If you’re a new sugar glider parent or someone just trying to learn more about sugar gliders, there are some things you need to learn to know how to take care of them. One of the first things you should know is to answer the question of how to determine the gender of a baby sugar glider.
A genetic test is undoubtedly the most accurate way of determining a sugar glider’s gender. However, there are other easy ways to know their gender just by looking at particular parts of a sugar glider’s body.
To know more information on how to determine the gender of a baby sugar glider, keep on reading!
3 Distinct Body Features You Should Look Out For
Having a baby sugar glider is one of the most exciting things you can do, but it’s also one of the most challenging. It’s essential to know how to determine the gender of a baby sugar glider before anything else.
It’s not hard to distinguish a male baby sugar glider from a female baby sugar glider — you just have to know where to look!
1. The absence and presence of a pouch
Every sugar glider has an extension on the opening of its reproductive, urinary, and intestinal tract called the cloaca. It could be a penis or a pouch, depending on the gender of the baby sugar glider.
Since sugar gliders are marsupials, the most distinct way of knowing whether it’s a male or a female is by checking if it has an abdominal pouch or none. If there’s a pouch, it’s a female. If there are none, the sugar glider is male.
The abdominal pouch of the female sugar glider looks like a small vertical opening in their belly area. It typically appears at about ½ inch wide.
2. The absence and presence of a scrotum
Another distinctive feature that separates a male sugar glider from a female one is the presence of the scrotum. You can see this particular body part on a male sugar glider’s abdomen above its cloaca.
Male sugar gliders’ scrotum is hard to see, especially from the young ones. However, their scrotal sack drops when they mature and becomes much more prominent, making it easier to see. It is typically moist and may vary in shades of pink.
3. The location of their scent glands
Male and female sugar gliders share a scent gland in their anus. Aside from the shared location in the anus, female sugar gliders also have a scent gland in their pouches.
However, male sugar gliders have two more scent glands that differentiate them from females.
You may start looking for a bald spot in the top middle part of their head. It’s where you can find the first scent gland for male sugar gliders. The location of another scent gland is in the center of their chest.
Conclusion
Every sugar glider, male and female, can be equally loving, calm, and bonded.When your baby sugar glider is born, you will be responsible for taking care of them. As sugar glider parents, the first step to providing the best care for them is to know how to determine the gender of a baby sugar glider!