First off, for the average person it’s pretty hard to tell the difference between a male and
female sugar glider especially if the male has been neutered. Probably the easiest way
is that a non-neutered or “intact” adult male usually has a bald spot on its head, and
another one on its chest. These are just the scent glands that they use to mark their
territory, which also includes their females, and once they’re neutered, these bald spots
will usually fill right back in.
Now, intact males also have a large scrotum located just in front of where they go to the
bathroom. With that in mind, one thing that male and female sugar gliders have in
common is that their reproductive organs and rectum are all together in the same place,
called a cloaca. This basically means that they urinate and defecate from the same place.
About the easiest way for the average owner to tell the difference between a female and
a neutered male is by the female’s pouch. Since they’re marsupials, the females have a
little pouch, just like a kangaroo, where they carry their young. It’s located right about
where a “belly button” would be and it looks like a little slit.
Now, when it comes to the differences between males and females as pets, as long
as the male is neutered, there really aren’t very many. For example, if a male sugar
glider is not neutered, they will usually have a strong odor and mark their territory quite a
bit once they enter puberty.
My Sugar Glider Scent Marking
New owners wonder if there are any personality differences between males and
females. Well, I am constantly amazed at all the differing opinions on this – because
some people will swear up and down that males are sweeter – and just as many people
are absolutely sure that females make better pets. Like any pet, every sugar
glider has a slightly different personality, but as long as the owner spends enough time
with them and properly trains them, they all pretty much end up with the same sweet,
affectionate disposition. In other words, the amount of love you get out of an animal is
usually directly in line with how much love you give them. :) The bottom line is that if the owner takes the time to properly bond with and train the animal, a sugar glider can be a wonderful pet. If they don’t, it probably won’t be. There’s no mystery here, and from that standpoint, again, they’re really fairly similar to a lot of other pets. I have three males, two neutered and one intact and two females. All five of them have different personalities, but are all so sweet and loving.
So either way, whichever sex you decide to go with, both have the potential to be loving pets.
