Petaurus australis — Details

Geographic Range

Petaurus australis occurs in native eucalypt forests along the eastern and southeastern coasts of Australia in Queensland, New South Wales, and Victoria. It ranges inland as much as several hundred kilometers and has an extensive, but patchy distribution. It is generally found in low densities and considered rare throughout most of its range, although it can be locally common (e.g. as in east Gippsland). (Environment Australia Biodiversity Group, 1999)

Biogeographic Regions: australian (Native )

Trusted

Article rating from 0 people

Average rating: 2.5 of 5

Physical Description

Morphology

Physical Description

Body length in Petaurus australis ranges from 27 to 30 cm, and tail length ranges from 42 to 48 cm. Its pouch has two incompletely divided compartments divided by a well developed septum, a feature unique among marsupials. The fur is fine and silky. Its tail is prehensile and fully covered in fur. Its coloration is dusky gray-brown dorsally and creamy to yellowish-orange ventrally, with black feet and an oblique dark strip on its thigh. It has semi-naked ears and a pink nose. A gliding membrane is connected from its wrists and ankles. Males are larger than females. (WIRES NSW; Nowak, 1991)

Range mass: 435 to 710 g.

Trusted

Article rating from 0 people

Average rating: 2.5 of 5

Ecology

Habitat

Habitat and Ecology

Habitat and Ecology

This species inhabits wet sclerophyll, open coastal, and foothill forests. When not in their tree-hollow dens, Yellow-bellied Gliders spend about 90 percent of their time foraging (Goldingay 2008). Individuals of this species require unusually large areas of habitat. This species is particularly noted for feeding on eucalyptus sap, and sap trees are well marked and routinely visited by the gliders (Goldingay 2008). Females typically give birth to a single young annually (Goldingay 2008).

Systems

Terrestrial

Source: IUCN

Trusted

Article rating from 0 people

Average rating: 2.5 of 5

Habitat

Petaurus australis lives in coastal and open foothill forest and woodland, and in wet eucalypt forests. In eastern Australia it lives only in tall, mature eucalypt forests in regions of high rainfall, with temperate to subtropical climates. The northern Queensland population lives in forests at high altitudes with lower temperatures. It occurs in greatest numbers in coastal and foothill forest and woodland, and in lesser numbers in wet eucalypt forests. Winter flowering eucalypts (e.g. Eucalyptus maculata) may be important in habitat preference in southern Queensland. High densities seen in New South Wales may correlate to a continuous supply of nectar due to a greater diversity of eucalypts. (Environment Australia Biodiversity Group; WIRES NSW)

Terrestrial Biomes: forest

Trusted

Article rating from 0 people

Average rating: 2.5 of 5

Trophic Strategy

Food Habits

The diet of Petaurus australis consists largely of nectar, pollen, and the sap of eucalypts. Sap is obtained by incising the bark on the upper branches and trunks of Eucalyptus resinifera trees and drinking the ooze. Some individual trees are clearly favored and become very heavily scarred. Its diet also includes insects, arachnids, grubs, and possibly small vertebrates. (WIRES NSW; Craig, 1985)

Trusted

Article rating from 0 people

Average rating: 2.5 of 5

Life History and Behavior

Life Expectancy

Lifespan/Longevity

Average lifespan

Status: captivity: 10.0 years.

Average lifespan

Status: wild: 10.0 years.

Trusted

Article rating from 0 people

Average rating: 2.5 of 5

Lifespan, longevity, and ageing

Maximum longevity: 15 years (captivity) Observations: One wild born specimen was at least 15 years when it died in captivity (Richard Weigl 2005).

Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 (CC BY 3.0)

Source: AnAge

Trusted

Article rating from 0 people

Average rating: 2.5 of 5

Reproduction

Mating has been observed while pairs were clinging to the underside of a branch. Females have two nipples in the incompletely divided pouch. Typically, females bear a single young, although twins have been observed. Breeding is limited to August through December in Victoria but occurs throughout the year in Queensland. Young are carried in the mother's pouch for about 100 days, after which time they are left in a nest for an additional 60 days. Both parents provide care for the young, which become independent after 18 to 24 months, and become sexually mature at about 2 years of age. (WIRES NSW; Nowak, 1991; Craig, 1985, Goldingay, 1992).

Average number of offspring: 1.

Average age at sexual or reproductive maturity (female)

Sex: female: 725 days.

Trusted

Article rating from 0 people

Average rating: 2.5 of 5

Conservation

Conservation Status

IUCN Red List Assessment

Red List Category

Least Concern

Red List Criteria

Version

3.1

Year Assessed

2008

Assessor/s

Menkhorst, P., Winter, J., Ellis, M., Denny, M., Burnett, S. & Lunney, D.

Reviewer/s

Lamoreux, J. & Hilton-Taylor, C. (Global Mammal Assessment Team)

Justification

Listed as Least Concern in view of its wide distribution, presumed large population, occurrence in a number of protected areas, and because it is unlikely to be declining at nearly the rate required to qualify for listing in a threatened category.

History

1996

Lower Risk/near threatened

(Baillie and Groombridge 1996)

Source: IUCN

Trusted

Article rating from 0 people

Average rating: 2.5 of 5

Conservation Status

Since Petaurus australis is strongly tied to certain species of eucalypt trees, removal or damage to these trees results in habitat reduction. Eucalypt forests in Australia are cut for timber or cleared for agricultural purposes. It is also apparent that removal of old growth elements from unlogged forests or from previously lightly-logged forests results in a decline in density of these animals. Because the species requires a variety of trees to feed on in mixed forest over large home ranges, and because it needs hollow trees for nesting, its conservation requires the preservation of large tracts of forests.

Besides reduction of habitat from logging, there is evidence that expansion of rainforest into the wet sclerophyll forests preferred by Petaurus australis also has diminished its range. Rainforest expansion is believed to be due to a reduction in the intensity of fires along the western margins of rainforests, possibly caused by controlled burning of undergrowth by cattle ranchers. (Environment Australia Biodiversity Group; WIRES NSW; Harrington and Sanderson 1994; Lindenmayer et al., 1999)

US Federal List: no special status

CITES: no special status

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: least concern

Trusted

Article rating from 0 people

Average rating: 2.5 of 5

Trends

Population

Population

It can be a common species, but it is patchily distributed.

Population Trend

Decreasing

Source: IUCN

Trusted

Article rating from 0 people

Average rating: 2.5 of 5

Threats

Major Threats

Habitat loss and fragmentation due to timber-harvesting and agriculture are the main threats to this species. Due to past forest management there is a current dearth of available live hollow-bearing trees within Yellow-Bellied Glider habitats. Remaining dead trees are therefore an important resource, but these are at risk of collapse due to regular prescribed burning regimes and windthrow. In Queensland and New South Wales (and possibly Victoria) broad-scale land clearing has been stopped due to newly introduced vegetation management legislation. However, degradation to existing habitat (e.g., through fire, timber removal) within the habitat of isolated populations, but also between non-isolated populations, is a huge threat to the species (essentially inducing a fragmentation effect) throughout its range, due to its wide-ranging and extensive habitat requirements (T. Eyre pers. comm.).

Source: IUCN

Trusted

Article rating from 0 people

Average rating: 2.5 of 5

Management

Conservation Actions

Conservation Actions

This species is present in a number of protected areas. Management of timber such that large areas of intact, contiguous forest remain is important for this species. Currently sap trees must be identified and preserved, but the effectiveness of this measure is uncertain (Goldingay 2008). Timber-harvesting and fire management should be aimed at maintaining tree-hollows.

Source: IUCN

Trusted

Article rating from 0 people

Average rating: 2.5 of 5

Relevance to Humans and Ecosystems

Benefits

Economic Importance for Humans: Negative

nothing found

Trusted

Article rating from 0 people

Average rating: 2.5 of 5

Economic Importance for Humans: Positive

nothing found

Trusted

Article rating from 0 people

Average rating: 2.5 of 5

Wikipedia

Yellow-bellied Glider

The Yellow-bellied Glider (Petaurus australis) is an arboreal^[3] and nocturnal^[4] gliding possum^[5] that lives in a narrow range of native eucalypt forests^[6] down eastern Australia, reaching from northern Queensland to Victoria.

1 Habitat
2 Appearance and behaviour
3 Reproduction
4 Diet
5 Conservation
6 References
7 Bibliography
8 External links

Habitat

The Yellow-bellied Glider is found at altitudes over 700m above sea level.^[7] With natural discontinuities and habitat clearing there are 13 different populations in three distinct places to find this glider in North Queensland. One population resides on Mount Windsor Tableland, another on Mount Carbine Tableland, and the third lives in a linear habitat going from Atherton to Kirrama on the Atherton Tableland. These three populations together are estimated to contain around 6000 individual gliders.^[7] With their habitat in danger the Yellow-bellied Glider is classified as uncommon to rare and is named vulnerable to the tropics. This species is more widespread in southern Queensland, NSW and Victoria.

Appearance and behaviour

The Yellow-bellied Glider is a marsupial about the size of a rabbit. It typically has grey-brown fur on its back and has an off-white to orange or yellow belly. It has large pointed ears and a long tail that can grow to reach 48 cm in length.^[7]^[8] Its body length is smaller reaching to about 30 cm long and the marsupial weighs a total of 700g.^[7] The males are usually bigger than the females.^[6]

There are two subspecies:

P. a. australis in the south (which is locally common)
P. a. reginae in northern Queensland (which is rare and threatened with logging)

The Yellow-bellied Glider is the largest species of Petaurus, the wrist-winged gliders, a group of arboreal marsupials, and can glide up to 150m.^[9] The Yellow-bellied Glider has be observed to jump up to 100m^[10] or 114m ^[6]

It is similar in appearance to the Mahogany Glider, although slightly larger in size. It is also similar in appearance to the Greater Glider, a species that is more closely related to the Lemur-like Ringtail Possum than to the other members of the Petaurus genus.^[11]

The Yellow-bellied Glider is gregarious and spends the day in a leaf-lined tree hole, which is usually shared with other members of the same species. It is also one of the most vocal possum gliders. It has a distinctive growling call that it uses as means of communication.^[12] It has been recorded to have been heard up to 500m away.^[10]

Reproduction

Breeding occurs in spring in the south, but throughout the year in the Queensland in the north. Sexual maturity for the glider is around 2 years of age when the glider will then^[6] pair up with another glider, usually in a monogamous relationship and mate August to December.^[6] The offspring are normally born between May and September. They then stay in the marsupium for about 100 days. The young are then left in the den for 2–3 months before they are weaned from the mother and go off on their own.^[6]^[10] While in the dens both parents will care for the offspring.^[6]

The dens are made in Eucalyptus grandis trees^[10] and are lined with leaves. Their total life expectancy is about 6 years.^[10]

Diet

The Yellow-belled Glider's diet consists of nectar, honeydew, insects, pollen and a wide spread of tree sap including different Eucalyptus sap, Corymbia sap, some Angophora sap, and Lophostemon sap.^[3] It obtains the tree sap by biting a 'V' shape wedge/notch into the bark to promote the flow of gum and sap.^[12]^[13] It usually incises the bark on the trunks or upper branches of the trees.^[6]

Conservation

The two primary threats to the species are barbed-wire fences and logging, specifically felling of old nest trees.^[14] It is currently listed as a species of "Least Concern" because it has a wide distribution, including several protected areas. While it is a rare species, there is a presumed large population which is unlikely to be decreasing at a rate that would threaten the species under the criteria for current categories.^[2]

References

^ Groves, C. (2005). Wilson, D. E.; Reeder, D. M. eds. Mammal Species of the World (3rd ed.). Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. pp. 54-55. OCLC 62265494. ISBN 0-801-88221-4. http://www.bucknell.edu/msw3.
^ ^a ^b Menkhorst, P., Winter, J., Elis, M., Denny, M., Burnett, S. & Lunney, D. (2008). Petaurus australis. In: IUCN 2008. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Downloaded on 28 December 2008.
^ ^a ^b http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/resources/pnf/07355ybglider.pdf
^ http://thewebsiteofeverything.com/animals/mammals/Diprotodontia/Petauridae/Petaurus/Petaurus-australis.html
^ Gliding Possums — Environment, New South Wales Government
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Petaurus_australis.html
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/threatened/species/pubs/66668-conservation-advice.pdf
^ Cronin, Leonard and Westmacott, Marion (illustrator) (1991). Key Guide to Australian Mammals. Reed Books Pty. Ltd.. pp. 64–65. ISBN 0-7301-0355-2.
^ Jones, Cath & Parish, Steve. Field Guide to Australian Mammals. Steve Parish Publishing Pty. Ltd.. pp. 86, 88. ISBN 1-74021-743-8.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e http://www.australianfauna.com/fluffyglider.php
^ Menkhorst, Peter and Knight, Frank (2001). A Field Guide to the Mammals of Australia. Oxford University Press. pp. 94–95. ISBN 0-19-550870-X.
^ ^a ^b http://www.environment.sa.gov.au/biodiversity/southeast-bcp/pdfs/gliders.pdf
^ Strahan, Ronald (1995). A Photographic Guide to Mammals of Australia. The Australian Museum, New Holland (Publishers) Ltd.. p. 58. ISBN 1-85368-583-6.
^ Ryan, Michelle (General Editor), and Burwell, Chris (Scientific Editor), ed. Wildlife of Tropical North Queensland. Queensland Museum. p. 338. ISBN 0-7242-9349-3.

Bibliography

Cronin, Leonard — "Key Guide to Australian Mammals", published by Reed Books Pty. Ltd., Sydney, 1991 ISBN 0-7301-0355-2
van der Beld, John — "Nature of Australia — A portrait of the island continent", co-published by William Collins Pty. Ltd. and ABC Enterprises for the Australian Boadcasting Corporation, Sydney, 1988 (revised edition 1992), ISBN 0-7333-0241-6
Russell, Rupert — "Spotlight on Possums", published by University of Queensland Press, St. Lucia, Queensland, 1980, ISBN 0-7022-1478-7
Troughton, Ellis — "Furred Animals of Australia", published by Angus and Robertson (Publishers) Pty. Ltd, Sydney, in 1941 (revised edition 1973), ISBN 0-207-12256-3
Morcombe, Michael & Irene — "Mammals of Australia", published by Australian Universities Press Pty. Ltd, Sydney, 1974, ISBN 0-7249-0017-9
Ride, W. D. L. — "A Guide to the Native Mammals of Australia", published by Oxford University Press, Melbourne, 1970, ISBN 19 550252 3
Serventy, Vincent — "Wildlife of Australia", published by Thomas Nelson (Australia) Ltd., Melbourne, 1968 (revised edition 1977), ISBN 0-17-005168-4
Serventy, Vincent (editor) — "Australia's Wildlife Heritage", published by Paul Hamlyn Pty. Ltd., Sydney, 1975</ref> of the marsupial family Petauridae.

Creative Commons Attribution Share Alike 3.0 (CC BY-SA 3.0)

Source: Wikipedia

Unreviewed

Article rating from 0 people

Average rating: 2.5 of 5