How does the pygmy glider reproduce?

The age of sexual maturity in sugar gliders varies slightly between the males and females. The males reach maturity between 3-12 months old while females reach maturity between 5-18 months.One distinctive characteristic on the males which forms as they reach sexual maturity is a "bald spot" on the top of their head which is in fact a sweat gland. In the wild, sugar gliders breed only once a year due to climate and habitat conditions while they can breed up to 4 times a year in captivity as a result of consistent living conditions.

A sugar glider female can have up to 4 joeys at time, while one to two is more common. The gestation period lasts only 16 days, after which the baby sugar glider will crawl into a mother's pouch for further development. It is virtually unnoticeable the female is pregnant until after the joey has climbed into her pouch and begins to grow, forming bumps in her pouch. Once in the pouch, the joey will attach itself to its mother's nipple where it will stay for about 8-9 weeks. The joey gradually spills out of the pouch until it falls out completely. Their eyes will remain closed for another 12-14 days and they are virtually furless at first. During this time they will begin to mature by starting to grow fur and increasing gradually in size. They will continue to nurse for at least another 5 weeks, after which the weaning process begins and they will become more independent.