Glider Genetics and Colors

Sugar gliders have been reported to have been brought into the United States as exotic pets early as the 1980s, but the majority were imported during the 1990s. Since then, domestic breeders have dominated the market, and as a result, several color variations have emerged.

Common Colors and Morphs

Classic Gray (Standard): Shades of gray with a black stripe from the head to the tail and black ear bars that run toward the chin

Leucistic: Solid white with dark eyes, can have light grey ears (recessive, can work with platinum)

Black Beauty: Extremely dark markings and darker coat

Caramel: Light golden-brown or honey-toned- thought to be a different subspecies and should not be bred to other variations

Platinum: Light silver or powdered-gray body with lighter markings and black eyes (recessive)

White Face: Lacks the bars below the ears (dominant)

Albino: White fur with pink or red eyes. (T- albino, recessive)

Cremino: Pale cream, peach, or buttery coat with pinkish or ruby eyes. (T+ albino, recessive)

Mosaic: Irregular patches of white (dominant)

Ringtail (mosaic variant): characteristic white rings on the tail

White Mosaic ("mocistic" leucestic plus mosaic) – mostly white body. Some have little gray or black dots on their ears --“Cow Ears”

Lineage in Sugar Gliders

COI: coefficient of inbreeding. This measures the probability that an individual inherits 2 identical gene copies from a common ancestor. A higher coefficient may raise the risk of inherited health problems in some closed populations. COI is only one genetic inheritance consideration. Any pairing, related or non-related, may end up with identical gene copies, some of which may affect health. A favorable COI does not guarantee the health of glider joeys from any pairing. Conversely, even closely related pairings may not have any adverse health outcomes.

There is a free registry of sugar gliders where owners can add details about their gliders. If a breeder adds their gliders to this registry, they will generally use the term “lineaged” for their glider offspring and new owners can lookup parental information and available COI.