Pet sugar gliders kept multiplying — now there’s an army of them needing new homes

A swarm of tiny, flying marsupials was recently surrendered to a Massachusetts animal shelter — 44 in total — because their overwhelmed owner couldn’t keep up with how quickly they were reproducing, outlets report.

The sugar gliders are all up for adoption, and range in age from 1 to 13 years old, the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals wrote in a Facebook post.

It’s not clear how many pet sugar gliders the owner had to start with, but at some point they “became overwhelmed as the animals began to reproduce, and turned to the MSPCA for help,” Massachusetts Live reported.

The Boston-based organization said it is “a record number” of sugar gliders surrendered from a single home.

Hailing from the forests of Australia and New Guinea, sugar gliders are about the size of a squirrel, and can soar through the air using a specialized membrane attached to their wrists and ankles that acts like a built-in parachute, according to the San Diego Zoo.

“These ‘wrist-winged gliders’ can float on air up to a distance nearly the width of a football field!” according to the zoo.

The MSPCA says sugar gliders make good pets for people who have experience with small mammals.

“Sugar gliders are playful and curious animals who love to hang out with others of their own kind, as well as with people,” the organization said. “And because they’re marsupials, they have a natural affinity for pouches — or shirt pockets, or fabric pouches that can be made or bought at pet stores.”

For more information about adopting one or more of the sugar gliders, email adoption@mspca.org.