A sugar glider with stinky feet.

Here’s the chart of chemical compounds behind your sugar glider’s stale popcorn foot odor 🪂👣🍿. • 2-Acetyl-1-pyrroline (2-AP) gives the classic popcorn smell. • Isovaleric acid & butyric acid add cheesy, rancid notes. • Methanethiol & dimethyl disulfide bring in sulfurous, onion/garlic stink. • Acetic & propionic acids add sour, pungent edges. • Ammonia sharpens it all with a harsh acrid kick.

Together, they shift the odor from buttery popcorn → stale, sour popcorn funk.

🦠 Microbes Behind Sugar Glider Foot Odor

Bacteria 1. Staphylococcus epidermidis – Common skin bacterium, breaks down sweat/oils into pungent fatty acids. 2. Corynebacterium spp. – Known for creating cheesy, rancid odors (often linked to foot odor in humans too). 3. Brevibacterium linens – Famous for its “stinky cheese” smell; also produces sulfur compounds. 4. Proteus mirabilis – Breaks down amino acids into foul-smelling sulfur compounds. 5. Pseudomonas aeruginosa – Can give off a “sweet, popcorn-like” odor due to volatile compounds.

Fungi 1. Candida albicans – A yeast that thrives in damp, warm areas; produces sour, musty odors. 2. Trichophyton mentagrophytes – A dermatophyte fungus linked to athlete’s foot; makes sweaty feet smell worse. 3. Aspergillus niger – Common mold that gives off earthy, stale odors. 4. Penicillium spp. – Can contribute a musty, spoiled smell if present on skin or bedding.

Foot odor causes in sugar gliders:

Bacteria and fungi. Body temperature. Diet. Health issues.