Mammals · Diprotodontia · Acrobatidae

Feathertail Glider

Acrobates pygmaeus

Least Concern

The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary

The feathertail glider is the smallest gliding mammal in the world. Although it is only the size of a very small mouse (65-80 mm and 10-14 g), it can leap and glide up to 25 metres. Like other gliding mammals, the feathertail glider has a membrane of skin between the fore and hind limbs, thicker than that of other marsupials such as the sugar glider but relatively smaller, since it extends only from the elbows to the knees.

Weight

10 g – 14 g

Size

6.5 cm – 8 cm

Lifespan

9 years

Diet

Omnivore

Combines animal and plant food depending on availability.

Activity

Nocturnal

Active mainly at night.

Social structure

Family group

Lives in small family groups with close bonds.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

Temperate forestOmnivore Nectarivore Nocturnal Family group Temperate forest Mammal

1countries 25parks

Fun facts

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

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (mammal)
Habitat & environment: Eucalypt and sclerophyll forest of eastern Australia
Birth weight: A tiny marsupial neonate that completes its development in the mother's pouch
Size at birth: A tiny marsupial neonate that completes its development in the mother's pouch
Sexual maturity: 7.9 months
Gestation / incubation: 65 days
Litter / clutch size: 3