There are many different types of gliding possum, sometimes referred to as
volplane possum, flying phalangers, or simply as gliders:
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
n gliders
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Feathertail glider
The feathertail glider (''Acrobates pygmaeus''), also known as the pygmy gliding possum, pygmy glider, pygmy phalanger, flying phalanger and flying mouse, is a species of marsupial native to eastern Australia. It is the world's smallest gliding ...
or pygmy gliding possum, ''Acrobates pygmaeus''
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Greater glider, ''Petauroides volans''
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Mahogany glider, ''Petaurus gracilis''
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Squirrel glider
The squirrel glider (''Petaurus norfolcensis'') is a nocturnal gliding possum. The squirrel glider is one of the wrist-winged gliders of the genus ''Petaurus''.
Habitat
This species' home range extends from Bordertown near the South Australia ...
, ''Petaurus norfolcensis''
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Sugar glider
The sugar glider (''Petaurus breviceps'') is a small, omnivorous, arboreal, and nocturnal gliding possum belonging to the marsupial infraclass. The common name refers to its predilection for sugary foods such as sap and nectar and its ability ...
, ''Petaurus breviceps''
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Yellow-bellied glider
The yellow-bellied glider (''Petaurus australis''), also known as the fluffy glider, is an arboreal and nocturnal gliding possum that lives in native eucalypt forests in eastern Australia, from northern Queensland south to Victoria.
Habitat
...
or fluffy glider, ''Petaurus australis''
New Guinea
New Guinea (; Hiri Motu
Hiri Motu, also known as Police Motu, Pidgin Motu, or just Hiri, is a language of Papua New Guinea, which is spoken in surrounding areas of Port Moresby (Capital of Papua New Guinea).
It is a simplified version of ...
gliders
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Biak glider, ''Petaurus biacensis''
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Northern glider
The northern glider (''Petaurus abidi'') is a species of marsupial in the family Petauridae. It is endemic to Papua New Guinea, becoming known to science in 1981 after being discovered in the Torricelli Mountains. This species has been found i ...
, ''Petaurus abidi''
A characteristic of all species of marsupial gliders is the partially fused (
syndactylous) second and third digits on the hind feet.
[Gliders of Australia: A Natural History. 2002. David Lindenmayer] They achieve
gliding flight
Gliding flight is heavier-than-air flight without the use of thrust; the term volplaning also refers to this mode of flight in animals. It is employed by gliding animals and by aircraft such as gliders. This mode of flight involves flying a s ...
by use of membranes called
patagia
The patagium (plural: patagia) is a membranous body part that assists an animal in obtaining lift when gliding or flight. The structure is found in extant and extinct groups of flying and gliding animals including bats, birds, some dromaeosau ...
.
References
{{Animal common name
Diprotodonts