Mahogany glider  (Petaurus gracilis)

Mahogany gliders were first described in 1883 but for over 100 years were thought to be a subspecies of the more common, squirrel glider (Petaurus norfolcensis) (6). The glider was only ‘rediscovered' in the wild in 1989, having been elevated to species level in 1993 following the examination of skins and skulls of old and recently discovered specimens (6). Gliders have a thin, furred membrane that stretches from the front foot to the ankle of the hind foot (3), and whilst not in use the gliding membrane can be seen as a wavy line along the body (4). Their feet are hand-like and there is an enlarged, opposable big toe on the hind foot (4). The mahogany glider has a grey to brown coloured coat with a black stripe that runs along the length of the body, and the underside is creamy white or mahogany (2). The long tail is extremely furry and used to stabilise the animal during gliding (6).