Mahogany Glider Petaurus gracilis (De Vis, 1883)

Researcher: Stephen Jackson

History

The Mahogany glider Petaurus gracilis was officially described in 1883 by Charles De Vis. In his description De Vis described the Mahogany glider as intermediate in size between Squirrel Glider, Petaurus norfolcensis and the Yellow-bellied glider, Petaurus australis. In 1886 three further specimens were collected by Broadbent. No further specimens were collected and the species appeared to be lost, or at least forgotten!

In 1986, during the movement of the Queensland Museum to a new location, a chance discovery resulted in three large glider skins and their skulls being found, from Mt Echo in north-east Queensland, which appear to be specimens of Petaurus gracilis. On October 1989 a further specimen was found in the collection of the Queensland Museum which had been collected in February 1974 at Barrett's Lagoon. Finally in the early hours of December 6 1989 living specimens of Petaurus gracilis were located on freehold land at Barrett's Lagoon (18o02'S, 145o58'E) 14km southeast of Tully.

Distribution.

The known distribution of the Mahogany glider is very restricted. It has only been recorded in a narrow band of medium to low woodland on coastal lowlands between the Hull River near Tully and Crystal Creek some 40km south of Ingham, a distance of approximately 130km. Throughout this band the mahogany glider has been found at altitudes below 90m with most records between 0-20m altitude.

Threats

Approximately 80% of its potential habitat has been cleared for agriculture or forestry purposes on the coastal floodplain. Primary production of the area includes plantations pine (Pinus caribaea), bananas, sugar-cane, fruit trees, pineapples, and cattle. The remaining 20-25% of potential habitat, an area of approximately 72, 000 hectares, is very fragmented and vulnerable to wildfires and continuing clearing. Of the remaining habitat some 45% is either leasehold or freehold land. Only 7% of suitable Mahogany glider habitat is found in existing national parks. Eighty four percent of all the habitat important for the survival of the Mahogany glider has high to medium land use suitability for primary industry, 14% has marginal suitability with only 2% having low suitability.

Status

On April 9 1994 the Federal Minister for the Environment officially declared the Mahogany glider as an endangered species and amended the Endangered Species Protection Act 1992 to include the Mahogany glider. The Reasons for its listing were 1) the species has a naturally restricted geographic extent and range; 2) habitat destruction, fragmentation and changes in local fire patterns have resulted in an 80% loss of preferred habitat; 3) a significant proportion of the remaining habitat is under threat from human activities; and 4) the habitat is poorly represented in conservation reserves and other areas managed for the conservation of the species.

Objectives of this Study

The objectives of this study are to determine:-

• Determine the components of the habitat utilised by the Mahogany glider.
  • the use of particular food sources throughout the year.
  • the extent to which foraging ranges change seasonally.
• Determine the impact of habitat fragmentation.
  • whether fragmentation reduces density in available habitat.
  • the effects of fragmentation on foraging and movement.

Further Reading

Van Dyck, S. (1990) Belideus gracilis - soaring problems for an old De Vis glider. Memoirs of the Queensland Museum 28(1): 329-36.

Van Dyck, S. (1993) The taxonomy and distribution of Petaurus gracilis (Marsupialia: Petauridae), with notes on its ecology and conservation status. Memoirs of the Queensland Museum 33(1): 77-122.

Further Information

For further information about the Mahogany glider contact Stephen Jackson at: Stephen.Jackson1@jcu.edu.au