Aquila Children's Magazine AQUILA Magazine Best Bits | Page 92

What’s sweeter than a jar of
honey, weighs less than a cup of
flour and thinks leaping through
the canopy is a piece of cake? It’s
the sugar glider!
Sugar gliders are pocket-sized
mammals native to Australia, New
Guinea and parts of Indonesia. Like
many other mammals from this
region they are marsupials, giving
birth to tiny babies which develop
inside a pouch on the outside of the
female’s body. Kangaroos,
wombats, koalas and Tasmanian
devils are all marsupials, although,
in appearance, sugar gliders look
more like flying squirrels that are
found in other parts of the world.
ACROBATS OF THE AIR
In the wild, sugar gliders live in
rainforests and bushland, moving
expertly through the trees as they
search for their favourite foods –
tree sap and nectar. Their love for
the sweet sticky stuff gave sugar
gliders their common name,
although they actually have a varied
diet – insects, pollen,
fruits and sometimes even
small birds and lizards are all on the
menu. Their food choice mainly
depends on what’s seasonally and
locally available. The scientific name
for sugar gliders, Petaurus breviceps
(meaning short-headed tightrope
walker or acrobat) references their
skilful movement in the treetops,
with little need to ever visit the
ground below.
One of the most remarkable things
about these mini marsupials (and
another reason for their common
name), is their ability to glide over
50 metres – about half the length of
a football pitch – using flaps of skin
joining their front and back feet on
each side of their bodies. This
membrane, called a patagium,
extends from the fifth digit of the
front foot to the first digit of the
back foot. It works like a parachute
and allows the sugar gliders to leap
from danger or towards their next
sweet treat. As they spread their
limbs, their long tail acts a bit like a
boat rudder. They can also move
their legs to adjust the patagium,
and steer towards their preferred
direction. Unlike birds, they can’t
flap to make themselves go higher,
so being able to judge distances
is essential!
FUN FACT TRUMPET
A sugar glider can use its tail to
carry twigs and leaves, but it is
not strong enough to swing from.