Hi all, first post but I'm curious what a group of experienced people think.

I just got Gus, at 15 weeks oop, last Thursday, so I've been working with him for basically 2 full days, I know that's not long

I think he's a sweet guy, when he's in a bonding pouch I can put my hand in and pet his head/back without fear and he even seems to like it

If I try to pick him up, he bites, hard enough to draw blood, to the point I simply cannot 'take it'. I understand that he is scared.

The real problem I now see is, I put my hand in the cage while he's awake for the first time today, and the first thing he does is run up and bite hard enough to draw blood.

I don't know what to do, suggestions?

Welcome to glider parenthood and to the forum.

First - His behavior is perfectly normal for a glider in a new home. Your glider has not had time to adjust to the new WORLD he finds himself in. Two days is not enough time for him to become comfortable to being away from other gliders, a new cage, new sights, new sounds, new people and new smells all around him.

We often recommend allowing a glider 2 to 3 days to just chill out in their new cage to get used to all that is around him before you attempt to handle him.

Tuck a few pieces of fleece (3 to 4 inch squares are fine) in your clothing for several hours to get your scent on them, then tuck them in your glider's sleeping pouch to help him learn your scent (and you) are safe to be around.

Talk to him quietly when you are near the cage to help him learn to identify you by your voice. Always say something to him before opening the cage door or touching his sleeping pouch.

He is at an age when many gliders begin to test the boundaries and use biting to do so. A firm but not loud NO or a PSSSTTTT sound will usually stop a glider when you see that he is about to bite. Watch him carefully, there will be cues that he is about to make a move toward biting so you can stop him before he actually makes contact. This will also let him know that biting is not acceptable behavior.

Many gliders do not like being picked up. They are by nature prey animals and your hand coming down over him to pick him up is very frightening. Use treats to coax him to come to your OPEN hand. At first he will grab the treat and run but eventually he will sit in your hand to eat it or to wait until you offer another treat.

Bonding with your glider takes time for him to learn to trust you and your hands. It will happen - but on the glider's time schedule not yours.

Gliders are also colony animals - some of his biting may be due to the fact that he alone must defend himself because he has been separated from the other gliders in his family - parents and perhaps a sibling made him feel secure in his prior home. I hope you will consider getting a second glider as a companion for him very soon - perhaps contact your breeder and see if he has a sibling you could also purchase, or another joey about the same age. Be sure to read the information in the gliderpedia on quarantine (Necessary if you get a glider from a different breeder or after some time has past) and introductions.

You cannot just bring home a second glider and put it directly in the cage with your glider after he feels the cage is his territory to defend. Introductions can take time and patience especially if you wait until your glider is much older.

Thank you for the quick reply!

I'm very glad to hear that this is normal, I will continue to use the bonding pouch because he likes it, and use treats to get him used to my hand

In the meantime, his nails need trimmed and I don't want to go backwards because he obviously isn't going to just let me

Any advice on tackling that?

If you can get him interested in eating a treat or piece of fruit in his bonding pouch, try slipping one foot at a time out of the pouch (perhaps a 2nd set of hands to hold him and the pouch) Use a sharp pair of nail clippers and cut just the very sharp tip of the nails. You might only get one foot at a time before he protests. The back feet have two nails that are fused which is normal. They use these like a comb for grooming. Many folks do not cut these nails.

If you have not already had him checked out by a glider experienced vet, you may want to make an appointment for a well check up - and let the vet trim the nails to show you how. It is always advised that a glider new to your home get a well check up and fecal testing to make sure he is healthy and does not have parasite issues that require treatment.

My Leela went through a biting stage, mostly when she was in her cage not so much in the pouch or out of cage time. The Psst sound worked most of the time for me, not so much for my boyfriend.

We found that washing our hands with dawn dish washing soap before putting our hands in the cage helped a lot!! She loves the smell for some reason and of course our hands are clean and not smelling of food lol.

She also came to expect treats from our hands from the bonding pouch, putting our hands in the cage without treats didn't impress her much. So we started always having a treat to offer her when we put our hands in, even if the "treat" was a piece of her dinner like fruit instead of junk food treats.


The thing that helped the most was getting her a companion. Since we got Simon Leela hardly ever bites now, when she does it's the less painful grooming nips with a few licks right after she realizes she bit lol.

As for nail trimming.... I find trimming to be intimidating lol I'm always scared I will hit the quick so I am probably more nervous than the cridders are but they can sense that so try to calm yourself and remember to have some cornstarch handy in case you do cut to far, the cornstarch will stop the bleeding. I haven't had to use it but I do keep it ready.

I also found a mesh clipping pouch that works great!! it comes with clippers. Really this is the least stressful way for me and the critters to get through trimming http://www.artfire.com/ext/shop/product_view/SugarGliderJoy/6906566/large_cozy_clip_set_sugar_glider_nail_trim_clip_set/handmade/pets/accessories/other

here is a video so you can see how easy it can be https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pr-S3TdjLNY

Thanks both for the useful replies!

I got his nails trimmed today no problem! My girlfriend held him on his back in the pouch and I held his foot and trimmed. He would pull his foot back occasionally, but no squirming, crabbing, or biting! :)

Today, when I put treats on my hand, he would run up and take them. However, no biting or anything.

I also forgot to mention that he has never crabbed at all, not once since I got him!

This morning was worrisome, but I'm glad it looks like a false alarm and that he's on the way to being a well mannered glider :)

Update, he likes to run to the front of the cage to greet me at night :)

Probably because 90% of the time I come bearing a snack...

Anyway, tonight was progress, I was able to hold my hand in and let him take a treat, and he STAYED on my hand!

After the treat he proceeded to nibble on my pinkie finger, not with the intent of injury though, and the PSSST method seems to show promise on that front, it stopped the nibbling and then he licked my hand to get the last of the treat taste... then he nibbled my thumb (lighter than the previous nibble), then PSSST, then he paused, then I set him back in the cage before he decided to go explore the room

Does it sound like I'm handling the situation properly?
Any suggestions?

I'm glad he is comfortable enough to sit in my hand without bolting now :)
I'm still just a tad concerned about the biting, but it now seems to be a curiosity/limits testing thing, so I'm not as concerned that he's downright hostile.

Thanks again for all your advice guys!

Here's a pic of the lil guy sleeping-

Hello, I'm curious to know is he your only one? Also very cute pic. :)

I Have a bitter in my colony and she only bites me at approach. It doesn't matter where the approach happens. She bites me and then crawls on me. It took a long time for her to trust me to pick her up. She still bites and also doesn't crap either. It almost seems as if she is testing to see if I will react if she bites and I don't react she crawls on me. If I pull back or make a noise she doesn't. Every glider is different, so I would say just give him time and don't give up. :)

Yep, he's my first and only for the time being, though sometime in the future I would like to get him a buddy :)

Another exciting update, just today, he crawled on my hand and took a treat, then stayed there calmly afterwards while I pet him, then when I held him up to his pouch he crawled back in, no biting at all!!

So I was hoping things were going well, but now I can't tell if he's just using my hands for food...?

If I hold out fruit, he takes it and will sit on my hand happily, if I hold a vegetable, he nibbles my fingers with increasing duration and pressure until I withdraw.

I was hoping that the PSST or NO noises would help, but now he seems to largely ignore them

any advice?

Should I continue giving him fruit because he likes it?
Or stop giving him fruit because it encourages the poor behavior?

I'm not sure...

Thanks for the advice!

edit, I have also not given any out of cage time, because my room is large and I know if he hides I will not be getting him back until he goes to sleep, since I doubt he will come to me voluntarily at this point

Should I be giving him time out of the cage?
Unfortunately I do not have a pop up tent, or any other small place

Another edit, sorry-
I just took one of his fleece squares that I usually have in his bed, rubbed it on me, and placed it in front of him, to play with if he wanted.
He immediately grabbed it and made a few hissing noises... I have no idea what that means, ideas?

He's using you'r hands for food, but you'r using food to get to know him and teach him to trust you, so it's a two way street. You've only had him a few days, if he likes fruit give him fruit.

I didn't start doing out of cage time at night until after a couple weeks of bonding. Once I saw signs that she wanted to be on me rather than in her pouch I started doing bathroom time. At this point she knew her pouch, cage and me were her safe places. So I didn't worry about retrieving her when bathroom time was over she would come to me or go in her pouch to go back to her cage.


The bathroom needs to be glider proof, close the toilet, close the drains in sinks n tub, child proof outlets, towel under the door if there is a gap etc....

As for the piece of fleece.. I'm not positive but lol, he is a male and his fleece has his scent from sleeping with it. He may have been annoyed that you marked something he already claimed as his by marking it with his own scent. Maybe try taking a new piece of fleece he hasn't claimed, carry it on you then put it in the cage.

I have noticed our gliders are protective of "their" stuff in the cage and don't appreciate when we mess with it. It's not as bad now with 2 gliders but when Leela was single she would find ways to show me she was not happy that I removed a toy or touched her things. They were HERS lol

Thanks Leela, as long as it is OK that he is using my hands for food, I'm not so concerned.

Thanks also for the feedback on the fleece and hissing, my only past experience is dogs/cats so I don't have a good read on these guys yet.

If I may ask, what were those signs that she would rather be on you than in the pouch?

Thanks again for all the help!!

Using you'r hands for food is the easiest way to teach them you'r hands are safe. If he's sitting on your hand or arm to eat rather than running off with the food it's a good sign he is starting to trust you.

I would start our bonding day at around 8 or 9 am. For the first week Leela was scared of my hand going in the pouch so treats were used often. After a few days she stopped crabbing and started expecting treats. At the beginning of the second week she started getting curious about the top of the pouch. (First sign ) she'd poke her head up and out of the pouch to look and smell then duck back in. It was like a game of peekaboo When she'd do this I would offer the top of my hand to her, the top side of you'r hand is less threatening n doesn't look like claws trying to grab them . She'd get half on my hand n stay half in the pouch( second sign ) I never made her come the rest of the way out, if she wanted to go back inside the pouch I let her. When SHE was ready she came all the way out of the pouch n onto my hand ( third sign ). The next time she came all the way out of the pouch she found my sleeve and went right into it lol from then on she claimed me and my sweatshirt. Instead of going into her pouch in the mornings she'd just go in my sweatshirt then I knew we were well on our way to being bonded.

Gliders all have different personalities and are all on their own time frame. So it may take you'rs less time or it may take longer. But you should be able to see some signs. Just remember you want him to trust you, but trust goes both ways you have to trust him too. If he acts like he wants to be on you he probably does so trust him enough to let him.

Thanks for the help leela, I can't even say how helpful it is to chat on here!

He is starting to trust me then, it's great to get feedback I can compare to, he plays peekaboo at the moment and will crawl onto my hand for treats/fruit, I will begin keeping more on hand so when he is on my hand I can keep giving him things (and keep him from nibbling)

I'm glad it sounds like we are progressing fine along the bonding process, tomorrow marks one week :)