New to gliders and desperately need help.

Question
My wife and I just purchased a sugar glider about 3 days ago and I feel we are doing something wrong. After reading various sites online I left him alone for a little over a day. I talked to him a little , got him in his bonding pouch, and fed him a few treats by hand, but didn't try to make a lot of direct contact. I'm writing at the end of the third day of having him. So far he doesn't really respond to us other than to bite us. I can occasionally pet him when he is eating a treat or during the day while he is in his cage, but he is very aggressive. The exotic pet store that I bought him from told me that his tale had just gotten bushy enough to be separated from his mother and that he was just a baby. From what i've read, a baby sugar glider can barely bite, I read it was supposed to feel like a toothpick poking you, ours bite quite frequently and usually penetrates the skin. Needless to say that has caused us to be a bit weary of holding him. I bought a pair of gloves to use, but it masks my scent and only scares him so I hate to use them. I read a note saying I should put honey on my fingertips so he can lick it and learn to associate my hands as being something pleasant, but wouldn't that encourage him to bite? I'm new to sugar gliders so any information is helpful. If you could please give me some instructions on how to stop the biting and help me bond with him I would appreciate it. I've already made some mistakes with him. When he bit me it startled me and I shook my hand to get him to stop biting and threw him in the cage and on the floor after he bit me another time. Earlier today I was wearing heavy duty landscaping gloves to hold him and he managed to bite straight through them and still penetrate the skin. I kinda bit my tongue and hurriedly put him in he cage. But like I said, I would appreciate any help that can be offered. I'll probably have consistent questions as problems arise. Thank you for your help in advance!

Answer
Timothy,

My father's name...I haven't heard it in a long time!

Your little glider is all alone for the first time, and is terrified.  He is defending himself the only way he knows how, by crabbing and biting.  Even a baby can bite very hard if he feels seriously threatened.

You are trying to rush things, and now you'll have to work extra hard to get him to trust you.  Don't worry, he will learn to love you.  Here is the article I have written about bonding with new Sugar Gliders.  Please be patient.  It took me four months to bond with my first glider, and now he's the nicest of the bunch.

Bonding with Sugar Gliders will take a lot of time and patience. The objective is to convince them that you are not scary, and that having you around brings pleasure and nourishment.  For now, get a pouch/purse to put them in, and wear the pouch next to your skin during the day when they are sleeping.  You want to get them used to your scent.  Don't try to handle them yet.  Next, try holding them from OUTSIDE the pouch.  Just cup them in your hands.  They will probably fuss, but do not back down.  Continue doing this until they no longer fuss.  Get some licky treats such as applesauce or yogurt.  Put some on your finger and put it at the opening of he pouch to see if they will lick it off your finger. The idea is to get them to trust you.  When they are readily eating from your finger, start the next step:  While they are sleeping in the pouch, put your hand INSIDE the pouch.  Cup them as you did from the outside.  At this point you may get some bites.  They don't trust you yet.  Don't back down.  You don't want them to think they can get you to go away by biting.   Keep doing this until they are comfortable with you holding them.  Get some treats such as fruit or yogurt.  While holding them, bring them part way out of the pouch to eat.  Keep doing this until you have them completely out of the pouch.  All this could take weeks or months.  It took me four months to tame my first one.  He was captive bred and still a baby.    

Note:  While you are taming your gliders, never chase them.  Either coax them with treats, or just leave them alone.  The best time to get them out of the cage is when they are sleeping in their pouch.  If one gets out, try using a butterfly net or toss a towel over it to catch it.  Again, don't chase.  If it runs away, make sure the room is safe, close the door, and just wait.  Remember, they can't swim.  Make sure toilets are closed, aquariums are covered, etc.  The glider will find a nice spot to sleep (usually up high).  You can look for its sleeping spot during the day, or listen for it running around at night.  Leave food and water out in a good location for the butterfly net. Be patient.  

You can get a head start on taming babies.  If the parents will let you, stroke them as soon as they are out of the pouch.  Do NOT take the joeys from their mother.  The joeys can be handled as soon as the parents leave them alone in the pouch.  At that time you can hold them for short periods, extending the time each time. It would be best to keep your hand and the babies where the parents can see them.  Parents, especially the mother, get upset when they don't know where the babies are.

Good luck.  Please keep in touch,

Betty