Masticate
To masticate is to chew.
Sugar gliders are sap suckers by nature and it is best if their nectar is super fine and wet so that they can lap it up with their tongue. You will come to see that they will essentially dessicate any chunks in a nectar mix and just leave them there. Sugar gliders prefer to use their tongues where possible. When they eat meats, they masticate the heck out of it and then spit out the dessicated remains. You may interpret this as them liking to chew when in fact they are simply doing what is necessary to extract the juices. When they eat mealworms, they chew on and work out the internal soft and wet parts and then discard the husk. Soft and liquid foods are best for sugar gliders but it has been thought that some harder items such as a kibble could help to clean their teeth to prevent decay. Interestingly enough, for the most part sugar gliders tend to not live long enough for tooth decay to be an issue. There is the occasional tooth infection that can cause abscess but odds are that hard foods could even be a culprit in those cases for cracking or moving teeth and allowing bacteria in.
See also
Sugar glider tongue
Sap sucker
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