Time for another question...I have seen arguments for both sides of this, that the moon cannot possibly have any kind of effect on them and that indeed it does.

What are your experiences? Do you think that the moon phases have an effect on sugar glider behaviors, appetites, dispositions? Why do you think it would/does or would not/does not have any effect?

My gliders are little piggys....except for 2-3 nights a month. Those nights, they barely touch their food. Those are full moon nights. Why? I have no idea but I know ER's dread full moons!

I have never noticed, but will keep track of if from now on I think. they (who ever "they" are how did they get so smart and how do I get on that team LOL) say the moon affects human moods. but I dont see any change in MY behavior (unless you count that wolf face I get and the urge to rip human faces off) just kidding

on a serious note....i really will keep a log of it because I notice they have nights they eat almost nothing and others they gobble it up, and its not the dinners.

I am sure that it does. I have logged it myself. I wrote a post a while back about gliders acting abnormally and noticed prior and during that time the difference in moon phases. There were many many others that had gliders doing the same.

I have the same thing go on that Leigh does. My gliders are super spazoids for about 2-3 days, and the night of the full moon is insane. It looks like a tornado blew through their cages.
I think they get like that because they are nocturnal and somewhere in them is still wild habits... i think that the moon phase is imbedded in them, because if i dont know its a full moon my gliders will certainly tell me

My gliders mostly my girls I.e Stella will bark like mad on a full moon and my guys hardly touch the food in the food dishes, I personally think because they are such a sensitive animal as it is Moon phases do affect them.

~Erich

We used to have a full moon post that we'd pull up in one of the sections monthly. I have a theory about the behavior change, which is heightened alert, not eating as much. My theory is that during the full moon, in the wild, there is a lot more light at night, making them more visible to predators. They don't eat as much, and alert a lot more. Our gliders are tame, but not domesticated, so still retain this "wild" behavior. It's a form of protection.

i was told some time ago that a change in barometric pressure will also effect their mood, behavior, & appetite.

To be honest, I've not paid attention up to this point but I will going forward. I think it would be interesting for several of us to keep a log and report our "findings".

(JillMarie...I want to be one of those smart ones, too! )

This is a really interesting topic. I'm going to keep a log as well when the moon phases change as well. I seem to recall that Gizmo barks a LOT more a few days in a row. I wonder if those days fell on Full Moon days.

Oh! and FYI, police hate Full Moons as well. =D I did a ride along on a full moon and it was pure pandemonium. The officer said it was like that every full moon.

My daycre kids get nut during the full moon. I would sy if it affects humans, dogs, cats then y not gliders???? My geckos r also more active during the full moon phase

That is because sugar gliders are part werewolf in disguise.

It's actually funny; I used to be pretty "spiritual" in the sense that I held a lot of stock in the weight of full/new moons and their psychological effects on people.

I was supported in my assumptions in that I -- ahem -- as a female, experienced a lot of health changes during a full moon, even having my "time of the month" triggered three to four days early if a full moon hit. It still happens!

So it stands to reason that if a lot of human women actually do experience a physical influence from the full moon, a tiny little being like a glider (who has better instincts) might actually have reason to react!

Though I'd also say the "extra light" theory holds some weight. It's a very interesting topic!

Hmmm, Arietta has only really barked on 2 occasions. I thought nothing of it, but after reading this I checked, and they were BOTH on the full moon! Crazy!

I have never made the connection between moon phases and glider behavior until this most recent full moon. I had happened to notice that it was the day before the full moon and that night and the following night both cages (in different rooms~ 3 gliders total) slowed down in eating and activity.

I'm closely monitoring events around eating habits~ because I do notice some nights here or there very little food is touched.


~ I also think the light theory Shawna mentioned sounds pretty reasonable.~

All (4) of our gliders react to the full moon. Eating slows down and barking increases! Usually the night before full moon. When I first got them their behavior changed so dramatically on the full moon that I called the person I got the gliders from to make sure nothing was wrong and their behavior was normal.

Oh the things we learn from these little suggies!!!

On the nights of a full moon, I don't have to use earplugs - and usually don't, just to make sure they're okay.
(Fortunately/unfortunately, my babies are currently my roomies.)

I haven't kept track but it sounds like fun! I will keep a close watch over the next few moons!

I never paid much attention... but now that I have ALL 5 of the girls with joeys IP at the same stage... I looked back and there was a full moon right about the time they would have all been mating (feb 18th)... so I'm starting to wonder...

http://www.livescience.com/7899-moon-myths-truth-lunar-effects.html
We did a study is Psychology on this and we found no effect.

it makes me wounder about the phases cause about a month or so ago i dont know which glider it was but one of them was barking for like 5 mins or more stright. i think it was around the time of the full moon.

Dewbug, that refers to humans, and statistical behavior in humans. Animals do react differently, particularly wild animals, which our gliders are. Animals react to storms, moon cycles and seasonal changes, whether in the wild or captivity. It is hard wired in their brains to do so. They are vulnerable to these changes, and take pains to prepare for them, and deal with them. I used to track my gliders behavior, and it was different with storms, and full moon. I don't track it any longer, but think it would be interesting if we all did, just to compare.

Oh yeah all of mine act out of their "normal" around the full moon..
my calm sweet ones are spaz balls, and the spazs are sweet cuddle bugs..lol..
all eat less, and so on..
LOL.. my first full moon (many moons ago )
I called Minkasmom, as I thought something was way wrong with my baby!!

Oh thank goodness, I thought my girls were losing their furry little minds because they were acting so strangly tonight. I had to have some emergency tent time because they were franticly clawing to get out of their normally beloved pouch, and even then they were spazzing the entire time. Later one got lose by uncharacteristically escaping her pouch while ignoring a proffered nut (which she has never turned down), and made a flying leap right at my face! It occured to me that tonights moon was full or nearly full and Im glad to see mine are not the only werepsychos.

NO DOUBT!
LOL! I am at work in an ER right now and the past 2 nights were CRAZY! That is why they call people LUNA-tics ya know! LOL! My cats go nuts around a full moon and my boys are more subdued. That's my 2 cents! LOL!

I don't know about gliders, but I know that the nursery in hospitals always expect more deliveries on nights with a full moon. More babies are born during a full moon for some reason...

Strange...

lunatic!

It makes sense to me that if I were a small animal that had to live in the tops of trees to survive because I am pry to just about anything since I am so small that I would be less active when there is any brite light.I hunt at nite for a reason but when the moon is full other creatures can easily see me so I am not going to hunt much during a full moon. My gliders will stop dead in their tracks if I turn on my bed room lite at nite.

I dont think its about the light. my gliders room was completely dark no matter the moon phase and the would act different during the day too.... I have all the lights in my room on and the gliders are in their cage in here now and they are acting completely normal