Krefft's Glider (Petaurus notatus) lives in eastern Australian forests across Eastern Australia. It feeds on insects and sap. Its conservation status is Least Concern.
Fascinating facts about the Krefft's Glider
- Krefft's gliders were first brought to Tasmania as pets from Port Phillip shortly after the port opened in 1834, and some individuals escaped from Launceston where they quickly established a wild colony. No native Petaurus ever lived on the island, a conclusion supported by the complete absence of their skeletal remains in sub-fossil bone deposits. The lack of any Aboriginal Tasmanian name for the animal further confirms that it was not indigenous to the region.
- The glider has been identified as a direct threat to the swift parrot, a bird that breeds only in Tasmania, because it preys on the bird's nests. Ongoing loss of mature forest has left those nests especially exposed, making them easy targets for glider predation. Researchers warn that, if this pressure continues, the swift parrot could disappear entirely by 2031.
- The oldest known fossils of Krefft's glider were uncovered in a Victorian cave and have been dated to about 15,000 years ago, placing them firmly in the Pleistocene epoch. When first examined, these remains were mistakenly classified as belonging to the sugar glider, highlighting how long the species has persisted in Australia. Their discovery confirms the glider's presence on the continent since the last ice age.
- Across eastern Australia the species may be the most widespread of all Australian Petaurus, stretching from coastal northern Queensland to the southeastern corner of South Australia. Its distribution now covers the area once thought to belong to the sugar glider.
- Genetic testing shows the US pet glider population stems from West Papua, Indonesia, with no illegal capture from Papua New Guinea or mainland Australia. This lineage forms a sister group to the Australian gliders.
Sources
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At a glance
RangeEastern Australia
HabitatEastern Australian forests
DietInsects and sap
About the Krefft's Glider
In the moonlit forests of eastern Australia, a tiny, iridescent form flits through the trees, its large eyes shining like lanterns in the dark. The Krefft's Glider, a small but remarkable marsupial, navigates its nocturnal world with effortless ease, its membrane-like patagium stretching from wrist to ankle as it launches into soaring, 50-metre glides through the night air. With a gentle whoosh, it alights upon a branch, its soft fur glistening in the faint light, a fleeting glimpse of a creature that embodies the magic and mystery of the Australian wilderness.
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