Petaurus norfolcensis

Taxonomy

Assessment Information

Geographic Range

Population

Habitat and Ecology

Threats

Conservation Actions

Taxonomy [top]

Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family
ANIMALIA	CHORDATA	MAMMALIA	DIPROTODONTIA	PETAURIDAE

Scientific Name:

Petaurus norfolcensis

Species Authority:

(Kerr, 1792)

Common Name/s:

English

–

Squirrel Glider

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:

Least Concern ver 3.1

Year Assessed:

2008

Assessor/s

Winter, J., Lunney, D., Denny, M., Burnett, S. & Menkhorst, P.

Evaluator/s:

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

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/near threatened (Baillie and Groombridge 1996)

Geographic Range [top]

Range Description:	The Squirrel Glider occurs in a broad band from Cape York Peninsula (Queensland) to central Victoria, extending to the coastal side of the Great Dividing Range between southern Queensland and central New South Wales. It is also possibly present in Bordertown, South Australia where it was last recorded in 1990 (van der Ree and Suckling 2008). It occurs from sea level up to at least 1,200 m asl.
Countries:	Native: Australia
Range Map:	(click map to view full version)

Population [top]

Population:	It is patchily distributed, and can be locally common or scarce.
Population Trend:	Decreasing

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	This species is associated with dry open forest and woodland, tall coastal forest and Banksia woodland in the north-east of its distribution, and ionbark-lemon-scented gum-forest red gum association in north Queensland (Maxwell et al. 1996). They are also in rainforest in south-east Queensland and urban environments such as suburban Brisbane.
Systems:	Terrestrial

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):	There is steady attrition of quality and extent of habitat remnants due to removal of timber both for sawn products and firewood. There is also a lack of suitable hollows in most habitat remnants on the inland slopes and regeneration of trees and shrubs is hindered by grazing by stock, rabbits, macropods, and inappropriate fire regimes. Coastal developments and clearance of forest remnants in New South Wales and south-eastern Queensland also adversely affect this species (van der Ree and Suckling 2008).

Major Threat(s):

There is steady attrition of quality and extent of habitat remnants due to removal of timber both for sawn products and firewood. There is also a lack of suitable hollows in most habitat remnants on the inland slopes and regeneration of trees and shrubs is hindered by grazing by stock, rabbits, macropods, and inappropriate fire regimes. Coastal developments and clearance of forest remnants in New South Wales and south-eastern Queensland also adversely affect this species (van der Ree and Suckling 2008).

Conservation Actions [top]

Conservation Actions:	Recommended actions (Maxwell et al. 1996) include: develop national recovery plan and establish recovery team. The Plan should incorporate the Victoria Flora and Fauna Guarantee Action Statement, which should be published and implemented. It should also examine what amendments are needed to current forest management practices to enhance Squirrel Glider habitat; monitor persistence and abundance throughout range, particularly at peripheral and isolated sites. This is especially urgent for inland populations in New South Wales and Queensland, where range also needs to be documented more accurately; reassess the evidence of presence in coastal forests of southern New South Wales. Conduct further, carefully-targeted, surveys if necessary; use biochemical taxonomic techniques to examine the possible differences between coastal and inland populations; conduct further research into the ecological requirements of the species and the impacts of habitat alterations, including timber removal, silviculture and grazing; further habitat protection in State forests, parks, and on private property is needed, especially in areas of box-ironbark in northern Victoria and western New South Wales, and areas of grey gum-grey ironbark-spotted gum from near Sydney to the Queensland-New South Wales border.

Conservation Actions:

Recommended actions (Maxwell et al. 1996) include: develop national recovery plan and establish recovery team. The Plan should incorporate the Victoria Flora and Fauna Guarantee Action Statement, which should be published and implemented. It should also examine what amendments are needed to current forest management practices to enhance Squirrel Glider habitat; monitor persistence and abundance throughout range, particularly at peripheral and isolated sites. This is especially urgent for inland populations in New South Wales and Queensland, where range also needs to be documented more accurately; reassess the evidence of presence in coastal forests of southern New South Wales. Conduct further, carefully-targeted, surveys if necessary; use biochemical taxonomic techniques to examine the possible differences between coastal and inland populations; conduct further research into the ecological requirements of the species and the impacts of habitat alterations, including timber removal, silviculture and grazing; further habitat protection in State forests, parks, and on private property is needed, especially in areas of box-ironbark in northern Victoria and western New South Wales, and areas of grey gum-grey ironbark-spotted gum from near Sydney to the Queensland-New South Wales border.

Citation:	Winter, J., Lunney, D., Denny, M., Burnett, S. & Menkhorst, P. 2008. Petaurus norfolcensis. In: IUCN 2008. 2008 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 07 January 2009.
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