Sugar Glider

Petaurus breviceps

Least Concern

The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary

It can glide up to 50 metres between trees thanks to a membrane of skin stretched between its front and hind limbs, a case of convergent evolution with the flying squirrels.

Weight

80 g – 170 g

Size

12 cm – 30 cm

Lifespan

5 years

Diet

Omnivore

Combines animal and plant food depending on availability.

Activity

Nocturnal

Active mainly at night.

Social structure

Family group

Lives in small family groups with close bonds.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

RainforestTemperate forestOmnivore Nocturnal Family group Rainforest Temperate forest Mammal

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Fun facts

Females can nurse young of different ages at the same time, producing milk of a different composition at each teat.
It eats tree sap, nectar, insects and occasionally small vertebrates.
It lives in forest and woodland of Australia, Indonesia and New Guinea.
locomociónIt can glide up to 50 metres between trees thanks to a membrane of skin stretched between its front and hind legs.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (marsupial mammal)
Habitat & environment: Forest and woodland of Australia, Indonesia and New Guinea, gliding between trees
Birth weight: ~0.19-0.2 grams
Size at birth: Tiny and helpless at birth, the size of a grain of rice
Sexual maturity: Female: 8-15 months | Male: 12-15 months
Gestation / incubation: 15-17 days
Litter / clutch size: 1 to 2 young per litter
Lifespan in captivity: Documented record of up to 17.8 years in captivity

Sources consulted: AnAge (genomics.senescence.info); MSD Veterinary Manual; San Diego Zoo; Animal Diversity Web; JungleDragon; VCA Animal Hospitals; SeaWorld; Animalia.bio