Petauroides
1 species
The greater gliders are three species of large gliding marsupials in the genus Petauroides, all of which are found in eastern Australia. Until 2020 they were considered to be one species, Petauroides volans. In 2020 morphological and genetic differences, obtained using diversity arrays technology, showed there were three species subsumed under this one name. The two new species were named Petauroides armillatus and Petauroides minor.
These species are not closely related to the Petaurus group of gliding marsupials but instead to the lemur-like ringtail possum, Hemibelideus lemuroides, with which it shares the subfamily Hemibelideinae.
The greater gliders are nocturnal and are solitary herbivores feeding almost exclusively on Eucalyptus leaves and buds. Like their relative, the lemur-like ringtail, the southern greater glider is found in two forms: a sooty brown form and a grey-to-white form. The central greater glider is instead silvery brown, while the northern greater glider is brownish-gray.
The greater gliders are found in eucalypt forests from Mossman, Queensland, to Daylesford, Victoria.
Greater gliders are found in southern Queensland, eastern Australia, southeastern New South Wales, and the montane forests of the Victorian central highlands. It is usually tracked via spotlighting on transects (considered to underestimate the actual population size), radio tagging and owl-call playback.
The greater gliders choose habitat based on several factors, the dominant factor being the presence of specific species of eucalypt. Distribution levels are higher in regions of montane forest containing manna gum (E. viminalis) and mountain gum (E. dalrympleana, E. obliqua). Furthermore, the presence of E. cypellocarpa appears to improve the quality of habitat for the greater gliders in forests dominated by E. obliqua. Another factor determining population density is elevation. Optimal levels are 845 m above sea level. Within a forest of suitable habitat, they prefer overstorey basal areas in old-growth tree stands.
The greater gliders are three species of large gliding marsupials in the genus Petauroides, all of which are found in eastern Australia. Until 2020 they were considered to be one species, Petauroides volans. In 2020 morphological and genetic differences, obtained using diversity arrays technology, showed there were three species subsumed under this one name. The two new species were named Petauroides armillatus and Petauroides minor.
These species are not closely related to the Petaurus group of gliding marsupials but instead to the lemur-like ringtail possum, Hemibelideus lemuroides, with which it shares the subfamily Hemibelideinae.
The greater gliders are nocturnal and are solitary herbivores feeding almost exclusively on Eucalyptus leaves and buds. Like their relative, the lemur-like ringtail, the southern greater glider is found in two forms: a sooty brown form and a grey-to-white form. The central greater glider is instead silvery brown, while the northern greater glider is brownish-gray.
The greater gliders are found in eucalypt forests from Mossman, Queensland, to Daylesford, Victoria.
Greater gliders are found in southern Queensland, eastern Australia, southeastern New South Wales, and the montane forests of the Victorian central highlands. It is usually tracked via spotlighting on transects (considered to underestimate the actual population size), radio tagging and owl-call playback.
The greater gliders choose habitat based on several factors, the dominant factor being the presence of specific species of eucalypt. Distribution levels are higher in regions of montane forest containing manna gum (E. viminalis) and mountain gum (E. dalrympleana, E. obliqua). Furthermore, the presence of E. cypellocarpa appears to improve the quality of habitat for the greater gliders in forests dominated by E. obliqua. Another factor determining population density is elevation. Optimal levels are 845 m above sea level. Within a forest of suitable habitat, they prefer overstorey basal areas in old-growth tree stands.
