Where does the sugar glider live?
The sugar glider is a small gliding marsupial. Strictly defined, it is only native to a small portion of south-eastern Australia: southern Queensland and most of New South Wales east of the Great Dividing Range. The wider species group occupies a larger range, in eastern and northern Australia, New Guinea and the Bismarck Archipelago. It has also been introduced to Tasmania.
What does the sugar glider eat?
It is omnivorous, arboreal and nocturnal. Its common name refers to its predilection for sugary foods such as sap and nectar, and its ability to glide through the air, much like a flying squirrel. It has a pair of gliding membranes, called patagia, which extend from its forelegs to its hindlegs. Gliding is an efficient means of reaching food and evading predators.
Is the sugar glider endangered?
No: the IUCN lists it as Least Concern. Its soft fur is pale grey to light brown, lighter on the underside. It has very similar habits and appearance to the flying squirrel, despite not being closely related: an example of convergent evolution. Its scientific name translates as "short-headed rope-dancer", a reference to its canopy acrobatics.
