Mahogany Glider
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| Petaurus gracilis (de Vis, 1883) |
The Mahogany Glider (Petaurus gracilis), which is named for its mahogany-brown colour, is a highly endangered possum, very similar in appearance to both the smaller sized Sugar Glider and Squirrel Glider.
The Mahogany Glider is restricted to a very small area, between Ingham and Tully in North Queensland, Australia. The reason for the Mahogany Glider being one of Australia's most threatened species is loss of habitat, with about 80% of habitat having been cleared for the growing of sugar cane, pine trees and banana crops, and also cleared for cattle.
The Mahogany Glider was thought to be extinct for 108 years, until it was rediscovered in 1989.
Unfortunately, the Mahogany Glider continues to live a precarious existence, as some farmers are continuing to clear the glider's habitat for farming purposes.
The Mahogany Glider is located in N-NE Queensland, and its main predators are scrub pythons and owls.
[edit] References
- Australasian Marsupial & Monotreme Specialist Group (1996). Petaurus gracilis. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 11 May 2006. Listed as Endangered (EN A1b, B1+2abc, C2a v2.3)
- Jones, Cath & Parish, Steve, "Field Guide to Australian Mammals" (pp. 86, 89). Steve Parish Publishing Pty. Ltd. ISBN 1-74021-743-8.
- Menkhorst, Peter and Knight, Frank, "A Field Guide to the Mammals of Australia" (2001) (pp. 94-95). Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-550870-X.
- "Wildlife of Tropical North Queensland" (First printed in 2000) (p. 337). Queensland Museum Publication. ISBN 0-7242-9349-3.
- Jackson, S.J. Jackson, (2000), "Home range and den use of the Mahogany Glider (Petaurus gracilis)" Wildlife Research 27 (pp 49-60)
- The "Australian Faunal Directory"
- Van Dyck, S. (1993). The taxonomy and distribution of Petaurus gracilis (Marsupialia: Petauridae), with notes on its ecology and distribution status, Mem. Queensland Museum 33: 77-122
- Van Dyck, S. (1995). Mahogany Glider Petaurus gracilis (pp. 232-233) in Strahan, R (ed) "The Mammals of Australia". The National Photographic Index of Australian Wildlife. Sydney: Reed New Holland 2nd Edition 756 pp.
- Groves, Colin (16 November 2005). Wilson, D. E., and Reeder, D. M. (eds): Mammal Species of the World, 3rd edition, Johns Hopkins University Press, 55. ISBN 0-801-88221-4.
- Tisdell, C., Wilson, C. and Swarna Nantha, H. (2005). Policies for saving a rare Australian glider: economics and ecology. Biological Conservation 123(2): 237-248.
[edit] External links
- Mahogany Gliders - Chakoro Nature Reserve (photos of Mahogany Gliders)
- Mahogany Glider - Queensland Museum - Endangered Species - Queensland's vanishing wildlife
- Mahogany Glider - Wildlife Preservation Society of Queensland
- Trees for Mahogany Gliders - Wildlife Preservation Society of Queensland
- Mahogany Glider - Australian Fauna
- Mahogany Glider - Animal info
- Mahogany Glider - Australian Mammals - CSIRO Publishing)
- Mahogany Glider - Queensland Wet Tropics
- Mahogany Glider - Plants and Animals of the Wet Tropics
- Mahogany Glider - Arkive
- Mahogany Glider Recovery Plan - Department of Environment and Heritage - Australian Government (photo of Mahogany Glider)
- Mahogany Glider Australian Faunal Directory
- Mahogany Glider Recovery Plan - Queensland National Parks and Wildlife Service
- Mahogany Glider - James Cook University - .pdf file
