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Before purchasing a sugar glider, you may wish to consider its sex and its age:
Sex Matters
Opinions vary, but most sugar glider owners would agree that there is no particular difference in temperament between sugar glider males and females. Each sugar glider has a unique personality, and there is not empirical evidence to indicate that one gender is "sweeter" than the other. So, there are no salient benefits of owning a female over a male (other than for breeding purposes), unless you happen to consider the male's scent marking as being a major disadvantage. Likewise, if you don't like the look of his "bald head," you may want to focus on buying a female instead.
Age Matters
There are several sources for purchasing a sugar glider: private owners, rescue shelters, breeders, and pet stores, to name a few. Most breeders recommend that you purchase a baby joey, but we've had great success adopting adults too! Generally, a joey can be safely sold to a new home at about 8 weeks out of pouch (OOP). And some breeders sell as early as 6 weeks OOP. However, you can often find a well-socialized (to humans) and healthy older sugar glider to add to your household as well. With a possible life expectancy of 14 years or so, you can expect a relatively long relationship with your older pet (if you care for it properly). Ask lots of questions about the age and condition of the sugar glider that you are considering purchasing. Learn as much as you can from the seller about the animal's past and current lifestyle. Was the sugar glider housed in a small compartment instead of a spacious cage? Was it alone or did it have a sugar glider family with which to socialize? How much time did the previous owner spend with the animal each day? How long has the seller owned this animal? How old is this animal and what is its sex? And what has he or she been eating? In addition to asking these types of questions, do a little observational investigation of the sugar glider's present environment. Does the animal's cage look well-cared for? Is it clean? Are there toys present? Is there an adequate sleeping compartment? Is there fresh water in the cage? Does it look like the seller knows about sugar gliders and understands their needs?
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