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Squirrel glider
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Squirrel glider
The squirrel glider (Petaurus norfolcensis) is a nocturnal gliding possum and is one of the wrist-winged gliders of the genus Petaurus.
The home range of this species extends from Bordertown near the South Australia/Victorian Border, through south-eastern Australia to northern Queensland. It was thought to be extinct in South Australia since 1939, until a genetic test confirmed they still inhabited the area.
In south-eastern Australia the squirrel glider lives in the dry sclerophyll forest and woodlands, whilst in Queensland they occupy a wetter eucalypt forest.
The squirrel glider will make a den in a hollow tree and line it with leaves. Here it will sleep, usually living in groups of one male, 2 females and their offspring.
Like most of the wrist-winged gliders, the squirrel glider is endemic to Australia. It is about twice the size of the related sugar glider (P. breviceps), with a body that is 18–23 cm long and a tail measuring 22–33 cm. It weighs around 230g or 0.5 lbs and has blue-grey or brown-grey fur on its back and a white belly. The end of the tail is black and there is a black stripe from the eyes to the middle of the back. They have a flying membrane that extends from their 5th front toe to the back of their foot on both sides. When they glide their prehensile tail acts as a rudder, allowing them to steer in the direction they want to go. They can glide up to 50m from tree to tree, but tend not to glide in captivity.
The breeding season is between June and January and the gestation period is 18 days. The litter sizes are usually one to two offspring a year, who will immediately crawl to the mother's marsupium and anchor themselves to a teat where they will stay for about 3 months. The mother will wean her offspring for around 4 months while they stay in the den. They become independent at 10 months and will leave the den; their life expectancy is 4–6 years.
The squirrel glider eats mostly fruit and insects. It also feeds on tree sap, mainly eucalyptus or red bloodwood trees. In order to get the sap the squirrel glider will pierce the trunk of the tree causing sap to flow out of it. It also eats pollen, nectar, leaves, and bark.
Natural predators of the squirrel glider include owls and introduced predators such as dogs, cats and foxes. Habitat fragmentation and destruction by human agency is also impacting individual populations, however due to large population sizes and occurrence in several protected areas, the species is currently classified as Least Concern by the IUCN.
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Squirrel glider
The squirrel glider (Petaurus norfolcensis) is a nocturnal gliding possum and is one of the wrist-winged gliders of the genus Petaurus.
The home range of this species extends from Bordertown near the South Australia/Victorian Border, through south-eastern Australia to northern Queensland. It was thought to be extinct in South Australia since 1939, until a genetic test confirmed they still inhabited the area.
In south-eastern Australia the squirrel glider lives in the dry sclerophyll forest and woodlands, whilst in Queensland they occupy a wetter eucalypt forest.
The squirrel glider will make a den in a hollow tree and line it with leaves. Here it will sleep, usually living in groups of one male, 2 females and their offspring.
Like most of the wrist-winged gliders, the squirrel glider is endemic to Australia. It is about twice the size of the related sugar glider (P. breviceps), with a body that is 18–23 cm long and a tail measuring 22–33 cm. It weighs around 230g or 0.5 lbs and has blue-grey or brown-grey fur on its back and a white belly. The end of the tail is black and there is a black stripe from the eyes to the middle of the back. They have a flying membrane that extends from their 5th front toe to the back of their foot on both sides. When they glide their prehensile tail acts as a rudder, allowing them to steer in the direction they want to go. They can glide up to 50m from tree to tree, but tend not to glide in captivity.
The breeding season is between June and January and the gestation period is 18 days. The litter sizes are usually one to two offspring a year, who will immediately crawl to the mother's marsupium and anchor themselves to a teat where they will stay for about 3 months. The mother will wean her offspring for around 4 months while they stay in the den. They become independent at 10 months and will leave the den; their life expectancy is 4–6 years.
The squirrel glider eats mostly fruit and insects. It also feeds on tree sap, mainly eucalyptus or red bloodwood trees. In order to get the sap the squirrel glider will pierce the trunk of the tree causing sap to flow out of it. It also eats pollen, nectar, leaves, and bark.
Natural predators of the squirrel glider include owls and introduced predators such as dogs, cats and foxes. Habitat fragmentation and destruction by human agency is also impacting individual populations, however due to large population sizes and occurrence in several protected areas, the species is currently classified as Least Concern by the IUCN.
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