i recently bought 4 adult gliders from a couple who have neglected them for the last 6 month. one of them climbs on a bar and constantly does back flips from the bar to the top of the cage to the bar again. is this normal or might she have spent a lot of time in a tiny cage and had no other way to get exercise?

[:"green"]From my experience, the type of flipping you're describing is from exactly what you guessed - lack of space. Even if you put a wheel in the cage, she may not figure out what it's for or how to use it at first. You may need to put her in it a few times to get her used to the idea. As she gets used to her new, bigger home, the flipping will gradually stop & she'll start leaping across the cage instead...
Congrats on your new (to you) gliders! & Welcome to GC <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/hug2.gif" alt="" />

LOL.. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />. i've HEARD that they do that when they are in a small cage.. but i've got my 2 girls in a ? 3X2 ? 6 FT tall with a wheel and ropes and branches and they still do that (though the lady i got them from said that for the first.. i think year.. they were in a tiny what looks like a 18X18X24 <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/upset.gif" alt="" />)

thanks for the quick responses. i have only had them since sunday but im glad to hear that she may stop doing that.

Mine are in a nice large cage and CiCi does flips. She also runs her wheel, rides the wheel while Dayla runs, plays with all the toys. Some are just acrobatic.

My glider flips too - she has a wheel and toy and lots of space but for some reason she just like to flip!! She uses her wheel - have to admit she was scared of it for a while but she uses it now!! lol

One of mine flips at times -- check out my movie gallery for video footage of it. She has a big cage and lots of toys and lots of outside-of-the-cage time, and she lives with her life partner <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif" alt="" />. I think she does it for fun.

I used to be quite concerned as it's been labelled as stress related, but I certainly don't think that's necessarily the case, especially after reading about other people's gliders doing it.

I too have a flippy glider! Harley will flip and flip til the cows come home when we do tent time. Especially before she pounces on a newly released cricket! She crouches, <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/dance.gif" alt="" /> wiggles her little booty, <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/multi.gif" alt="" /> does a few flips, <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/multi.gif" alt="" />crouches and pounces. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/dance.gif" alt="" /> It seems like it is almost a game with her. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/yelclap.gif" alt="" />I love watching her go through her paces it's a hoot! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/roflmao.gif" alt="" />

when i watch her do the flips i dont get the feeling that it is something she does for fun. she has been completely neglected for the last 6 months. she seems kind of stressed and it seems like more of a thing she does to kind of escape reality or something. kind of like...if i keep flipping i dont have to think about anything else. i know that sounds dumb. but its the feeling i get from watching her. i really hope she will come out of it and learn to trust again and be happy

i'm with you moorie.. it deffinately makes me feel better knowing that other's babies do it too.. oh, Goodness.. I LOVE this site <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/heartpump.gif" alt="" />!! LOL <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

Mine do it too. sometimes superman and spiderman do it at the same time it looks like a glider flipping competition.

ubulove, I'd trust your instincts. Although some gliders flip "for the fun of it", other gliders do flip because of stress.

I had a thought (surprise!), if she will take mealies from you, you might try interrupting the behavior by offering a mealie through the bars close to where she is flipping.

I've got a glider that whenever he gets scared, he runs in circles on the top of the cage -- if I offer a treat, he'll come to get it and stop his "circling."

~Lynn