Petauroides volans

Taxonomy

Assessment Information

Geographic Range

Population

Habitat and Ecology

Threats

Conservation Actions

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Taxonomy [top]

Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family
ANIMALIA	CHORDATA	MAMMALIA	DIPROTODONTIA	PSEUDOCHEIRIDAE

Scientific Name:

Petauroides volans

Species Authority:

(Kerr, 1792)

Common Name/s:

English

–

Greater Glider, Greater Gliding Possum

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:

Least Concern ver 3.1

Year Published:

2008

Assessor/s:

Lunney, D., Menkhorst, P., Winter, J., Ellis, M., Strahan, R., Oakwood, M., Burnett, S., Denny, M. & Martin, R.

Reviewer/s:

Lamoreux, J. & Hilton-Taylor, C. (Global Mammal Assessment Team)

Contributor/s:

Justification:
Listed as Least Concern in view of its wide distribution, presumed large population, occurrence in a number of protected areas, and because it is unlikely to be declining at nearly the rate required to qualify for listing in a threatened category.

History:

1996

–

Lower Risk/least concern (Baillie and Groombridge 1996)

Geographic Range [top]

Range Description:	The Greater Glider is endemic to eastern Australia, where it ranges from Windsor Tableland in far northern Queensland to the Wombat Forest in central Victoria. It occurs from sea level up to around 1,200 m asl.
Countries:	Native: Australia
Range Map:	Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.

Population [top]

Population:	This species is locally common, including in forest patches surrounded by farmland.
Population Trend:	Decreasing

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	It is a strictly nocturnal, and largely solitary, arboreal species of various undisturbed eucalypt-dominated woodland and forest habitat types. It does not inhabit rainforest or pine plantations (McKay 2008). The female gives birth to a single young which has a pouch life of three to four months, after which it is carried on the mothers back and becomes independent at about nine months of age (McKay 2008). It requires large tree hollows so it is therefore dependent on mature forest (McKay 2008).
Systems:	Terrestrial

Habitat and Ecology:

It is a strictly nocturnal, and largely solitary, arboreal species of various undisturbed eucalypt-dominated woodland and forest habitat types. It does not inhabit rainforest or pine plantations (McKay 2008). The female gives birth to a single young which has a pouch life of three to four months, after which it is carried on the mothers back and becomes independent at about nine months of age (McKay 2008). It requires large tree hollows so it is therefore dependent on mature forest (McKay 2008).

Systems:

Terrestrial

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):	There are no major threats to this species. Land clearing for agriculture, logging, and bushfires adversely affects this species throughout its range.

Major Threat(s):

There are no major threats to this species. Land clearing for agriculture, logging, and bushfires adversely affects this species throughout its range.

Conservation Actions [top]

Conservation Actions:	It is present in numerous protected areas. The maintenance of undisturbed forest containing suitable hollows for nesting is needed to conserve this species.

Conservation Actions:

It is present in numerous protected areas. The maintenance of undisturbed forest containing suitable hollows for nesting is needed to conserve this species.

Citation:	Lunney, D., Menkhorst, P., Winter, J., Ellis, M., Strahan, R., Oakwood, M., Burnett, S., Denny, M. & Martin, R. 2008. Petauroides volans. In: IUCN 2012. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2012.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 24 May 2013.
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