Sugar Gliders are small cuddly marsupials. Usually living in groups, they are social and family oriented, with the males helping take care of the little ones. They can FLY! Okay, they actually glide. They started booming in the 1990s as pets and aren’t slowing down soon.
Sugar Gliders continue to gain in popularity as pets and tattoos. They can represent a deep family connection for the tattoo recipients. For others, they are reminders of self-worth, symbols of personal growth, and a live-in-the-moment, now-or-never attitude.
Let’s look at what Sugar Gliders are, what they symbolize in tattoos, different styles of tattoos, and discuss a few already popular designs in this fast-growing tattoo niche.
What are Sugar Gliders?
Sugar Gliders are highly social animals from Australia and New Zealand. They are often called Sugar Bears or Honey Gliders. Sugar Gliders live in large families and have a pouch for carrying their young. They are marsupials and are not related to the mammal, Flying Squirrels.
They have a long membrane that connects their forelegs and hind legs and can glide to reach food or evade a predator. They are skilled acrobats and can change flight by moving their limbs back and forth. They also use their tail as a rudder.
In the wild they are nocturnal, tree-dwelling marsupials. They are very docile and can bond with their human families making them great household pets. They can live up to 15 years and can vocalize frequently. They will bite as a defense if scared, stressed, or injured.
What Do Sugar Glider Tattoos Symbolize?
Sugar Gliders are social marsupials and when portrayed as a tattoo also symbolize family and community.
They are symbols of cooperation and teamwork since they live in groups in the wild. Sugar Gliders have also been said to bring faith and luck to people that have a tattoo of them.
On a personal level, in some, they can symbolize cleansing and perspective and belief in oneself. Since they are known for their gliding they can also symbolize outdoors and freedom. Other Sugar Glider tattoos are a reminder of their goals and being able to reach those goals.
Sugar Gliders are a relatively new tattoo subject. They did not gain in popularity as pets until the early 1990s. They are still not available as pets in Alaska, Hawaii, California, and Pennsylvania. They are loved by their owners so the popularity of their pets and tattoos of them will increase.
What Do Sugar Glider Tattoos Mean?
Sugar Glider tattoos can have deep personal meaning to their owners about personal growth and value in this world. They encourage them to be an active listener.
They can be a reminder to live fearlessly, getting the most you can out of every moment with a now-or-never attitude.
Sugar Gliders are often tattooed alongside a butterfly and flowers. Butterflies, as well as Sugar Gliders, are symbols of the outdoors and freedom, making them a perfect match for each other. Flowers add a touch of beauty to the tattoo and are symbols of innocence and serenity.
Sugar Glider tattoos, like dog and cat tattoos, are being used by animal lovers and pet owners as a tribute to their living pets or homage to their deceased friends. They are a touching way to memorialize and pay tribute to the pet that has impacted their life.
Characteristics and Styles of Sugar Glider Tattoos
Most Sugar Gliders are depicted in realistic tattoos. They are detailed and show a lot of color and shading to give the most life to the tattoo.
They are often tattooed in trees or spread out and gliding through the air symbolizing freedom. They can are paired with butterflies and flowers.
Sugar Glider tattoos are branching out into other aspects of tattoo character and style. More and more are being inked in a 2D animation style. There are also tribal designs and simple traditional examples.
Where Do Sugar Glider Tattoos Usually Go?
Sugar Glider tattoos only have a couple of areas for placement. The upper back and shoulders are used to display larger pieces. Arms can also be used for medium and smaller tattoos with good details shown in this short video. Wrists are popular spots for smaller simple designs.
Ankle and foot placements are the most popular lower body areas for Sugar Glider tattoos. The legs offer a long length to show a Sugar Glider in its natural environment such as a tree.
Popular Sugar Glider Tattoo Designs
The most popular Sugar Glider tattoo designs depict them in natural settings. Many feature the trees they would call home in the wild. Flowers such as orchids and lilies are also used as an accompanying background. Simple face and head tattoos are a popular way to depict the sugar glider.
Sugar Gliders spread out and flying are a fun and exciting way to showcase and symbolize freedom and growth in the tattoo.
Conclusion
Sugar Gliders have been a popular pet since the 1990s and are becoming a hot tattoo design with pet owners and lovers. They are social pets and can symbolize family, and friends, to those wishing to get them inked on their bodies. They have also been associated with faith and luck.
On others, Sugar Gliders are symbols of the outdoors and freedom. They are reminders to live in the moment and the worth they have for society. They can also be tributes to pets owned and who have passed away.
No matter the reason for the inking, Sugar Gliders are becoming a fast-growing tattoo subject matter. With Sugar Gliders continuing to grow in popularity as pets the demand for tattoos will continue to flourish and branch out into every tattooing style. Happy Tattooing!
