earlier this night i was bitten by a glider ive owned for a few years whos never bitten me before! hes always been so sweet! i was really surprised and taken off guard. this was a huge clamp bite and he wouldnt let go, i got really panicky after a few moments and tried pulling him off with my other hand but he only bite down harder. i could feel him tearing into a nerve below my pinky finger. i guess adrenaline kicked in and i shook my hand and he let go and jumped onto a nearby cage. ive never been bitten so hard and randomly! my hands where both covered with blood (somewhere in between he got ahold of my other hand and bit and his nails sliced through my skin leaving big flakes of skin falling off)
my finger is swollen up now >_<

my feelings are really hurt im pretty freaked out to hold him again since i dont get why he did it. i was just taking him out of the cage, he was awake for awhile before hand and had already eaten dinner

HOW if it does happen again am i supposed to get him to stop with such a very very very clampy hard bite?

I am so sorry this has happened. I know it is scary and your feelings are hurt. To be completely honest, I don't have experience with this in sugar gliders nor do I know how to unclamp a locking bite, but I do have a suggestion. When an animal suddenly starts acting out with seemingly aggressive behavior most times it can be related to medical reasons. If an animal is sick or in pain and you unintentionally hurt them, they have a tendency to lash out. Like I said, this hasn't happened to me with a sugar glider but it has happened with my other animals. I was bitten by my rabbit after 8 long years of bite-free ownership, when I took her to the vet she had kidney stones. And I was also bitten very badly by my own dog (stitches and all), when I brought her the vet she had acute pancreatitis and she was in too much pain too move. It was a blessing in disguise in both instances because it saved their lives. So if I were you, I'd rule out any medical issues to be on the save side.

Could she have been really scared about something? Or maybe she had been fighting with another glider?
I saw a glider do that locking bite thing last weekend. I had gone to get her from someone who was selling off most of his gliders. She bit down on the previous owner and wouldn't let go until he pulled her off with his free hand. The glider was scared to death so I can't blame her.
I don't think she had been handled before.
I bought her anyway and she is doing great :-)

I've had that happen to me. Once was when I rescued a lot of gliders all at once and while I was trying to separate the males from the females, one tiny female locked onto my hand like a huge pit bull. I finally stuck my hand back in the cage and she jumped off.

The other times have been when I forgot to wash my hands from holding a glider, before holding a couple of my other gliders. They would lock their jaw and twist their heads, which deepened the bite. I have gently pressed between their jaws where it hinges, with my fingertips, to get them to open their mouth. Once they're off, I have to get them back in the pouch or cage FAST because with the other glider scent still on me, they were still in attack mode. Once I washed my hands, they were just as sweet and loving as ever.

It goes to show, gliders live by their nose. They can see and hear me, but if I smell like another glider, to them, I AM another glider.

That's how I unlock a glider bite.

BUT, it's important to find out the underlying cause! I knew why mine bit. Fear and smell. Since you don't know why your little guy bit, I agree with taking him to the vet. Sudden behavior changes can definitely be due to a serious medical issue.

Are there any changes in his environment, any new pets (gliders or otherwise), did you change your detergent, shampoo, etc., so you smell different, have you moved his cage. Is he acting ok otherwise? Active, eating and drinking, peeing and poohing ok, is his pee or pooh a different color or smell?

Ok this is the most terrifying post I have yet to see. I am new sugar glider owner, I have ONE female, she is maybe 12 weeks old, she trys to bite me but has only nipped me a few times. I love her to death, already, but I am not going to lie I am a little scared of her still, not her but the bitting, I am a chicken when it comes to stuff like that. I also thought then when they bit they snapped at you and moved on, I had NOOOOO Idea that they lock their jaw, I would be terrified. This is probably one post I should not of read, because my bonding is going really well with LALA and I just the thought of her clamping on to my skin or my daughters skin is terrifying to me. Has this happened to alot of people?

My male glider is the only one that bites me(Chance)
But it is only when I pick him up.
If he is in the pouch and i have to get him out I will get a pretty good bite.
Isabella trys to do i big bite every once in a while but it just doesnt hurt.
lol.
When Chance bites me I blow in his face and he will let go for a second and then I get the feather teaser out and distract him.

Hi Cosette. I just noticed it said. Is he neutered? Do you have other male gliders in the same room? Are they fixed? If you do have other males were you handling another male before him?

Reason I ask is sometimes when you have 2 unneutered males and they are fighting for territory. If you handle one and do not wash your hands the other may see you as the other male glider. He could attack you like your taking HIS territory.

Nata10 - don't be terrified lol. I went to give my little man a piece of popcorn once, he knocked it out of my hand, and pit bulled my finger instead. It hurts, I ain't gonna lie - but that's only the second time he's gotten me like that ever (and the first time was my fault - food related as well). Just gotta make sure you wash your hands before handling them - but don't be scared lol
I hope this little one bit because of a smell rather than because of being sick:)

Nata10 I also want to add to Renee's advice to not be scared. The way I see it...what is the worst they can do to you anyway? I dont want to disregard your fear and feelings, I have a good friend and church member that is terrified of my gliders to the point of shrieking and I always ask her "what do you think they can DO to you?" Even if they do bite and it hurts...it is not a lion or a shark chomping on you. You will heal. So perhaps that will help put it in perspective just a tiny bit?
The only time I USED to worry was if they jumped on my face they could do some damage to an eye, so I taught my Girl to land on my chest or shoulder only. so please dont be afraid.

also...some people feel that animals can sense fear and your glider, if she senses it may think there is something out there YOU fear and that she should fear IT also and may react to THAT, and accidentally bite you from fear, even if she doesnt mean to and isnt afraid of you. I sure hope that made sense.

Thanks to all of your for the reassurance, but I guess it is good to know that they can clamp on, because on the contrary, I was told that they DON'T calmp on. I guess I am being silly because I have read very few post about them clamping on, yes bitting I could deal with, but clamping on I really don't know about that. You are right JillMarie in saying what the worst they could do to you, but re-read that first post, sounds like that glider may of done some serious damage. ( skin and blood falling out ) But your right what is the worst thing that could happen? And yeah I won't train mine to jump on my face either. If you have any reassruing thoughts please let me know.

When I first got my little girl, she nipped me a couple times, although 1 was an accident and 1 was "tasting": neither one was a bad nip at all. I feel so lucky that I havent experienced a real bite (although I'm sure I will) When I first got her, I was a little afraid, but I just put the mindset that, "this little thing cant kill me". That helped me. I have been bitten by a hamster when I was a child and I can still remember that it hurt like ****!

Nata10,

You need to rule out a health issue being behind this bite. Animals can change their normal behaviors when they are ill. I would take the little guy to the vet and get fecals, urine and blood work done to rule out an illness as a change in his behavior.

Nata10, if your glider is bonding nicely to you and hasn't pit bull bitten you yet, the chances of them doing it are extremely slim.

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There is always an underlying reason, why a glider pit bull bites.

Fear: A new environment, an owner moving too way fast in bonding and doing things that aren't good bonding techniques (if you chase and grab a new glider, you're probably gonna experience pit bull biting), loud noises, sudden movements. Normal things that scare any animal.

Smell: If you smell like another glider (esp an intact male), you're more than likely, gonna see what pit bull biting feels like.

If it's not one of those and if you can't immediately figure out why your glider has suddenly, and seemingly without cause, clamped their teeth onto you and not willingly let go, you need to take that glider to a glider experienced vet.


ANY time your glider exhibits behavior that is not normal for them (biting, aggression towards other gliders, lethargy, lack of appetite, hissing while pottying, etc.) you need to take them to the vet ASAP.

I have had this happen to me many times before with my first girl Kasu. She loved to clamp down and tilt/shake her head while biting. I have had stitches a few times from her (once where she grabbed the webbing between my thumb and index finger and tore it.) She still has a very nasty bite but rarely ever tries to bite me. She is also a sweet little bra baby. I have found that putting them in or close to the cage works well, or squeezing lightly at the "hinge" of their jaw. Staying as still as possible also helps (in my experience).