Species group · Mammals

Gliders

WAnimals has 2 species of glider, spread across 2 families (Acrobatidae, Pseudocheiridae).

2 species
2 families
1 country
25 parks
Weight
10 g – 1.7 kg
Length
6.5 cm – 45 cm
Lifespan
9 – 15 years

Ranges calculated from the entries that record the figure, not from all 2.

All 2 species of gliders on WAnimals

Each one has its own full entry. This group does not replace them: it brings them together.

Conservation status

1 Least Concern1 Endangered

1 especies in this group están en alguna categoría de riesgo real según la UICN.

See the global conservation status

Where they live

Recorded in one country.

Where to see them

Did you know…

  • It is one of the smallest gliding mammals in the world, and its feather-shaped tail steadies it as it glides between trees.

    From Feathertail Glider

  • Its toes end in pads with minute grooves that act as suckers: it can run along the underside of a branch and even up a vertical pane of glass.

    From Feathertail Glider

  • Its tail looks like a feather: it is flat and carries two rows of stiff hairs along either side, a rudder that lets it steer in mid-glide despite weighing about as much as two coins.

    From Feathertail Glider

  • It glides as far as 100 m between trees and eats almost nothing but eucalypt leaves.

    From Greater Glider

  • Its gliding membrane runs from elbow to ankle rather than from wrist to ankle as in the other Australian gliders: it folds its arms under its chin as it glides, which gives it an unmistakable arrow-like silhouette.

    From Greater Glider

  • It eats almost nothing but eucalypt leaves from a few particular species, and that extreme dependence means a fire that changes the composition of the forest wipes it out even if the trees grow back.

    From Greater Glider

Ecosystems

See every species group · Explore the species one by one