Krefft's glider facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Krefft's glider |
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| In Crater Lakes National Park, Queensland | |
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P. (Belideus) notatus, Peters 1859 |
The Krefft's glider (Petaurus notatus) is a small, furry animal that lives in trees. It is a type of gliding possum, which means it can glide through the air. These animals are also marsupials, like kangaroos, carrying their young in a pouch.
Krefft's gliders are active at night, which means they are nocturnal. They are originally from most of eastern Australia. They have also been brought to Tasmania. Some gliders kept as pets, especially in the United States, are thought to be Krefft's gliders. This is because many of them came from West Papua.
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What is a Krefft's Glider?
For a long time, the Krefft's glider was thought to be the same animal as the sugar glider. Scientists used to classify them together. But in 2020, a special study looked closely at these animals.
The study found that what people called "sugar gliders" were actually three different species! These are the savanna glider (P. ariel), the true sugar glider (P. breviceps), and the Krefft's glider (P. notatus).
The Krefft's glider is the one that lives across a large part of eastern Australia. The true sugar glider lives in a much smaller area. This new way of classifying them helps us understand these animals better. The species was named after a German-Australian scientist named Gerard Krefft.
Other Names for the Glider
In some parts of Papua New Guinea, the Krefft's glider has different names. People who speak the Kalam language call it aymows or kajben. In the Asai Valley dialect of Kalam, it is known as yegang.
How to Spot a Krefft's Glider
It can be tricky to tell a Krefft's glider apart from a sugar glider. However, there are a few clues. The Krefft's glider has a stripe down its back that is usually clearer. Its tail is also a bit thinner.
The fur at the base of its tail is longer, and it gets shorter towards the tip. A special feature of the Krefft's glider is that it often has a white tip on its tail.
Where Krefft's Gliders Live
Krefft's gliders are found across a wide area in eastern Australia. They might be the most common type of Petaurus species in Australia. Their home stretches from northern Queensland down through most of inland Queensland and New South Wales. They also live in Victoria and the southeastern part of South Australia.
In some areas, like southern Queensland, the Great Dividing Range acts as a natural barrier. This mountain range separates them from the coastal areas where the true sugar glider lives. However, their living areas might overlap in some places.
Krefft's gliders also share their habitat with other gliders, like the mahogany glider and the yellow-bellied glider. The oldest known fossils of Krefft's gliders were found in a cave in Victoria. These fossils are about 15,000 years old, from a time called the Pleistocene epoch.
Gliders found in New Guinea are also thought to be Krefft's gliders. However, scientists are still studying them to be sure. These gliders are also found on islands like the Bismarck Archipelago, Louisiade Archipelago, and some islands in Indonesia.
Krefft's Gliders in Tasmania
Krefft's gliders are not naturally found in Tasmania. A naturalist named Ronald Campbell Gunn believed they were brought there as pets. This happened around 1835, soon after a port was founded in Melbourne. Some gliders escaped and started living in the wild.
We know they weren't native to Tasmania because no old bones have been found there. Also, the Aboriginal Tasmanian people did not have a name for this animal.
Sadly, Krefft's gliders have become a problem in Tasmania. They are a threat to the swift parrot, a bird that only breeds in Tasmania. As forests are cut down, swift parrot nests are easier for gliders to find. Experts worry that the swift parrot could disappear by 2031 because of this.
Glider Homes
Krefft's gliders can live in many different types of places. In New Guinea, they live in rainforests and coconut plantations. In Australia, they live in rainforests, wet or dry sclerophyll forests, and acacia scrub.
They especially like places with Eucalypt (gum) and Acacia (wattle) trees. They need many tree branches in the canopy (the top layer of the forest). They also need dense cover from the middle and upper parts of the trees. This helps them move easily through the forest.
Keeping Gliders as Pets
Krefft's gliders are popular pets in the United States. Many are bred there for sale. Some people believe that the first pet gliders came from Australia illegally. However, DNA tests show that most pet gliders in the US came from West Papua, Indonesia.
There have been many stories and articles about why Krefft's gliders might not be good pets. They need very specific care and can be difficult to look after. There are even rescue groups that help gliders that have been given up or abandoned by their owners.
Most states and cities in the US allow Krefft's gliders as pets. However, they are not allowed in California, Hawaii, Alaska, and New York City. Some other states might ask for special permits or licenses. Breeders of Krefft's gliders in the US are checked and licensed by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA). This is done through the Animal Welfare Act.
