Meaning Behind Your Sugar Glider's Noises

Crabbing

• Sounds like: a locust, graduating in pitch then decreasing, gurgulling
• Very loud and can be heard across the house, screeching noise that is emitted repeatedly
• Considered the most common sound that sugar gliders make.
• Reason: aggitation, fear, warning call, cry for attention.

Barking

• Sounds like: yipping from a chihuahua.
• Reason: boredom, excitement, annoyance, calling to someone, sometimes seems like no reason at all.

Fighting

• Sounds like: a mix of crabbing, barking, and general noise from the cage because the sugar gliders are usually jumping around.
• Reason: annoyance, fussing, fighting, dominance.

Crying

• Sounds like: whining.
• Basically only made by joeys, or a new sugar glider missing its family.
• Means: bad.

Hissing / Sneezing

• Sounds like: snake hiss, very short and deliberate hisses, repetitive.
• Sugar gliders frequently groom themselves by spitting into their hands (making a sneezing or hissing sound), and then washing themselves with it. It’s a ritual that’s very similar to a cat licking it’s paw and then grooming itself. This activity could cause the hissing/sneezing noise.
• Watch their body language when they make this sound to tell if they are in pain or just annoyed/afraid. If the tail is straight up in the air and they seem to be hunched over, chances are they are having a hard time going to the bathroom and this problem needs to be corrected. Or if it's winter they may be sneezing from a respiratory infection.
• Reason: agitation, fright, pain, sometimes seems like no reason at all, sound made during grooming. 

Chirping / Chattering / Clicking

• Sounds like: teeth chattering mixed with low pitched squeaks, similar to the noise a guinea pig makes, half-purring / half-chirping.
• Reason: happy, content, usually enjoying a favorite food.

Purring

• Sounds like: a cat’s purr, or a small drum beating very fast and low, or a fast heart beat
• Very faint - sugar glider would need to be within inches of your face for you to hear
• Reason: happy, content.

Singing

• Sounds like: a song, changes in pitches and sounds, a churcling noise.
• Basically only made by female sugar gliders singing to their joey.
• Reason: wanting to comfort joey, happy, content.