Caring for a New Born Sugar Glider

The Birth

Female gliders don’t have permanent birth canals. A temporary canal forms shortly before the birth of the joeys, and it closes rapidly after the joeys are born. The joey is approximately five millimeters long when it is born. The actual birthing process is a rare site. If you count the days after mating, you might be able to watch your glider give birth. It is very important not to disturb the female during this time, as doing so could result in the joey falling. If the joey doesn't make it to its mother's pouch, it will die.  She can give birth to up to four joeys, but one or two is most common. The female glider will lick a path from the cloaca to the pouch so that her joeys don’t get stuck in her fur.  The female will aid the joey in no other way.  When a joey enters its mother’s pouch, it attaches to one of her four nipples. The nipple will swell in the baby’s mouth, making it almost impossible for the joey to detach. If the joey is knocked off for any reason, it won’t be able to reattach because the joey’s jaw is under developed.

In Pouch Development

If you think that your glider might have given birth, you can check by gently massaging her pouch area.  You can still handle your female during this time, just be careful around her pouch.  Do not try to peek in her pouch. If the joey gets knocked off the teat, it will die.  When the joeys have been in pouch for two weeks, it will become very noticeable that your glider has joeys in pouch (in pouch). By the time the gliders are one month old, they will be about the size of a peanut shell. When a joey has been in pouch for approximately one month, its jaws are developed enough to reattach in the case that it gets knocked off the teat. You might see body parts such as hands, feet, or tails protruding form the pouch now. About a week before a joey comes out of pouch, hair will thinly cover the joey’s back and tail.

Out of Pouch Development

Depending on how many joeys your glider has, the joeys will come out of pouch around nine weeks of age. People calculate the out of pouch date differently, so ask the person you bought your gliders from how they determine the out of pouch date.  When I see my joeys out of their mother’s pouch for the first time, I mark that as the out of pouch date.  Some breeders will wait until the joey is detached from its mother’s nipple to mark the out of pouch date.  When a joey first comes out of pouch, it will still bury its entire head in its mother’s pouch. This doesn’t mean that it is constantly nursing, but joeys enjoy the comfort that comes from its mother’s warm and humid pouch.  Reluctantly, over the next few days, the joey will detach form its mother’s nipple. The joey might still be able to fit entirely into the pouch, but within a couple of days it will be too large to do this.  When a joey is this young, the mother will most likely take it with her to eat, but that is not always the case.  The father will often watch the joey while the mother eats.  Male gliders are very loving to their joeys, and are often found babysitting. Usually about ten days after a joey comes out of pouch, it will open its eyes for the first time.

When joeys are old enough to regulate their own body temperature, their parents will leave them in the pouch while they eat. The joeys may cry at first. Even if the parents ignore the joeys for several minutes, this does NOT indicate bad parenting.  If you joey is being hurt by its parents, or if it is crying constantly, then you will need to consider hand raising it.  At one week out of pouch, the joey will begin to fur on its underside. When handling the joey, be sure not to remove it from its mother for longer than five minutes, because the joey still needs to be stimulated to urinate and defecate and the joey nurses frequently. The parent will now leave their joeys in the pouch when they eat every night. When the joey is between ten and twelve days out of pouch, it will open its eyes. Often one eye will open first, or they will be partially open for a day or two.

When the joey is five weeks out of pouch, it will start to try its parents’ food.  You do not need to add any special food for the joey, as mother’s milk is all that it needs. At approximately six weeks out of pouch, the joey’s tail will “fluff out”. The joey can also go to the bathroom by its self now.

Weaning and Maturity

As the joey eats more of its parents’ food, its mother’s milk supply will begin to suppress. By eight weeks out of pouch, the joey will probably be completely weaned naturally, but sometimes mothers will continue to let their joeys nurse until they are over ten weeks old. The joey can now eat exactly what its parents are being fed. The joey will need to be separated from its parents before it reaches four months out of pouch to prevent inbreeding.