Yellow-bellied glider endangered population on the Bago Plateau - profile

Scientific name: Petaurus australis - endangered population
Conservation status in NSW: Endangered Population

Description

The Yellow-bellied Glider is a large, active, sociable and vocal glider. Adults weigh 450 - 700 grams, have a head and body length of about 30 cm and a large bushy tail that is about 45 cm long. Yellow-bellied Glider’s have grey to brown fur above with a cream to yellow belly, which is paler in young animals. The dark stripe down the back is characteristic of the group. It has a large gliding membrane that extends from the wrist to the ankle. It has a loud, distinctive call, beginning with a high-pitched shriek and subsiding into a throaty rattle.

Location and habitat

Distribution
The endangered population of the Yellow-bellied Glider occurs on the Bago Plateau; a westward extension of the Kosciuszko highlands in southern New South Wales. The population is disjunct owing to the steep valleys and unsuitable habitat surrounding the Bago Plateau and, in addition, because of cleared agricultural land to the west and the Tumut River and Talbingo Reservoir to the east. The area of the population includes a large portion of Bago and Maragle State Forests, a small area of Kosciuszko National Park and some freehold land.

Habitat and ecology

Den, often in family groups, in hollows of large trees.
The habitat on the Bago Plateau consists of tall wet sclerophyll forest dominated by Eucalyptus delegatensis (Alpine Ash), E. dalrympleana (Mountain Gum), E. radiata (Narrow-leaved Peppermint) and E. rubida (Candlebark).
Feed primarily on plant and insect exudates, including nectar, sap, honeydew and manna with pollen and insects providing protein.
Extract sap by incising (or biting into) the trunks and branches of favoured food trees, often leaving a distinctive ‘V’-shaped scar.
Live in small family groups of two - six individuals and are nocturnal.
Very mobile and occupy large home ranges between 20 to 85 ha to encompass dispersed and seasonally variable food resources.

Regional information
This species is found in the following catchment management authority regions. Click on a region name to see more details about the distribution, vegetation types and habitat preference of the species in that region.

Threats

Reduced population viability due to the partial fragmentation of the Bago Plateau and the populations highly restricted geographic distribution.
Continual decline in habitat quality caused by timber harvesting operations.
Loss of hollow-bearing trees.
Loss of feed trees.

What needs to be done to recover this species?

Retain den trees and recruitment trees (future hollow-bearing trees).
Retain food resources, particularly sap-feeding trees.
Retain and protect areas of habitat, particularly mature or oldgrowth forest containing hollow-bearing trees and sap-feeding trees.
Maintain connectivity between habitat patches.
In urban and rural areas retain and rehabilitate habitat to maintain or increase the total area of habitat available, reduce edge effects, minimise foraging distances and increase the types of resources available.

References

Goldingay R.L. and Kavanagh R.P. (1991). The Yellow-bellied Glider: a review of its ecology and management considerations. Conservation of Australia's Forest Fauna (ed. D. Lunney): 365-75. Royal Zoological Society of NSW.
Menkhorst, P. and Knight, F. (2001). A Field Guide to the Mammals of Australia. Oxford Uni Press, Melbourne.
NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (2003) Recovery Plan for Yellow-bellied Glider (Petaurus australis). NSW NPWS, Hurstville NSW.
Russell, R. (1995). Yellow-bellied Glider (pp. 226-8) in Strahan, R. (ed.), The Australian Museum Complete Book of Australian Mammals. Angus & Robertson, Sydney.