Mammals

(Petaurus norfolcensis) Squirrel GliderPhoto © Steve Parish Publishing Squirrel gliders are so named because of their dense, bushy tail. They are not quite as well known as their smaller relative, the sugar glider. Squirrel gliders and sugar gliders can co-occur in some areas and where they do, squirrel gliders are usually the more abundant of …

(Petaurus gracilis) Mahogany GliderPhoto © Daryl Dickson The mahogany glider is named for its rich brown mahogany colour and the importance of the swamp mahogany tree, Lophostemon suaveolens, in its habitat. The scientific name Petaurus gracilismeans slender rope dancer. They have been known to glide up to 60 metres with an average glide distance of 30 metres. …

(Petauroides volans / Petauroides armillatus / Petauroides minor) Greater GliderPhoto © Steve Parish Publishing The greater glider is the common name for three species of large gliding marsupials. Until 2020 they were considered to be one species, Petauroides volans. In 2020, scientists found that northern, central and southern greater glider populations are morphologically and genetically distinct and should …

(Acrobates pygmaeus) The feathertail glider is the smallest gliding marsupial in the world, also having a unique feather-like tail. The scientific name for this species means pygmy acrobat. Feathertail gliders spend up to 87% of their time in trees at heights greater than 15 metres making them the most cryptic and rarely seen of all …

All of Australia’s gliders are found in Queensland. Image © Steve Parish Publishing Gliders are nocturnal possum-like animals that live in Australia’s woodlands and forests. They are marsupials – so are born in a very incomplete state: minute, blind, hairless, with only partially formed hind limbs, and the embryos develop in a marsupium or pouch. They …

(Pteropus conspicillatus) Spectacled flying fox female and young. Image © Jennefer Mclean Spectacled flying foxes were first described in 1850 by Gould from a specimen collected on Fitzroy Island. They are important seed dispersers and pollinators of rainforest flora. Spectacled flying foxes have the smallest known distribution and population of the four Australian mainland Pteropus flying …

(Pteropus scapulatus) Little Red flying fox.Image © Vivien Jones   Little red flying foxes are the most widespread species of megabats in Australia and the only species of Australian flying fox that regularly roosts in clusters – up to 30 have been seen hanging together in a tight bunch. The weight of their clusters can cause …

(Pteropus poliocephalus) Grey-Headed flying foxes.Image © Vivien Jones   The grey-headed flying fox was the first Australian flying fox species discovered by Europeans. The first grey-headed flying fox specimen was reported as collected in New Holland and described by Temminck in 1825. Their numbers have declined drastically since European colonisation from many millions to a …

(Pteropus alecto) Black flying foxes. Image © Vivien Jones The black flying fox was first described by Temminck in 1837 from a specimen from Menado, Indonesia. In 1867, Peters described a black flying fox from Rockhampton. The south-eastern limit of black flying foxes has been moving southwards for at least 60 years. In 1930, the southern …

Mainland Australia has four species of Pteropus flying fox, all of them found in Queensland: black, grey-headed, little red and spectacled. Flying fox in flight. Image © Wildlife Queensland Flying foxes have an important ecological role because their feeding behaviour helps pollinate and disperse the seeds of native trees. Flying foxes spread the pollen of valuable plants …