Help. I just rescued two of the biggest biters ever. They are both boys. 5 and 9 mnths. I do not have a clear history on them. They are fairly calm, they do not crab. If you sit in romm with them they will come overe to you and bite repeatedly.

Do they actually break the skin or just nip at you? It's important to differentiate so we know how to help you with this.
I'm very sorry you haven't gotten a response sooner. Once you let me know whether they're biting or nipping I'll be able to give some advice.

They are just nipping. I was bitten hard one time, when I picked up one of the boys to put him in the cage. He broke the skin twice. I just held him and he did not bite again, now they will both run up and just nip and chew on us.

Nips can be one of three things: 1) Curiosity (as Linda has suggested); 2) Warning - letting you know they're not happy with what you're doing; 3) Grooming - trying to groom you as part of their clan (which is a very GOOD thing). If you're not comfortable with it, then you can use licky treats (again, as Linda suggested) OR you can use a distraction technique. Feather teasers work very well for distracting gliders when they start to bite or nip.
HTH

our newest three mo old boy will lick my son and then nip him. he does this to him frequently, is this grooming or curiosity?

I think it must have been a testint the water thing. Last night they crawled all over us with no bitting.

Ok so I have no clue what is up with these little dudes. Last night Rollin was running up to me, cchewing on me and running away again. Parker is our supper shy boy. He will not come out of his cage freely when we go in the room.

So how can you tell the difference? My little guy will nibble my fingers sometimes when i just hold my hand in the cage near him letting him get used to me..he won't crab or anything but he'll just sort of do a few licks (sometimes) then he'll just nip (he's never bit hard enough to break skin..even when he's trying to *scare me off*)

In my opinion, he's grooming you most likely, if he gives a few licks first.

Last night our little Rollin ran up to my husband who had his hand out for him to sniff. He bite him hard enough to draw blood than ran off. I was laying on floor and he would come over and chew on me till I made him stop then he would run off???

So their biting is getting progressively worst. Where now they bite and run off.

I would hsst or psst or NO before theyt bite to kind of get their attention. While they are biting I would gently press down on their shoulder blades for a second to start with, even a firm pet sometimes does it, and do the hsst noise or one of the others mentioned that gets their attention. They may be trying to be dominant to you or a heirarchy type of nipping. When they are done nipping(biting) do they look you in the eyes before they run off or look at your face before they bite you.
Where do they run off to and when they get their do they turn around and look at you or look at you and run back and bite you again? If you have them in a pouch in the daytime with your hand in it do they nip or bite you then?

The licking with little nips I would agree it sounds like grooming but these last bites sound like possible challenges to who rules the glider/human colony?
Does that make sense.lol

It maybe just as a simple thing as they want interaction in the form of petting or being touched by you and trying to communicate this to you and being frustrated that us humans sometimes don't listen or pick up on glider cues(behavior)as to when to move forward when sugar gliders tell us.
Art

Hmm. My glider is sending me mixed signals! lol I don't understand why he'd want to groom me if he still crabbs about being picked up or being in a bonding pouch. (granted he crabbs less these days when i approach the cage.)

thoughts?? Is he just telling me that he's tired and im annoying him?? lol

Mine do not bite if they are in a pouch. When they are on the lose and I pick them up they do not bite. The older one (9mths) will wander over and bite then wander away. The younger one (5mths) will basically stop on his lop around the room, bite you a couple times, when you tell him he enough he will take off on his lope again. This boy is obsessed with running in circles, whence the name Rollin.

What does it mean if they look you directly in the face and bite you? I have one that does that! I am told she is a pouch protector. But even if I approach her in the cage she will raise a hand, look at me, sometimes crab, then bite the poo out of me! SHe has never broken the skin, but it SMARTS! Is she mean? Or trying to dominate me???

Well I had a post that with this dial up I got shut off!!

Lizzie it sounds like he is just scared of unknown in the bonding pouch or of your hands in picking him up. Have you tried putting a scent blanket that has his scent on it in the bonding pouch. I would try and do hand in the pouch with him while you are sitting down so he doesn't get scared from movement at first as he is in the pouch.
To get him use to being picked up or scooped up I would first get him use to your hand in the pouch with him as you hold your hand kind of arched over him, try petting every once in awhile with a finger or your thumb, very slowly if he isn't asleep.
Next I would try slipping your hand under him and slowly raise him up to the top of the pouch, if he jumps off and goes to the bottom just replace your hand over him as you talk sweetly to him(any baby step is good progress).
If he stays on your hand raise up out of pouch and let him sit there and keep your other hand over him(this is why I keep hand over glider in pouch) so he doesn't have an easy escape of jumping off. If he is content with that you can cup him up to your chest with hands arched over him.
The idea is to get him use to your hands and to be picked up or scoop up without getting scared.

If he is crabbing as you put your hand in the pouch just crease the pouch down the center and slip your hand in the side that HE is not in, then release and slowly slide your hand over to him.
If he crabs as you look in at him or when moving your hand over him, then move your hand back to a non threatening distance with a wiggly bug in your hand let him see your hand moving slow toward him with bug, if he crabs stop where your hand is until he changes tone or stops then proceed again toward him slowly. The bug moving will get his attention and then seeing the hand coming toward him with yummy re-inforcement that you hand isn't scary.
hth
EDIT: This is just how I would approach this glider in bonding and I'm not trying to tell anybody what to do I am just offering suggestions and my opinion. Also I would do it during daytime and in a secure room incase the little one jumps away.

Art

im4myself2:
Have you tried HSST, or psst or NO in different tone of normal voice as they approach and just before they bite. If they bite I would use HSST(like gliders due to each other to tell them no or get away it's mine--food).
Have you had them on you walking around the room or get up and walk with them as they run around after you have gotten nipped. Maybe they are telling you to come with us as they run around and play. They may want you to interact with them
and if you can pick them up without getting bit then when they approach and look like they are gonna nip(bite) I would pick them up and pet them a few times then set them back down, and see if they run off or come back for a nip.
The other way would be after they nip or as they start to bite I would HSST then pet them and if It didn't stop I would use a little pressure on back of neck or shoulder blades for only a second or two or until they squeeze out from under my finger or hand. like being dominant over them arching full hand with SLIGHT pressure(like just relaxing your hand on them with natural weight of your hand)
That is the same behavior(that I described) a parent will use on a joey to tell them no or to stay put.(4-8week old joey).

Another words try touching them before they nip you and try petting them as they approach you or just pick up and put back down before they bite.

Then if that doesn't work try the above mentioned things.
Again this is just a suggestion and may or may not work but it is what I would try. Please if you use a SLIGHT pressure be careful not to press to hard, usually just a light pressure has worked for me with a sugar glider that nipped in the pouch.

Anything you try you have to be consistent and relaxed when you do it, don't be jumpy, scared or intimidated by your suggie.
HTH

Art

Art, thanks for the advice! i will definately be giving that a try!

Sorry Belladonnasmom (Robin) forgot to answer you.
I think there are diff reasons that a glider may nip and look directly at your face. It can be a communication that they want something such as a treat(mine do this), want a drink, want petting.
Then there is the first contact bite(Majesty) and a certain look or walk that she did after the bite and after I petted her she whipped around and her little eyes pierced right through me like, how dare you touch me. But there was no crabbing as she approached me just a bite and a look and a walk like a bull dog or a boxer like i'm bad.
To me it was a possible heirarchy or dominant move and a go ahead to start bonding, she was a spazz as she did back flips over and over to the same spot across the cage.

You may need to move alot slower and let her see you coming very slow toward her and announce yourself as you come in the room, plus treats wouldn't hurt.
Move slow toward her and if you see her raise or gesture then stop until she relaxes then move a little closer, over and over.If she crabs stop until she changes her tone or stops then proceed slow toward her.
I will put up Majesty story at a later date.
HTH
Art

I am finally getting back. I got a job the day after I GOT THE BOYS(of which only one is a boy) and ahve been cray busy. The play and crawl all over me. They have mostly stopped bitting. Still do sometimes when they are playing, never during day when in bonding pouch. I know all about putting on a brave face. Our first baby came from a home that was scared to death of her. She bite me once when I had her in my hand. When she realized I was not letting go she gave up on bitting. She still is no where near tame, but she loves me and I love her. Thanks for all the advice.