
All nine species of Australian glider are found in Queensland, seven of them in the south-east of the State. They range in size from the tiny feathertail glider, which can sit in a child’s hand, to the solitary nationally and regionally vulnerable greater glider.
The number of Australian glider species increased from seven to nine following the release of a new study[i] in July 2020 which showed the Sugar glider is actually three genetically distinct species: Petaurus breviceps and two new species, Krefft’s glider (Petaurus notatus) and the savanna glider (Petaurus ariel).
Update: November 2020
Researchers have recently discovered there are actually three species of greater glider, not one as previously assumed. A study of the genetics of greater gliders, published in Nature’s public access Scientific Reports journal, found distinct species in the southern, central and northern ranges.
Aims
The Queensland Glider Network (QGN) was established in early 2006 to support glider populations through communication, education, data collection, and mapping.
QGN aims to raise awareness of gliders and their habitat requirements. We want to improve community knowledge and interest in gliders. We hope to achieve by being a hub for glider conservation, research and information exchange in Queensland. We want to educate communities to enable them to support their local glider populations.
Get involved
- Join our network: QGN is recruiting wildlife enthusiasts in Queensland to be involved with the network. Email us to express your interest and include your contact details. As a QGN member, you will receive priority booking for workshops and opportunities to volunteer in QGN activities.
- Report a sighting: Have you ever seen a glider in the wild? If so, you can make a valuable contribution to QGN by telling us about your previous and recent sightings. Email us at glider@wildlife.org.au with a description of your sighting, the postcode of your sighting and your contact details.
- Like us on Facebook and post your best glider photos to our wall to give us permission to share.
- Support us:
- If you would like to make a financial contribution, you can support the work of the Queensland Glider Network through our adopt-a-glider program.
- Buy some of our great glider merchandise online, including Squirrel glider plush toy – large, Squirrel glider plush toy – mini, Squirrel glider plush toy set of 2 – mum and baby, and our Guard Our Gliders poster series. You can also contact us.
QGN projects
The Yellow-bellied Glider Project
Launched in August 2020, this project will research and document the distribution and occurrence of yellow-bellied gliders and greater gliders in South East Queensland, with a primary focus on yellow-bellied gliders. The project aims to increase conservation awareness for the uncommonly observed yellow-bellied glider and threatened greater glider with councils, private landholders, and the general public.
Research and monitoring
QGN’s role involves utilising simple surveying techniques including GIS predictive mapping, acoustic monitoring, and observation surveys to record the distribution, spread and foraging preferences of these two glider species in the target regions.
QGN will also engage with community members and private landholders that reside in suspected yellow-bellied and greater glider habitat in South East Queensland to encourage reporting of local glider sightings and provide opportunities to be involved in monitoring surveys.
Initial monitoring locations will be in the Logan and Ipswich local government areas where small numbers of both glider species have been observed. The project will later branch out to cover all of South East Queensland.
Community engagement and education
QGN will run a public awareness campaign to educate and increase support for the conservation of the species via:
- social media presence
- workshops
- school visits and presentations.
Get involved
The Yellow-bellied Glider Project will be commencing a volunteer program in early 2021. If you would like to get involved, please email us at glider@wildlife.org.au.
Further information and updates will be communicated on our social media platforms:
- Follow the @yellowbelliedgliderproject Instagram page
- Like the @QueenslandGliderNetwork Facebook page
Greater Glider Nest Box Project – Sheep Station Creek Conservation Park

Greater Glider at Sheep Station Creek Conservation Park. Image © Jasmine Zeleny
In December 2017, the QGN installed 18 nest boxes in Sheep Station Creek Conservation Park, Caboolture, on Brisbane’s north side, to learn more about greater glider nest box use.
The project design included two nest boxes per tree (5m and 10m installation heights) on nine trees, including regular monitoring. Greater gliders were observed in nest boxes installed at 10m; no evidence of occupation by any glider species has been observed in nest boxes at 5m.
Thanks to the community grant funding from Moreton Bay Regional Council, in September 2020 this project will see the nine, 5m high nest boxes relocated into other areas within the reserve to maximise nest box availability for greater gliders. An additional seven new Hollow Log Homes nest boxes will be installed as well.
Installation sites have been chosen based on a series of spotlight surveys conducted by the QGN in April 2019.
Mahogany Glider – threatened species recovery a long term and ongoing process

Infrared camera image of a mahogany glider. Image © Wildlife Queensland Cassowary Coast
Since the mid-1990s, Wildlife Queensland’s Cassowary Coast-Hinchinbrook Branch has been actively working to save the endangered mahogany glider from extinction.
In July 2020, Wildlife Queensland Cassowary Coast-Hinchinbrook Branch President Daryl Dickson spoke about her work to connect and protect Queensland’s endangered mahogany glider to an audience of more than 150 at a Wildlife Queensland Glorious Gliders webinar.
Timeline of work:
- 2020
- National Mahogany Glider Recovery Team continues to meet 3 times a year. A new National Mahogany Glider Recovery Plan is with the Federal and State Government and out for public comment.
- CCRC/Wildlife Queensland Pole Crossing Lily Creek (temp capping of barbed wire after two mahogany glider strandings in two months)
- 2019
- Lemontree Hill Connection to Glenbora Corridor – CCRC/HQ Plantation revegetation and weed control.
- 2018-2020
- Wildlife Queensland Cassowary Coast-Hinchinbrook Branch has assisted Townsville Branch with glider identification on their Ollera Creek Mahogany Glider Camera Monitoring Project.
- 2018
- Wildlife crossing and corridor signage for glider pole crossings Kennedy.
- Work with WTMA to speak for the mahogany glider in a video re threatened species information in the wet tropics.
- Assisting CSIRO testing heat-sensing video cameras at Kennedy Glider Pole crossing.
- 2016-2020
- Daily ongoing 3G camera monitoring of 2 x glider pole crossings, Bairds Creek Glenbora corridor.
- 2014-2015
- Revise, reformat and reprint school Mahogany Glider Education Booklets – deliver to schools.
- Design and produce Coast Woodland Revegetation signage and install at revegetation sites.
- 2014
- Meta-population, wildlife corridor and habitat mapping of the endangered Mahogany Glider Project funded by Wildlife Queensland/DES.
- Paddock Tree Project – design and produce signage and brochure.
- 2014-2018
- Everyone’s Environment Grant – threatened species corridor, glider pole crossing, 3G cameras to monitor the crossing.
- Revegetation and wildlife-friendly fencing, education and field days partnered with Girringun Rangers/CCRC/HQ Plantations/Ergon/Conservation Volunteers Aust/Local community
- 2012
- Assist in preparation of a CCRC – council planning tool “Mahogany Gliders in the Planning Scheme”.
- Cardwell Golf Course mahogany glider signage, den box and revegetation.
- 2011
- Mahogany glider project post-Cyclone Yasi.
- Post-cyclone assistance with emergency feed for gliders and cassowaries.
- Branch representative assigned to the Disaster Management Team for the natural environment.
- Den box installation, monitoring and report. Dr John Winter to assess usage after a disaster.
- ARAZPA – Wildlife Qld Cassowary Coast-Hinchinbrook Branch replaced community mahogany glider info sign, Cardwell.
- MG Bumper sticker design and distribution
- 2010
- Wildlife Queensland Tully Branch undertook the planting of mahogany glider feed trees.
- Design and produce wildlife-friendly fencing signage.
- 2008-2009
- A joint project with Wildlife Queensland Cassowary Coast-Hinchinbrook Branch, EPA and Tully Alliance installed BMD/TMR:
- 52 glider den boxes at Corduroy Creek
- glider poles and rope bridges across and IP cameras at glider crossing points on the Bruce Highway
- highway signage.
- CCRC/ Wildlife Queensland Cassowary Coast-Hinchinbrook Branch Glen Bora waterhole revegetation project.
- Ben Kanowski and Powerlink Project – liaise and assistance, mahogany glider population south of Cardwell.
- A joint project with Wildlife Queensland Cassowary Coast-Hinchinbrook Branch, EPA and Tully Alliance installed BMD/TMR:
- 2007 – QGN project officer visited schools and undertook nest box installation.
- 2002 – Mahogany glider education kit distributed.
- Mid-1990s-2020 – long-term and ongoing representation on the National Mahogany Glider Recovery Team.
Flinders Karawatha Corridor Project
QGN established an ongoing project in 2011 on glider population conservation within the Flinders Karawatha corridor. QGN’s role includes monitoring existing nest boxes as well as linking fragmented glider populations through additional nest box installation.
Each monitoring round assists us in tracking whether local glider populations are persisting, as well as the effectiveness of the installation of nest boxes as a conservation method. Other species recorded include common brushtail possums, short-eared mountain possums, lace monitors, pale-headed rosellas, rainbow lorikeets, native bees, native ants and red triangle slugs.
Community engagement and education
Our QGN presenters visit schools as well as youth and community groups to deliver glider education talks and raise awareness about the 6 species. In addition, our regular spotlights offer the chance to improve community knowledge and interest in gliders and their habitat requirements.
Latest news
Queensland Glider Network project updates – December 2020
Latest Queensland Glider Network project updates include nest box monitoring and installation activities, and early findings from glider surveys in the West Logan region.
New project to put threatened SEQ gliders on the map – August 2020

Yellow-bellied glider. Image © Sam Horton
A new Queensland Glider Network research and monitoring project will help to locate and protect threatened glider species in South East Queensland.
Glorious Gliders: a Wildlife Queensland webinar – July 2020
Join Wildlife Queensland for a special webinar to learn about our glorious gliding possums and conservation projects to protect them.
WPSQ shines spotlight on gliders at Logan event – March 2020
Wildlife Queensland’s Queensland Glider Network was excited to be a part of Logan City Council’s Conservations Incentives Program Celebration Day on Sunday, 1 March 2020.
Nest box use by hollow-dependant fauna – December 2019
University of Queensland placement student Rachael Harris has been working with Wildlife Queensland and the Queensland Glider Network to monitor nest boxes installed within urban bushland in the Forrestdale area in Logan. Rachael shares some surprising results from her recent analysis of nest box occupancy data.
Wildlife Queensland scores greater glider grant – October 2019
Wildlife Queensland’s Queensland Glider Network is proud to have been awarded funding under the Moreton Bay Regional Council Community Grants Program to help protect greater gliders in the Moreton Bay Region.
The $3,139 grant from Moreton Bay Regional Council will be used to provide nest boxes for the greater glider in Sheep Station Creek Conservation Park in Caboolture, Queensland, creating essential hollow shelters for this vulnerable species.
Great glider project update – June 2018

Greater glider nest box monitoring. Image: Wildlife Queensland
Not only was it exciting to see a greater glider finally take up residence in one of the nest boxes installed on Brisbane’s north side as part of our Queensland Glider Network’s greater glider project, but a second greater glider was observed in a box in the same location just last month! It has also been encouraging recently to see sugar gliders nesting in three large boxes at a conservation reserve in Redland Bay.
We now have further evidence that greater gliders are willing to use nest boxes. Over 140 volunteer hours have gone into the monitoring involved in this project. Great effort, Team!
Success at last – April 2018
After four months of nest box monitoring and some seemingly disappointing early results, the Queensland Glider Network is celebrating the recent occupancy of a nest box in Brisbane’s north by a greater glider.
Publications and information
Publications and merchandise
- Queensland Glider Network brochure. Contact us for your copy (free to QGN members)
- Australian gliders wallchart Free with Adopt-a-Glider pack
- Guard Our Gliders poster series: squirrel, greater, sugar and mahogany gliders. Visit the product page here
- Squirrel glider plush toy – large
- Squirrel glider plush toy – mini
- Squirrel glider plush toy set of 2 – mum and baby
Newsletter archive
Please note, Queensland Glider Network News is no longer being published. Back issues are available below.
- QGN News 22 – June 2013
- QGN News 21 – March 2013
- QGN News 20 – December 2012
- QGN News 19 – September 2012
- QGN News 18 – May 2012
- QGN News 17 – February 2012
- QGN News 16 – November 2011
- QGN News 15 – June 2011
- QGN News 14 – February 2011
- QGN News 13 – November 2010
- QGN News 12 – July 2010
- QGN News 11 – March 2010
- QGN News 10 – December 2009
- QGN News 9 – September 2009
- QGN News 8 – June 2009
Species profiles
- Feathertail glider
- Greater glider
- Mahogany glider
- Squirrel glider
- Sugar glider
- Yellow-bellied glider
Acknowledgments
Funding
In 2019, QSN was awarded funding under the Moreton Bay Regional Council Community Grants Program to help protect greater gliders in the Moreton Bay Region.
For more information on WPSQ’s projects, email or phone 07 3844 0129.
[1] Integrative taxonomic investigation of Petaurus breviceps (Marsupialia: Petauridae) reveals three distinct species, Teigan Cremona, Andrew M Baker, Steven J B Cooper, Rebecca Montague-Drake, Alyson M Stobo-Wilson, Susan M Carthew, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, zlaa060, https://doi.org/10.1093/zoolinnean/zlaa060 Published: 13 July 2020
Article updated: 24 September 2020