Yellow-bellied Glider
Encyclopedia
The Yellow-bellied Glider (Petaurus australis) is an arboreal and nocturnal gliding possum that lives in a narrow range of native eucalypt forests down eastern Australia, reaching from northern Queensland
to Victoria
.
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. Its body length is smaller reaching to about 30 cm long and the marsupial weighs a total of 700g. The males are usually bigger than the females.
There are two subspecies:
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. The Yellow-bellied Glider has be observed to jump up to 100m or 114m
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.
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. It has been recorded to have been heard up to 500m away.
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. While in the dens both parents will care for the offspring.
The dens are made in Eucalyptus grandis
trees and are lined with leaves. Their total life expectancy is about 6 years.
, insect
s, pollen
and a wide spread of tree sap including different Eucalyptus sap
, Corymbia
sap, some Angophora
sap, and Lophostemon
sap. It obtains the tree sap by biting a 'V' shape wedge/notch into the bark to promote the flow of gum and sap. It usually incises the bark on the trunks or upper branches of the trees.
of old nest trees. 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.
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
to Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
.
Habitat
The Yellow-bellied Glider is found at altitudes over 700m above sea level. With natural discontinuities and habitat clearing there are 13 different populations in three distinct places to find this glider. 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. With their habitat in danger the Yellow-bellied Glider is classified as uncommon to rare and is named vulnerable to the tropics.Appearance and behaviour
The Yellow-bellied Glider is a marsupialMarsupial
Marsupials are an infraclass of mammals, characterized by giving birth to relatively undeveloped young. Close to 70% of the 334 extant species occur in Australia, New Guinea, and nearby islands, with the remaining 100 found in the Americas, primarily in South America, but with thirteen in Central...
about the size of a rabbit
Rabbit
Rabbits are small mammals in the family Leporidae of the order Lagomorpha, found in several parts of the world...
. It typically has grey-brown fur on its back and has an off-white to orange
Orange (colour)
The colour orange occurs between red and yellow in the visible spectrum at a wavelength of about 585–620 nm, and has a hue of 30° in HSV colour space. It is numerically halfway between red and yellow in a gamma-compressed RGB colour space, the expression of which is the RGB colour wheel. The...
or yellow belly. It has large pointed ears and a long tail that can grow to reach 48 cm in length. Its body length is smaller reaching to about 30 cm long and the marsupial weighs a total of 700g. The males are usually bigger than the females.
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
Petaurus
The genus Petaurus contains flying phalangers or wrist-winged gliders, a group of arboreal marsupials. There are six species, Sugar Glider, Squirrel Glider, Mahogany Glider, Northern Glider, Yellow-bellied Glider and Biak Glider, and are native to Australia or New Guinea.Flying phalangers are...
, the wrist-winged gliders, a group of arboreal marsupials, and can glide up to 150m. The Yellow-bellied Glider has be observed to jump up to 100m or 114m
It is similar in appearance to the Mahogany Glider
Mahogany Glider
The mahogany glider is an endangered gliding possum native to a small region of coastal Queensland.-Appearance:A nocturnal arboreal marsupial, the mahogany glider closely resembles the sugar glider, the squirrel glider and the yellow-bellied glider., but is noticeably larger than any of its...
, although slightly larger in size. It is also similar in appearance to the Greater Glider
Greater Glider
The Greater Glider is a small gliding marsupial found in Australia. It is not closely related to the Petaurus group of gliding marsupials but instead to the Lemur-like Ringtail Possum , with which it shares the subfamily Hemibelideinae.The Greater Glider is nocturnal and is a solitary herbivore...
, a species that is more closely related to the Lemur-like Ringtail Possum
Lemur-like Ringtail Possum
The Lemur-like Ringtail Possum , also known as the Lemuroid Ringtail Possum or the Brushy-Tailed Ringtail, is one of the most singular members of the ringtail possum group...
than to the other members of the Petaurus genus.
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. It has been recorded to have been heard up to 500m away.
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 pair up with another glider, usually in a monogamous relationship and mate August to December. The offspring are normally born between May and September. They then stay in the marsupiumMarsupium
Marsupium is the Latin word for a pouch in several animal groups:* Pouch , in marsupials* Brood pouch , in peracarid crustaceans* Brood pouch , in syngnathids such as sea horses...
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. While in the dens both parents will care for the offspring.
The dens are made in Eucalyptus grandis
Eucalyptus grandis
Eucalyptus grandis, commonly known as the Flooded gum or Rose gum, is a tall tree with smooth bark, rough at the base fibrous or flaky, grey to grey-brown...
trees and are lined with leaves. Their total life expectancy is about 6 years.
Diet
The Yellow-belled Glider's diet consists of nectar, honeydewHoneydew (melon)
Honeydew is a cultivar group of the muskmelon, Cucumis melo Inodorus group, which includes crenshaw, casaba, Persian, winter, and other mixed melons.-Characteristics:...
, insect
Insect
Insects are a class of living creatures within the arthropods that have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body , three pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes, and two antennae...
s, pollen
Pollen
Pollen is a fine to coarse powder containing the microgametophytes of seed plants, which produce the male gametes . Pollen grains have a hard coat that protects the sperm cells during the process of their movement from the stamens to the pistil of flowering plants or from the male cone to the...
and a wide spread of tree sap including different Eucalyptus sap
Eucalyptus
Eucalyptus is a diverse genus of flowering trees in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae. Members of the genus dominate the tree flora of Australia...
, Corymbia
Corymbia
Corymbia is a genus of about 113 species of tree that were classified as Eucalyptus species until the mid-1990s. It includes the bloodwoods, ghost gums and spotted gums. The bloodwoods had been recognised as a distinct group within the large and diverse Eucalyptus genus since 1867...
sap, some Angophora
Angophora
Angophora is a genus of ten species of trees or large shrubs in the myrtle family , native to eastern Australia. It is closely related to Corymbia and Eucalyptus, and all three are often referred to as "eucalypts". The differences are that Angophora have opposite leaves rather than alternate, and...
sap, and Lophostemon
Lophostemon
Lophostemon is a genus of 4 species of evergreen tree in the myrtle family Myrtaceae. All four species are native to Australia, with one extending to New Guinea. The genus is a relatively recent creation; all 4 species were previously included in the related genus Tristania.The most well-known...
sap. It obtains the tree sap by biting a 'V' shape wedge/notch into the bark to promote the flow of gum and sap. It usually incises the bark on the trunks or upper branches of the trees.
Conservation
The two primary threats to the species are barbed-wire fences and logging, specifically fellingFelling
Felling is the name given to an area of land in eastern Gateshead, England. Originally an independent settlement in the historic county of Durham it became incorporated into the Metropolitan Borough of Gateshead in 1974....
of old nest trees. 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.
External links
- Yellow-bellied Glider — Threatened species — Government of New South WalesGovernment of New South WalesThe form of the Government of New South Wales is prescribed in its Constitution, which dates from 1856, although it has been amended many times since then...
website - Yellow-bellied Glider — Vulnerable species — National Parks and Wildlife ServiceNational Parks and Wildlife Service (New South Wales)The National Parks and Wildlife Service is part of the Office of Environment and Heritage - the main government conservation agency in New South Wales, Australia....
- Yellow-bellied Glider — Wildlife Preservation Society of QueenslandWildlife Preservation Society of QueenslandThe Wildlife Preservation Society of Queensland is a Queensland based conservation organisation. The Society was founded in 1962 by Judith Wright, Brian Clouston, David Fleay and Kathleen McArthur...
- Gliders in the Spotlight — Wildlife Preservation Society of Queensland
- Yellow-bellied Glider - Museum VictoriaMuseum VictoriaMuseum Victoria is an organisation which operates three major state-owned museums in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; these are: the Melbourne Museum, the Immigration Museum and Scienceworks. It also manages the Royal Exhibition Building and a storage facility in Melbourne's City of Moreland.Museum...
- Yellow-bellied Glider — Recovery plan — National Parks and Wildlife ServiceNational Parks and Wildlife Service (New South Wales)The National Parks and Wildlife Service is part of the Office of Environment and Heritage - the main government conservation agency in New South Wales, Australia....
(.pdf file — file is 32 pages long)