A small, nocturnal gliding possum named for its taste for sugary sap and nectar. It glides between trees on membranes stretching from its front to back feet, and looks much like a flying squirrel although the two are not closely related.
Quick answers
What is it?Mammal
Carnivore?Omnivore
Dangerous?No
Domesticated?No
Awake when?Night
A small nocturnal gliding possum.
Hibernates?No
Kept as a pet?Sometimes
A popular exotic "pocket pet" in several countries, though it needs company to stay healthy.
Do people eat it?No
At a glance
Found inAustralia
HabitatForest
ColoursGrey, Black, White
SizeTiny
Length24–30 cm, nose to tail tip
WeightMales about 140 g, females about 115 g
Legs4
Covered inFur
Lives incolonies
Lives for10–15 years
In the wild
- Where it lives
- Coastal forests of southeastern Australia; close relatives live across eastern and northern Australia and New Guinea.
- What it eats
- Sap, nectar and other sugary foods, plus insects.
Did you know
Glides 50 metres between trees using a membrane from wrist to ankle.
For every 1.82 m it glides forward, it drops just 1 m.
It lives up to 9 years in the wild; the oldest known reached 17.8 years.
Often confused with
- Flying squirrel
The flying squirrel glides the same way but is a rodent; the sugar glider is a marsupial.
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