My mom wanted to know if anyone has tried using a drop of food coloring to tell gliders apart? We're taking them to the vet next week and the vet thinks it might be helpful to help tell them apart. (The little dudes are finally getting neutered--YAY.)

*My* concern is that they would lick it off. Isn't that, like, toxic? :( Well, the vet recommended it... meeeh...

Lol. My mom just said to put it in a place where they can't reach. "Dude, can you get this weird crap off my back for me, please?" XD

Most gliders have different features that help tell them apart. I wouldn't mark them with anything -- if one can't reach it, the other CAN.

If you post a pic of the two of them we can try to help you pick out features. :)

I don't believe food coloring is toxic but they surely will groom it off.

I agree with Jen, there is always a way to tell them apart but if you want a quick visual, maybe snip some fur off the tip of the tail of one...be careful not to get the tail itself.

I did it with mine, they had it off by the next morning.

One of them (I am pretty sure it's Jesse) has a blurry stripe. That's sort of what I go by. That, and the fact that Jesse bites and Josie is my nice little demure one. XD My mom isn't convinced.

Oh, right! Jesse also freaked the heck out at the vet, while Josie just sort of shivered in the pouch. It was hilarious--following instinct, he tried to get as high as possible. XD

www.sugarglider.com/glidergossip/photo_album_view.asp?cname=Main+Album&mid=13070&cid=3631 Here's a pic of them! Unfortunately, no good photo has a back view. Will try tonight. If I stay awake long enough. I has a cold :(

Try to get photos of them at the same angle, too. It makes it easier to compare.

From this pic..it looks like the top one has darker around the eyes.. but that could be the angle, too.

If you only have 2 you can cut the fur on the tip of ones tail so that one is pointed and one is blunt. Just make sure to hold the actual meat of the tail between your fingers so you dont cut too low.

This is pretty much the only safe way ive ever heard of marking gilders.

Fox: Okay! The trick is, they never sit still XD
Ooh.

Lance: How fast will it grow back, though? Two weeks later (or whatever the time is)--bam, I don't know which glider is which.

Also--how in the world do you train them to respond to their names? XD

Do they have different personalitys?

~Erica~

Stella: But of course! :D Jesse is the little daredevil. Josey loves to eat. ... He REALLY loves to eat.

I think Jesse is a tad smaller. I dunno. :3

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by vns1gliders</i>
<br />Fox: Okay! The trick is, they never sit still XD
Ooh.

Lance: How fast will it grow back, though? Two weeks later (or whatever the time is)--bam, I don't know which glider is which.

Also--how in the world do you train them to respond to their names? XD


<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></font id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

This is not a method that I use myself so Im not really sure. Im lucky in that all 3 of my guys have such distinct personalities and faces that I can tell them apart at a glance. After you have your gliders for a while im sure you will be the same way.

But If you did decide to cut one im sure that the regrowth would be so gradual that if wouldnt be a problem as long as you re-cut as needed.

Noises are good to get them to look the direction you want. Bells, shaking the treat container, so on so forth. :D

Lance: Darn, you're lucky. XD
Ah. Wait, wouldn't that affect gliding and stuff? They use their tail for balance... Like clipping off a bit of the rudder of an airplane or whatever?

Fox: Hahaha. They always seem to be with me in a flash if I open the bag of yoggies! n.n

Please be very careful if cutting the fur on their tail the tip is so tiny that it's hard to detect. I know this because mine has removed his fur due to other health stuff and it is really tiny tip.

Why does it matter to the vet who is who? If it's imperative then they can put a tie on the tail when they are under (?) of course it will come off immediately when they wake, but I'm not sure why they need to have them marked.

Gliders do have differences, look at their eyes some are slanted more than others or bluer. Does one maybe have a small bit of white where the other doesn't maybe on the ear? I would do the food coloring before I cut their fur, seems safer.

LHill: Gotcha.
Ooh! Hadn't thought of that. :D
Hm. Will investigate.

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by vns1gliders</i>
<br />Fox: Okay! The trick is, they never sit still XD
Ooh.

Lance: How fast will it grow back, though? Two weeks later (or whatever the time is)--bam, I don't know which glider is which.

Also--how in the world do you train them to respond to their names? XD


<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></font id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">I did this and it hasn't grown back the same. ( a month or so ago) We did it to tell them apart for medical reasons too. One had to see the vet and they weight the same and look the same depending on the light. We needed to know quickly at the vets.

There should be something different between the two. With my two standards, one has a longer nose or more black between the eyes and ears (ones black connects and the other doesn't)