Gliders are small possums with a gliding membrane stretching from wrist to ankle. They can glide long distances by holding their limbs out spread-eagle to expand their gliding airfoil. They have large, forward facing eyes, alert ears, pointed faces, and long tails that they use for steering when gliding. Gliders eat arthropods and other invertebrates, nectar, pollen, gum, sap, and honeydew. They are social animals who live in family groups, with many sharing a single nest, typically a leaf-lined tree hollow. If cornered and threatened, gliders snarl like minature chainsaws. Other vocalizations include chirps, barks, and hisses. Gliders are native to forests of east and north Australia and parts of New Guinea. They spend almost all their time in trees.
One species of glider, the sugar glider Petaurus breviceps, has become a popular pet in the United States, where they are bred in large numbers. They are messy, noisy at night, often excrete on their owners, and require large enclosures and the company of others of their kind to be happy, but they are undeniably cute and cuddly.