BITTER OR SWEET?

Great news and a privilege to have this wonderful marsupial living here, the downside is this Glider was located nesting on the ground.

The greater glider is the largest gliding possum in Australia with a body length of 350-450mm and a long furry tail measuring 450-600mm. The gliding membrane stretches from elbow to ankle. It is restricted to eucalypt forests with old trees and abundant hollows with a diet mostly comprising of eucalypt leaves.

This rare marsupial is listed as a threatened species under the Federal EPBC Act. Under this act threats to habit loss is classified as ‘catastrophic. [1]  Because this is a ‘white’ Greater Glider it is more vulnerable to prey because of its colour.

During the day it shelters in tree hollows and their home ranges are typically 1 – 16Ha. Modelling suggests that they require native forest patches of at least 160 km2 to maintain viable populations. The greater glider is considered to be particularly sensitive to forest clearance and is slow to recover following major disturbance. [1]

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We live in an area that is blessed with a diverse array of flora and fauna, but are we aware of what we have here? Steve Parish has taken an interest in our Copacabana White Greater Glider and kindly provided this photograph. We encourage others to share what they see in our backyard.

Vanessa

[1] THREATENED SPECIES SCIENTIFIC COMMITTEE Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 Conservation. Advice Petauroides volans - Greater Glider. The Minister included this species in the Vulnerable category, effective from 5 May 2016.