Do Sugar Gliders Bite?

The short answer is YES, of course Sugar Gliders do bite. But don’t assume it bad at first.

For some people, Sugar Gliders are charming and adorable pets, as well as energetic and curious animals. For some other people, including beginners who are just keeping Sugar Gliders, Sugar Gliders may be seen as aggressive animals and like to bite or even scratch.

When someone says that Sugar Gliders do bite and they are aggressive, that is not entirely true. Sugar Gliders are friendly animals and rarely bite.

Are Sugar Gliders aggressive?

If Sugar Gliders are aggressive, of course when we approach the cage or even open the cage door, they will immediately run and jump at us and bite us. Attacking, biting and not even letting go of the bite, that is the definition of aggressive, it’s an act of attacking offensively. What usually happens is the opposite, it’s self-defense, or defensive action. In general, Sugar Gliders bite only when they feel scared, threatened, or in danger.

What Sugar Gliders do as a defensive measure are they usually step back and be on guard, even standing up straight to appear big/tall, and making crabbing sounds to warn/threaten. If the danger becomes more threatening, Sugar Gliders will defend themselves by biting and/or swinging its arms to hit.

Why do Sugar Gliders bite?

There are several reasons why Sugar Gliders bite, including those previously explained, such as:

Fear, both of other animals and of humans. This fear can be caused by trauma from bad incidents that they had experienced before.
Defense, defending family/colony members who are in danger, danger from other animals or humans.
Hunger, a natural instinct of most animals experiencing severe hunger.
Teeth growth, joeys that are currently teething usually feel discomfort in their gums. This usually occurs in joeys at the age of 0…2 weeks (0…½ months).

What does a Sugar Glider bite feel like?

Sugar Gliders bite rarely hurt, but most likely will take a human by surprise. This is what causes us to feel shocked and then reflexively become afraid of them. A Sugar Glider bite feels like a pinprick, where if the bite is hard enough it can cause a little bleeding. Joey bites are usually not painful because their teeth are still small and have not yet fully grown.

Sugar Gliders are social animals that usually live in groups in a colony. They usually clean (groom) each other. They also like to groom us as their caretaker. Sugar Gliders groom by licking their bodies, and if they groom us they will usually lick our hands or bodies. While they are grooming us, sometimes their teeth accidentally touch & rub our skin, this is what we usually feel like a bite.

The more often we spend time interacting with our Sugar Gliders, the more they will bond with us and trust us. This will reduce their tendency to be fierce and even bite us.

So, have you ever felt the bite of a Sugar Glider?

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