenmayer 2002; Bishop 2007)
      • Slows momentum, especially on long-distance glides
    • Land nearly parallel with tree trunk (lower impact)
      • Forefeet grasp tree first
      • Body rotates downward
      • Hindfeet grasp tree second
  • Video of gliding phases

Swimming

• Poor swimmers (Johnson 2011)

Sugar gliders are thought to be important pollinators of native Australian flowering plants.

Image credit: © Colin Trainor. CC BY-NC 4.0; some rights reserved.

Image location: Northern Territory, Australia