Somewhere down the line of evolution a bat, squirrel, and the taste buds of a bumble bee must have been genetically mixed together to form the sugar glider. The sugar glider is an extremely cute, yet interesting animal that resides in the coastal regions of Australia and various islands around the area. The name of these creatures, sugar glider, is a short yet accurate depiction of what these squirrel-like animals like to do. The sugar glider generally weighs only about three to five ounces and is anywhere from nine to twelve inches in length however about half of that is the actual length of their somewhat prehensile tail. These creatures are generally gray or brown, but there have also been spotting of albino sugar gliders, where they are entirely white with pink eyes. The sugar glider is a marsupial that is born rather immaturely, and is deeply reliant upon growth within its mother's pouch located on her abdomen. The gliding aspect of these fascinating creatures is called the patagium. The patagium is a furry membrane that extends from the wrist of the animal all the way down to their lower ankle, and when extended allows these creatures to soar through the air. They are able to glide from tree to tree safely landing by using their opposable big toe that helps latch on with a strong grip to branches. The sugar glider obviously enjoys a sugary diet, as it primarily eats flours, nectars, fruits, saps, and sometimes small insects.
The sugar glider population is steady and sustainable, however, with that being noted the sugar gliders are currently subjected to heavy amounts of pet trading as well as problems with agricultural clearance. The sugar glider is a very social and loving creature that requires a lot of attention, and rarely if ever poses any serious harm towards humans. Therefore, there have been a heavy number of requests and demands to have these sugar gliders as pets. Although keeping or owning sugar gliders as pets hold no true harm to them or yourself, it does however disperse the amount of sugar gliders unequally, and creates potential problems for finding mates; in return can pose problems for the population of sugar gliders in the distant future. Another potential threat to sugar gliders is the heavy amount of agricultural clearance that is present within the local island vicinities. As there are heavy amounts of reconstruction and reconfiguration of various locations, it transcends and affects the sugar gliders homes and habitat.
