Petaurus notatus

1 Krefft’s Glider, Sugar Glider at Wamboin, NSW

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Identification history

	Petaurus notatus	1 May 2017	MichaelMulvaney
	Petaurus notatus	1 May 2017	alicemcglashan

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User's notes

2-3 gliders live near my house, I see them in our eucalyptus trees and also acacia trees. The images of the dead glider are of one found on our property, which makes ID a bit easier. Natural causes, looks like it may have missed the tree - blood nose. Early in the year I saw a glider with one baby in one of our nest boxes. This nest box is now used every night by one or more gliders. I am not sure if the glider in the video is a male or female as the camera trap hasn't recorded the young one. The deceased glider is a male.

14 comments

DonFletcher wrote:

2 May 2017

Ha! This is the same one I made comments about on Facebook today - how to distinguish Squirrel V Sugar. Excellent nest box photo! Is that a 2nd glider in the background? Alice I have something very similar at our place with a nest box of Feather-tail Gliders. In that case the Sugars visit to try to prey on the Feathers.

davidmcdonald wrote:

3 May 2017

Don, what Facebook page please? I cannot see it at the CNM Facebook page, and would like to see your advice on this. Thanks - David

alicemcglashan wrote:

4 May 2017

Hi Don, this is why I was seeking advice! It's nice for us to know what species we have, but also wanted to report the sighting as concussively one or the other. Our Wildcare possum-rehab neighbour told us that there were no gliders or ringtails on either of our blocks, clearly this is not the case which is nice to know. Yes, that is a second very small glider next to the big one. Thinking it is a young one. I think these little guys have to stay clear of the Brushtails and only use the small box because of this, like your Feathers. The deceased glider is a boy.

David Mac, you must be a neighbour of mine! I'll do a post on the Wamboin etc FB page as there may be a few interested locals, but otherwise look up both of these pages - the Vic one had the best response. I posted my pics for advice on whether the deceased glider was a Sugar or Squirrel, then re-entered my previous Nature Map sighting after advice was conclusive. Even had Peter Menkhorst (Field Guide to Australian Mammals by Menkhorst and Knight) chime in with some great advice on how to differentiate the two - on the Vic FB page.

Field Naturalists Club of Victoria (FB)
Link to my post: https://www.facebook.com/groups/191099460990243/?multi_permalinks=1052592208174293¬if_t=feedback_reaction_generic¬if_id=1493608137165789

Australian Marsupials, Reptiles, Amphibians,Invertebrates and Plants (FB)
Link to my post: https://www.facebook.com/groups/144261675750262/?multi_permalinks=792067664302990¬if_t=feedback_reaction_generic¬if_id=1493607453958801

DonFletcher wrote:

4 May 2017

Hi Alice. Those are great boxes, and I enjoyed your accounts of their occupants on FB. I have heard a lot of claims for Squirrel Glider sightings in our region (they are declared threatened) but there is no specimen. (There are two ANH Museum specimens from the 1800s mentioned in ALA but the location given is the Qbn Post Office so, given the practices of the time, they could have come from anywhere.) It is surprising how many more places Sugar Gliders are being found in the ACT area every decade, either because more people look or the gliders are recovering/spreading. We still have a lot to learn about our arboreal mammals. Which leads to: Maybe you could try putting up a box for Feather-tailed Gliders. You might get lucky. Same box as for Sugar Gliders except entrance hole reduced to 25mm to keep the Sugar Gliders out.

alicemcglashan wrote:

4 May 2017

Hi Don, thanks for sharing this info. I wonder if ours have always been here or are recent arrivals? Interesting. I will keep watch. What are they recovering from? Habitat loss, disease, hunting? Also do you know how far they range each night?

There are / is at least one small hollow they were using before we came, but there is a big shortage of tree hollows on our land and nearby. There is a ringtail sleeping every day in the "glider" nest box since installation, and at least one glider sleeping every day in the "owlet nightjar" nest box for a couple of months or more. Any box that a Brushtail can get into is vacant, they are being soft-released next door so there are way too many in this location > 15 / 5ha at a rough estimate. I am moving my larger bird nest boxes to possum proof-able trees now I'm aware of how bad this situation is and will be monitoring them closely with wildlife cameras.

I didn't realise there could be feather tailed gliders too, what are their habitat needs? I'll look at boxes for keeping Sugar Gliders out, was wondering how small the entrance needs to be.

Do you know the habitat preferences for Squirrel Gliders? There is very little information available about them, both for identification and types of habitat or specific needs. Anyone local who is into wildlife appears to assume that any glider is a sugar glider, this is likely to be the case for other areas too so they may there but aren't being correctly identified. And the other way around too. I was trying not to be one of those!

Jubeyjubes wrote:

27 Nov 2020

@alicemcglashan and @DonFletcher, I am about to embark on a glider box for a street in Aranda. I know there are Kreffts Gliders here for sure, but do you think it's worth me putting one up for any feathers as well? Thanks!!!

alicemcglashan wrote:

28 Nov 2020

Hi Jubes, my understanding is that feathertail gliders only live where there are banksias in the native habitat. I have not ever recorded any on my property in Wamboin, nor heard reports of them in and around the Canberra area.

However you may have Antichinus in your local area, that also use a similar size entrance & design nest box as feathertails.

With your K Glider boxes, do install them in protected leafy spots rather than out in the open. Wattle trees are great. Food (sap) + shelter in the one tree.

Several years on from the above comments, I know I have at least three family groups of at least 5 individuals each, that seasonally use my smaller treecreeper & sugar glider design nest boxes.

Keep their nest boxes well away from bird targeting nest boxes. They are quite ferocious predators, and will kill sitting mother birds to eat their eggs and very young chicks. And can access entrance diameters down to 45-50mm.

If you are keen for more info, ideas or sharing nest box stories, check out the nestboxtales group on Facebook, also .com for compiled tried & tested designs & other nest box installation etc info.

DonFletcher wrote:

28 Nov 2020

Hi Alice and Jubey, There are a few records of Feather-tail Gliders (FTG) from the ACT. The places are mountain forest with understory of Banksia marginata. BUT my more cynical eye notes that the locations actually correspond better to where there has been huge amounts of walked spotlighting.

Research shows the species to be adaptable to a variety of habitats. Goldingay and Kavanagh, (1995) wrote that "Acrobates pygmaeus is found in a wide range of habitats. It has been observed foraging on the ground, in large trees and bushes and in tall grasses. Feathertailed Gliders have been observed foraging at hieghts from ground level to 40 meters above the ground. Height of foraging depends on species of tree and abundance of food, but it is independent of season." So I conclude that we really have very little knowledge on this point. Try a FTG box and cross your fingers. You might get a bat or three if nothing else.

Jubey, how do you know they are Krefft's Gliders (Petaurus notatus) in Aranda? How do you know they are not Sugar Gliders Petaurus breviceps?

alicemcglashan wrote:

28 Nov 2020

Hi Don, my understanding is that the Sugar Glider occurs east of the great dividing range - so it is the Krefft’s Glider that occurs in our region I would have thought. We are west of the great divide.

For the feathertail glider, the ACT urban region including Aranda would not support this species as the ecosystem isn’t mountain forest with an understory of banksia marginata. Have there been any sightings that you know of recorded here or elsewhere of feathertail gliders in ACT urban areas? Just curious as the ACT is predominantly in a valley with grasslands and woodlands.

DonFletcher wrote:

28 Nov 2020

Hi Alice, Thanks for explanation about Kreffts. About FTG, first, Goldingay and Kavanagh are very experienced and knowledgable, so I trust their advice ahead of of the claim that FTG only occur in marginata. Second, FTG are hard to be aware of from ad hoc 'survey methods' including spotlighting, owl pellets and roadkill. I think it would be unwise to suppose that FTG are not in the ACT lowlands just because reports are lacking.

Jubeyjubes wrote:

30 Nov 2020

Thanks so much for your comments Alice and Don! Yes, what Alice said about the Kreffts glider is the reason I stated that we have this species in Canberra (Happy to be corrected of course!). Alice, I am one of your followers on Nestbox Tales - I am the one who makes all the boxes out of old pallets :) I think I am getting close to having made 80 now... I lost count in the bush fires in the blur of stress. I am happy to put up a box or two for the feathers in my never ending attempt to find exciting things for Canberra Nature Map! I guess a thornbill or bat might like it, as Don says, even if I can't get a feathertail. I would love to see antichinus here but the number of cats and foxes in Aranda makes me doubtful the land loving creatures would have much of a chance...

Jubeyjubes wrote:

30 Nov 2020

DonFletcher wrote:

30 Nov 2020

Correct Jubey. Antechinus and small mammals (even house mice) have effectively gone from Canberra Nature Park since the 1970s. Likely due to cat and fox predation in the context of habitat modification by frequent burning, and the urban area being a reservoir of foxes and cats that 'overflow' into the bushland. However an Antechinis agilis turned up at Mulligans Flat woolshed a few years ago (cat and fox free area) and one was camera-trapped in Bluetts Block at Denman Prospect last year. And there is interest in reintroducing Antechinus flavipes.

Jubeyjubes wrote:

30 Nov 2020

Oh ok! Well I guess I live in hope that we might see such a creature again in Canberra. I will post what is found if anything does turn up.

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