Temperament of hand-raised sugar gliders vs colony-raised
The Foundation: Sugar Glider Social Structure
In the wild, sugar gliders are intensely social, living in communal groups of 6 to 10 individuals. Their lives revolve around a sophisticated language of scents, vocalizations, and grooming rituals. Central to their development is the concept of Imprinting.
Imprinting occurs during the “Pouch Out” (PO) phase and the subsequent weeks of weaning. During this window, a joey learns what it is: is it a glider that communicates with other gliders, or is it a creature that looks to humans for every emotional need? A well-adjusted temperament requires a glider to understand its own species’ social cues while simultaneously viewing humans as safe, non-threatening partners.
Hand-Raised Gliders (HPB – Human-Raised Pouch Babies)
A hand-raised glider is typically removed from the parents early, often due to parental rejection or a breeder’s attempt to create a “super-bonded” pet. These joeys are fed via syringe and …
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