Hi everyone. Ive read many of the posts concerning bonding. I have been lucky with both my trios of girls. They came from great breeders and were very social to start. Two were even bra babies. That being said I haven't had to ask many questions on bonding. All the basic tips from previous posts have worked well. Treats, tent time, bonding pouch, etc. I'm just curious everyone's opinion in terms of bonding with a pair or trio vs a small colony. We plan to introduce are 2 trios soon to make a colony of 6. So far I have found that the bonding has gotten easier with the additional gliders. Whether its confidence in numbers or that they get jealous over the attention I'm giving to one or the other, or just coinsidnce maybe. I can say the girls are really coming around now. I read that its sometimes better to do bonding with each one separately but so far I haven't done that as they seem more curious and friendly as a group. Comments or thoughts on this would be highly appreciated. :)

If you want to make a small colony by putting together your 2 trios, the safest route would be to at first do 1 on 1 introductions, that way you can dedicate your full attention to the gliders you are introducing and more easily separate them in case they do start to fight; unlike what would happen if you tried to introduce all 6 at once, with scenarios where there are multiple fights breaking out or if multiple gliders gang on another. Start with the most docile females you have and leave the more territorial one for the last.

You must also understand that glider colonies have their hierarchy, even if they are all females, and there will always be a more dominant one. Though they may not be as prompt to fight for dominance as the males (it also depends on the glider, there are very aggressive females as well), you may have gliders that will try to be the leader of the group, and they may fight over this. So it is easier to introduce 1 at a time and let her find her role in the new colony.

That's is basically how we have been going about it. Introducing them one at a time starting in the tent. My girl mocci is definitely the dominant glider of either group. The new trio is all babies...oldest oop mid June. The 1 st trio were all oop in April. The 2 more passive older gliders have both been introduced in the tent to the new trio and they took right to the babies no aggression at all. They just seemed super curious and wanted to groom them. We just started putting mocci in the mix this weekend and she didn't show any interest in the new babies at all. On a good note she didn't show any aggression either. We plan to continue that thru the week and we've already been doing the pouch swapping and have the cages right next to each other. If all continues well we plan to try putting them together this weekend. Maybe the 2 passive older girls 1 st for a couple days with mocci on her own then add her. We are also hoping a few days alone will also help make mocci more receptive and accepting of the new babies. All that being said my question was more geared towards the group bonding with me. Any.tips on bonding with larger groups or colony of gliders. I've read that spending one on one time with each glider is sometimes better. But so far I've noticed the opposite. It seems like the new babies have been bonding quicker with me. Not sure if its because they see the older gliders are comfortable with me and it gives them confidence or if its just they have more confidence as a group than alone. I almost wonder if the get a bit jealous of the attention in give one over the other to the point they want in on it...just wondered if anyone here had any opinions or thoughts about the subject. Most of the questions here are more about bonding with one or 2 gliders. I'm still in the bonding process with each trio that will soon be a small colony.

Sorry I misinterpreted your question before.

In my opinion, gliders feel more comfortable when there are others around, and is specially good for bonding if a glider sees another feeling safe around you. Usually the way it works is that there is what I call a "scout" glider in the group, that will be more outgoing and prompt to go around exploring. Once the "scout" signals an "all clear" other gliders will follow and do as he/she did. I know it sounds silly the way I say it, but I am telling you from what I have seen with my gliders. My male, Loki, is the "scout" and whenever there is something new to explore, he'd be the one going out first, while my female, Freyja, stays in the safety of the pouch. Loki would thoroughly explore the new thing, and then go back to Freyja to let her know everything is ok (at least that's what it looks like to me); and after that she will come out of the pouch and happily go frolicking around.

Freyja has always been a very skittish glider, and it was a lot harder to bond with her than with Loki. At some point I even tried to do a 1 on 1 bonding with just her and I, but it went even worse than when Loki was around; so I decided to just continue the bonding process with her and Loki together. Eventually, and with the help of a lot of treats, she bonded to us, and is a very sweet girl, though still very neurotic. And from observing them, I noticed this patter with the 2 of them, and have heard very similar stories as well. So that is why I think that bonding will work better having more than 1 glider at a time, maybe not all 6, but 2 or 3 at beginning should be fine, until eventually you can have them all out with you for play time.

Thanks for the info. That's similar to what I'm seeing. Maddi is the shy girl for our 1 st trio. I'd tried the one on one and it seems worse. She would crab endlessly. And even in the pouch or in a cupped hand nip repeatedly. Never very hard but just enough to let you know she wasnt happy. With the group she cautious but would only crab and not nip at all. Now she fairly comfortable with me. She will half climb onto my hand if I offer her to climbon me and readily takes treats both in and out of the pouch. She still prefers to sit on your arm or shoulder rather than being held. The other 2 girls from the 1 st group are both outgoing. Playful at this stage. Theybdont mind being held just not for extended periods. The worlds to big to explore.Lol. Of the new babies 2 were bra babies and they are awesome. We have been able to hold them and play with them from day one. No crabbing or anything. Even the shy one in the second trio is sweet. She likes being petted and held but is a bit squirrly at 1 st. If you cup for a few seconds she calms right down and will sit in your hand. What I've noticed tho is since we have been playing with maddi in the tent with the new babies she seems to have made major progress. Maybe because the new bababies are so friendly and she's definitely curious of the new little ones. So far the 5 in the tent has been a blast. Mocci bullied her 2 cages mates at 1 st and still asserts herself with them from time to time. Usually over the treadmill. She doesn't like to share that ride. But her outbursts are only vocal combined with that look and tail wagging. Followed by a quick dart in the directions of her displeasure. Her cage mates heed her warning and stay clear of her when she does it. She never follows suit or chases. As long as her cagemates move when she says move. She is the one I'm most worried about with the babies we did tent time with her tonight with the babies again and all is fine in the tent. She has even inspected them. Groomed the one baby but it seemed rather ruff. She more or less sat on top of her trying to rub the stink off so to speak. Lol. It was almost as if she isn't thrilled about them and they smell funny. So if they are staying they need a good bath! I'm nervous once in her cage she may be more apt to asert her dominance. I know its normal.and as long as there is no real fighting they will work it all out. Its just hard for a over protective new.mom to watch! We have a large cage 3ft x 2ft x 6ft for both groups. We an to attach the 2 to make an even bigger cage 4ft x 3ft x 6ft. But before we can do that our friend has to make some modifications to one. So for a week or 2 once I'm comfortable they are going to be ok together. They will have to all share one cage while our friend works on the other. So far it seems like all is going quite well and we will soon have our colony of girls! :)

I see. I think that leaving Mocci last for introductions is the best route. That way, when you are introducing her to the group she would have be alone for a little bit, and will be more accepting of the other gliders. It is great that so far she hasn't show too much aggression; so I think she'll do fine by the end of the introductions. I know it can be a very stressing period for us glider parents.

Wish you the best of lucks!