Petaurus notatus

18 Krefft’s Glider, Sugar Glider at Hackett, ACT

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Identification history

Petaurus notatus	23 Apr 2022	MichaelBedingfield
Petaurus notatus duplicate	7 Apr 2022	DonFletcher
Petaurus notatus duplicate	7 Apr 2022	Bigfish69

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User's notes

Individuals spread along track, feeding

15 comments

DonFletcher wrote:

7 Apr 2022

Top photo!

MichaelBedingfield wrote:

8 Apr 2022

Nice pic, now placed in Sample Images for species page:-
https://canberra.naturemapr.org/species/10084

Bigfish69 wrote:

8 Apr 2022

Awesome, I'm new to this website, but am honoured. Thank you.

MatthewFrawley wrote:

8 Apr 2022

I have also featured this Krefft’s Glider sighting on our Facebook page and also on Twitter. The photo is outstanding.

Bigfish69 wrote:

8 Apr 2022

A big thank you to Helberth as during this time we spent many days and nights exploring the ACT and beyond.

waltraud wrote:

8 Apr 2022

this is outrageous!
1000 thanks for sharing!

waltraud wrote:

9 Apr 2022

Bigfish and Don, can you tell us how to distinguish between Petaurus notatus and P. breviceps? I know the Sugar Gliders (previous P. breviceps) have been split into 3 genetically different species but I'm not aware of the morphological features that distinguish them. Several members of our group including myself wondered...

Bigfish69 wrote:

9 Apr 2022

May I recommend you read the article published in the Zoological journal 2021: volume 191 issue 2

Though the address is length (below) it should open the relevant PDF. Also check out it's reference list for other potential information.

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Alyson-Stobo-Wilson/publication/345342498_Integrative_taxonomic_investigation_of_Petaurus_breviceps_Marsupialia_Petauridae_reveals_three_distinct_species/links/6011017f299bf1b33e28eadd/Integrative-taxonomic-investigation-of-Petaurus-breviceps-Marsupialia-Petauridae-reveals-three-distinct-species.pdf

DonFletcher wrote:

9 Apr 2022

Hi Waltraud, DNA is the answer to yr Q. But Kreffts is to west of the Great Dividing Range, and Sugar to East. (I would much prefer species to have visible differences but it seems that the creator did not care about that.)

waltraud wrote:

9 Apr 2022

Does that mean that the P breviceps featured on CNM should be renamed P notatus.
many thanks for quick response.
w

DonFletcher wrote:

9 Apr 2022

Yes it does mean that Waltraud, in theory. But this is a common issue for all kinds of organisms and the experts know to make allowance for the changes so no one is going back to change the earlier ones in CNM as far as I know.

MichaelBedingfield wrote:

10 Apr 2022

Don. It looks like all the sightings of P. breviceps are west of the Great Dividing Range, so we could merge the two species.

DonFletcher wrote:

10 Apr 2022

Oh yes well that would be good if you can do that Michael

Bigfish69 wrote:

10 Apr 2022

Isn't Kreft on the western side (eg ACT) with it's range overlapping into the range itself and even east of it, whereas Sugars seem to be predominantly eastern?

"Krefft’s glider has a clearly defined dorsal stripe and fluffy tail. It is widespread in eastern Australia and has been introduced to Tasmania.

The sugar glider, with a less-defined dorsal stripe, is apparently restricted to forests east of the Great Dividing Range, extending from southeast Queensland to around the border of New South Wales and Victoria."

Source: https://theconversation.com/a-rare-discovery-we-found-the-sugar-glider-is-actually-three-species-but-one-is-disappearing-fast-142807

DonFletcher wrote:

10 Apr 2022

Correct Bigfish, so the P. breviceps west of the range (eg in the ACT) are actually notatus according to the source you referenced.

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