General Description
Upper body grey with a distinct black stripe along the back. Adults have a distinct cream to yellow underneath, whereas subadults are white to cream underneath. Tail long and fluffy; ears long and without hair on the edges. There is a gliding membrane of skin between the elbow and ankle. Body up to 32 cm, tail up to 48 cm. Primary call consists of 1-2 loud shrieks followed by long gurgle.
Biology
Yellow-bellied Gliders live in family groups. They are the most vocal marsupial and are audible up to 500 metres away. They make V-shaped cuts in the bark of eucalypts to lick the sap underneath. Populations have been reduced due to forest clearing Populations in the south-east of Australia are considered Vulnerable.
Distribution
Eastern mainland Australia.
Habitat
Open sclerophyll forests.
More Information
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Animal Type
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Animal SubType
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Brief Id
These nocturnal, arboreal, gliding marsupials can be heard or spotted clinging to trees at night in open eucalypt forests.
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Colours
Yellow, White, Grey
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Habitats
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Where To Look
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When Active
Nocturnal
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Diet
Omnivore
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Diet Categories
Nectar, Arthropods, Insects
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Endemicity
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Commercial
No
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Conservation Statuses
EPBC Act 1999: Vulnerable, FFG Threatened List: Vulnerable, CITES: Not listed, IUCN Red List: Near Threatened
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Taxon Name
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Common Name
Yellow-bellied Glider
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Kingdom
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Phylum
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Subphylum
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Order
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Genus
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Species Name
australis
