Help with aggressive glider

[Asim-Liam]

HI we've had two sugar gliders for around two months now, they haven't really bonded to us, but scooby (which we think is the male) is fine, he can be handled, & hes playful and he has never ever crabbed. Jasmin however, we haven't been able to handle since getting her, shes really agressive, crabs ALL the 'fluffy duck'ing time and has bit me & broke skin so many times. I never react aggressively to these situations and have just tried to be patient with her in the hope that she would come around eventually, but she just seems to be naturally aggressive, like I will try to give her a meal worm from my hand & she will bite into my finger to get me to drop the worm then lift it. Any suggestions on bonding mehtods??

[Marie]

Is she aggressive or scared?  I have a rescue that came to me because she was aggressive - she's as soft as poop.

Have you read the BONDING sticky?  If not that's the first place to start. 

[Rakuen]

As Marie said, the best place to start is the bonding sticky.

Just wondering how old are they & has the male (or the one you think is male) been neutered?

[Asim-Liam]

They are only like a year old so the male (if not neutered) hasn't developed so its hard to tell which is which; Don't think he/shes scared because he/shes personality is very dominant & shows little in the way of fear; I'm almost certain its not aggression out of fear & like I said she has nothing to be afraid of as I've been going at her pace & haven't been trying to force her to get used to me.

[Rakuen]

I'd say he has been neutered then, as you can sex joeys when they are quite small. If however you notice a small slit on the friendly ones belly (almost like a little belly button) then he is a she! lol.

What did the previous owners say about them & did they handle them infront of you?

I haven't had any experience with a glider that aggressive myself, sounds like it may take alot of patience and sore fingers 'til you gain her/his trust.

[Amalthea]

You can sex joeys VERY easily from the day they come OOP...

[Rhianna]

yep! who told you they were too young to sex? did you get them off a breeder?

[Asim-Liam]

yeah turns out he is a she & vice versa, Jasmin is actually a dude, changin their names, have them out at the minute, they're just runnin round the room, my housemate got them through a guy he knows; I never actually met the breeders, I'm a student at the minute so I have a lot of time to dedicate to the little guys

[Marie]

Ok, just let them do their thing, don't approach them, don't do anything (lol - sounds like they're lions or venomous snakes or soemthing!!!) - but honsetly, the hands off approach is the best way.  I've had 'wild' gliders as rescues, I don't mess with them, they get fed talked to and treated and that's it!  And although it takes a while, they do trust me now, gliders that would lunge at you as look at you I can now pet without worrying.

It may be that you will never get this little one as tame as you would like, but that's gliders for you!  Just keep persevering, the best way to NOT get bitten is to avoid the situation, I know it sounds daft but don't put yourself in that situation.  If she bites you instead of the treat look at why? Is it because the worm moved and she missed, are you a bit jumpy when she approaches you, offering, removing, offering, removing?  That was the problem I found with the apparently aggressive female I had, she's grab your finger take the treat and then nip - once she fingured you weren't going to take the treat back before she could grab it she was fine and has been since.

If she bites you so that you drop the treat then I'm afraid you're going to have to teach her that that isn't going to work!  Which will mean taking a few nips, OR just not hand feeding her treats.

[Rhianna]

yep.

im a student too so i get the nights with my lot. i have one who is a little nasty at times, he fine when he out, but can be a real little mister when he in the cage.

just need to find out your gliders personalities and work around them rather then trying to change them too fast. if you try and change their behaviour too fast, it makes them worse.

[Roo]

Hi

when we first got keicha (she was approx 1 yr)  she was extremely wild -  we bought her from a 'registered' breeder and travelled across the country to get her when we got there we were told that she wasnt hand reared - he was just a breeder and taming her was our problem!  She was so wild that she would lunge at you if you went anywhere near her.  I honestly thought that she would always be wild. 

Basically all we did was give her time,  I know its frustrating because you want them to be tame but it is worth it.  I left her for a little while just to get settled in and used to her home and the other glider.  Then offered her food - through the bars which she would claw at and try to bite and claw at me but I stuck with it then when she was at a point where she would run up and take the food and run away and I knew she was comfortable with that i got braver and stuck my hand in - because she was used to taking the food from my hand without biting, i could then hand feed her.  After a while i would stroke her after she had taken the food and was eating - just for a little while.  Next step was when she started to eat gently put my hand under her bottom and lift her up for a few minutes, building it up til i could lift her up and stroke her with the other hand.

Now shes fine - her mate Zac is a glider from Marie and between them have twins Fin and Taura and she has another little one in pouch.  She has bonded so well now that both times she has had little ones in pouch she runs up and opens her pouch to show us what shes got!

Take baby steps and just keep trying, its hard work but well worth the effort.

Hope this has been of some help

Roo