Petaurus facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Petaurus |
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| Sugar glider | |
Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Infraclass: | Marsupialia |
| Order: | Diprotodontia |
| Family: | Petauridae |
| Genus: | Petaurus Shaw, 1791 |
| Type species | |
| Petaurus australis Shaw, 1791
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| Species | |
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The Petaurus family includes amazing animals known as flying phalangers or wrist-winged gliders. These creatures are a type of marsupial, which means they are mammals that carry their babies in a pouch. They are also arboreal, meaning they live mostly in trees.
There are six different species of Petaurus gliders. These include the sugar glider, squirrel glider, mahogany glider, northern glider, yellow-bellied glider, and Biak glider. All of these unique animals come from either Australia or New Guinea.
Contents
What Makes Gliders Special?
Flying phalangers are mostly active at night, which means they are nocturnal. Most of them are quite small, often around 400 millimeters long, including their tail. A very special feature they have is loose skin folds. These folds, called patagia, stretch from their wrists to their ankles.
How Gliders Fly
Gliders use their patagia to glide through the air. They jump from one tree and spread their limbs wide, like a superhero cape. This allows them to glide for long distances, sometimes over 140 meters! Their long, flat tails act like rudders, helping them steer. They also have big eyes that face forward, which helps them see in the dark.
What Gliders Eat
All flying phalangers are omnivores, meaning they eat both plants and insects. Their diet includes tree sap, gum, sweet nectar from flowers, and pollen. They also enjoy munching on insects. Sometimes, they eat manna (a sweet substance from eucalyptus trees) and honeydew (a sugary liquid made by insects).
Glider Social Lives
Most flying phalangers seem to prefer living alone. However, some species, like the yellow-bellied glider and the sugar glider, are known to live in groups. They often share their homes and food sources.
Protecting Gliders: Conservation Status
While some gliders, like the Biak and sugar gliders, are quite common, many other species are rare. It's important to protect these amazing animals.
Mahogany Glider: An Endangered Species
The mahogany glider is Australia's most threatened species. It is listed as endangered, meaning it is at high risk of disappearing forever. These gliders were so rare that people didn't see them for over a hundred years after they were first discovered in 1883.
When they were rediscovered in 1989, their home was quickly cleared for plantations. Luckily, another group of mahogany gliders was found in 1991. The main reasons these gliders are endangered are:
- Loss of their natural homes
- Only living in a small area
- Not enough protected land for them
- Their habitat changing and becoming less suitable
The squirrel glider (Petaurus norfolcensis) is also an endangered species. Protecting their homes is key to helping these unique animals survive.
Species of Petaurus
- Genus Petaurus
- Northern glider, Petaurus abidi
- Yellow-bellied glider, Petaurus australis
- Biak glider, Petaurus biacensis
- Sugar glider, Petaurus breviceps
- Mahogany glider, Petaurus gracilis
- Squirrel glider, Petaurus norfolcensis
Groves, Colin (16 November 2005). Wilson, D. E., and Reeder, D. M. (eds). ed. Mammal Species of the World (3rd edition ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. pp. 54-55. ISBN 0-801-88221-4. http://www.bucknell.edu/msw3.
See also
In Spanish: Petauros para niños
