Savannah yesterday was up at the top of her cage using her tail to hold a strap i have in the cage. This rope holds a toy made of australian eucalyptis branches and nuts. She tied her tail around it and tried to carry it off. her tail was almost in a knot. please take a look at these photos and tell me what you think. Was she trying to take it to her nest?

That is a great photo <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />. Gliders can and do use their tails to carry light objects to their nests. In the wild they will carry leaves to line the nest with. Captive gliders have been seen carrying all sorts of things. It does look like she is trying to take it with her. You could hang some fleece strips in the cage for her to gather and some will also take the plastic monkeys into their pouches.

Although they use their tail to carry some things the tail is not strong enough to support a gliders weight or things that are too heavy. This is why we would never pick a glider up by it's tail as it would break the tail or break it off altogether.

The tail is what is called 'Semi Prehensile'.

Thats what I thought. I wasnt sure though. I have some picts closer up but they arent as clear. They do show her tail in an actual knot though. Im going to put some strips of fleece in a place she can carry them to her nest and feel like she did it on her own tonight. I knew their tail was semi- prehensile but I'd never actually seen it in use. I was woried about the knot in her tail though. I was afraid <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/worried2.gif" alt="" /> she wouldnt be able to get it unknotted, so I called her and held her until her tail relazed and it untied <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/yelclap.gif" alt="" /> itself Thank you so much for adding not to hold them by their tails, or hold onto their tails. It is so important to be sure that everyone knows how fragile they are. Thank you so much! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thanx.gif" alt="" />

one more picture that shows the knot.

<img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/offtopic.gif" alt="" /> Very cute pics!

Awsome pics! In that last one, I can just see her tucking it into her hip joints and then shimmying it down into her tail! That's what my Bobbie did one night when I gave her a feather....she did it over and over from different angles so I could see and admire her cleverness.

Cute pictures. It is nomarl my gliders do that all the time.

I was concerned the first time I saw this too, they are pretty strong, they won't let you straighten it. She is precious.