Yellow-bellied glider

The yellow-bellied glider (Petaurus australis) is an arboreal and nocturnal gliding possum.^[3][4][5] It lives in the native eucalypt forests right down eastern Australia, from northern Queensland to Victoria.^[6]

Yellow-bellied glider[1]
Conservation status
Near Threatened  (IUCN 3.1)[2]
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Infraclass:	Marsupialia
Order:	Diprotodontia
Family:	Petauridae
Genus:	Petaurus
Species:	P. australis
Binomial name
Petaurus australis Shaw, 1791
distribution

Habitat

The yellow-bellied glider lives in forests and woodlands in eastern Australia and is found at a range of altitudes from sea level to 1400 metres.^[7][8]

In North Queensland, the sub-species lives at over 700 m above sea level.^[9] There are 13 different populations in three places where this glider lives in North Queensland. One population lives on Mount Windsor Tableland, another on Mount Carbine Tableland, and the third lives in a linear habitat from Atherton to Kirrama on the Atherton Tableland. These three populations together have about 6000 individual gliders.^[9] 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.

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 family. It is also one of the most vocal possum gliders. It has a distinctive growling call that it uses as means of communication.^[10] A recording of the distinctive call can be heard at

It eats nectar, honeydew, insects, pollen and a wide spread of tree sap.

References

1. Groves, Colin (2005). Wilson, D. E.; Reeder, D. M. (eds.). Mammal Species of the World (3rd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. pp. 54–55. ISBN 0-801-88221-4.
2. Woinarski, J.; Burbidge, A.A.; Johnson, C.N. (2016). "Petaurus australis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T16730A21959641. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-1.RLTS.T16730A21959641.en.
3. http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/resources/pnf/07355ybglider.pdf
4. "Yellow-bellied glider - Petaurus australis facts". thewebsiteofeverything.com. Retrieved 13 June 2015.
5. Gliding Possums – Environment, New South Wales Government
6. Ross Secord. "ADW: Petaurus australis: INFORMATION". Animal Diversity Web. Retrieved 13 June 2015.
7. Kavanagh R.P. & Stanton M.A. 1998. Nocturnal forest birds and arboreal marsupials of the southwestern slopes, New South Wales. Australian Zoologist 30, 449-466^{[permanent dead link]}
8. Kavanagh, Rodney P.; Bamkin, Khia L. (1995). "Distribution of nocturnal forest birds and mammals in relation to the logging mosaic in south-eastern New South Wales, Australia". Biological Conservation. 71 (1): 41–53. doi:10.1016/0006-3207(94)00019-M. Retrieved 13 June 2015.
9. http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/threatened/species/pubs/66668-conservation-advice.pdf
10. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2009-10-25. Retrieved 2016-03-13.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)