Hi,

So I have read a bunch of forums and everyone kind of says different things. I have a sugar glider named Batman. I was told that he is about 1 year old when we bought him which was March 7th. I heard that each sugar glider has its own personality and each one takes time to bond. BUT mine bites ME especially all the time.. I have noticed that he is getting comfortable slowly because he lets me pet him and others too. But every time i put my hand out towards him with or without food he ends up biting my finger and really hard! He did stop this barking noise he did all the time when someone would go near him and he still does it at times in the middle of the night. I put a shirt of mine i don't care for in his cage and he sleeps in it all the time. He wont let me pick him up, he will only allow me to pet him but thats about it. Its hard to bond when all he does is bite me most of the time.. Do you guys have any suggestions or tricks or anything to help? I have a bunch of sites saved about bonding and ive tried some of the things and he still is pretty mean to me lol. Thanks!

Sounds like you need to give Batman some more time!

We got ours in January, and she still bites when we try to pick her up. I've heard that some gliders just don't like being handled!

There are, however, others ways to bond. Petting is good, as is carrying your little one around in his bonding pouch. And if you buy a tent (or have a glider-proof bathroom), you can let him run around. Even if he's not willing to be picked up, your glider might feel totally comfortable running all over you. That's the case with ours.

I was hesitant to try the following suggestion at first, but it really helps! Put some low/non-fat yogurt on the tips of your fingers and let Batman lick it off. This will show him that your hands are not threatening. He'll come to associate your hands with the yummy yogurt instead of fear. By the way, ours has never even tried to bite me while licking the yogurt--it's amazing!

Good luck!

my guys don't bite other than the occasional nip when grooming my fingers, but I also don't make it easy for them to. If you surprise him or bother him you probably will. when I know im going to surprise them (like putting my hand in their bag) I go in with a fist. even when im just going to pet them while they are in the cage I go in with a fist, let them smell/lick me then ill open it up and pet or hold if in the bag.

Thanks! That's helpful! Honestly from all the barking at me and biting I've been kinda scared of him. Bathroom proof? Sounds like something I can probably do but what exactly does that mean lol. Maybe letting him fly around me and if I have yogurt in my hand then he might bond with me better. That's a great idea! I just feel like I'm not doing much to bond because he is sleeping during the day and the fact that I'm scared to touch him because he will bite, I leave him alone but I know that just doesn't help with the bonding process. In about a month, I'm thinking of getting another sugar glider so he isn't lonely. I think maybe that might help too but I'm not sure.

You have not had him long enough for him to trust you, you are a scary predator so when you put your finger in his face, he bites the scary predator.
1. stop putting your finger in his face.

We have a few gliders we can pick up. we have some I have to scoop up, or better yet I put my hand out and let them walk on me of their own choosing. But the ones we have for awhile dont really bite anymore, they give a small nip if I try and pick them up and they don't want to be picked up. About 4-5 gliders out of 10 I can pick up and they might not like it, but they wont bite.

I would start by sitting at cage and talking to your glider, maybe get a tasty treat (yogurt drop or dried mealworm) to try to give to him. At first he will grab the treat and maybe bite you also, so give him as much length of dried mealworm as you can, or offer the yogurt drop on a spoon. He will grab the treat and run away fast. After some time, he will start to take the treat slower, more carefully. over time (maybe months) your glider should start taking the treat nice and easy with no chance of biting you. Our least bonded one will now take the mealies from the palm of my hand without biting me. you can feed the treats at night when they are awake.

another thing to do..

Just before awake time, get a glider safe small room, take out sleeping pouch with glider in it, take to glider safe room or tent. sit in room, with lights turned down low. if your glider does not come out you can gentle force him out of pouch. Let him explore, keeping sleeping pouch away from him. to start maybe keep this time short, 30 minutes. then when time is up offer him the sleeping pouch, he will probably jump right back in it. during this time just talk to him let him be, no finger poking, offer him a treat.

it shouldn't be long before you can pet him on his back. But picking up is hard and depended on the glider and bonding time and trust.
I usually let the gliders walk onto my hand, up my arm to my shoulder, I then walk them to the kitchen (im up to 3 at one time) open the frig and get them some LIVE mealies, they love these. then walk them back to cage, or if just one I let him sit with me awhile.




Gliders lined up for my wife for dried mealworm time.

They are so cute!! I tried picking him up once and he bit me hard so I never did it again. Batman loves oranges so I sometimes almost every night take a small piece of orange and hold it and he eats it while I'm holding it and sometimes he will bite my finger. I'll try that "safe area" let him go for 30 minutes to see how he will react. Thanks for the replies, they are truly helpful.

UPDATE:

I took Batman to the bathroom and let him explore. He was afraid at first and then started to crawl all over me. I noticed him digging himself back onto his hammock so, I decided to bring him back to his cage. He escapes his cage while I was fixing his hammock in the cage, I tried catching him but he was running everywhere in the bedroom... long story short - I caught him and brought him back to the cage but he bit me really hard that my whole hand was drenched in blood.

quote:

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Originally posted by bp27

UPDATE:

I took Batman to the bathroom and let him explore. He was afraid at first and then started to crawl all over me. I noticed him digging himself back onto his hammock so, I decided to bring him back to his cage. He escapes his cage while I was fixing his hammock in the cage, I tried catching him but he was running everywhere in the bedroom... long story short - I caught him and brought him back to the cage but he bit me really hard that my whole hand was drenched in blood.

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I try to use a medium sized piece of fleece so they cant bite threw that very easy when I have to catch them. then over time you wont need the fleece just a taste treat to get him to come to you.

I used a shirt this morning this time because he escaped again... I guess he already knows that if I open the cage door it's time to get out lol... I was almost late to school for chasing him everywhere AGAIN lol

Lol, I can so relate. The last thing I do before leaving the house each day is put my glider in her pouch to go with me. So of course she uses every opportunity to "escape" and explore. Having some treats nearby usually helps.