It is said to be that the Feathertail Glider is likely to be among the most sensitive of the Australian mammals to habitat alterations associated with timber harvest due to the arboreal lifestyle of these marsupials.
Perception Channels: tactile ; chemical
Acrobates pygmaeus is said to be common in its geographic range and individual habitats.
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: least concern
Most of the feeding behavior of this species takes place in eucalypts. They search under loose bark and glean foliage. The searching of loose bark suggests that the animal feeds on honeydew and arthropods, while the foliage gleaning is suggestive of feeding on manna, honeydew, lerps and arthropods. Nectar feeding has been seen (Goldingay and Kavanagh, 1995) but is said to only rarely occur.
Restricted to mainland Austrailia, but has a wide distribution through most of the open and closed forests of eastern and south-eastern Austraila from Cape York to the southeastern corner of South Austrailia. Also found in river redgum forests associated with inland rivers, particularly the Murray River (Ward, 1990)
Biogeographic Regions: australian (Native )
Acrobates pygmaeus is found in a wide range of habitats. It has been observed foraging on the ground, in large trees and bushes and in tall grasses. Feathertailed Gliders have been observed foraging at hieghts from ground level to 40 meters above the ground. Height of foraging depends on species of tree and abundance of food, but it is independent of season (Goldingay and Kavanagh, 1995).
Terrestrial Biomes: savanna or grassland ; forest
Average lifespan
Status: captivity: 7.2 years.
Average lifespan
Status: wild: 4.0 years.
Range in weight of males is similar to that of females, but in most cases the males actually weighed more. Head and body length ranges from 65-80mm, and tail length ranges from 70-80mm. Most notable characteristic of A. pygmaeus is the feather-like tail, which no other mammal has. It has molars suggestive of an insectivore, but also a brush-tipped tongue typical of a nectar-feeder. Its large forwardly directed eyes are for nocturnal binocular vision, and it has large serrated pads on each toe, which aid in adhesion to smooth surfaces. A. pygmaeus has a somewhat prehensile tail that provides grip on twigs and small branches.
Other Physical Features: endothermic ; bilateral symmetry
Average mass: 13 g.
Average basal metabolic rate: 0.084 W.
In southeastern Australia the species breeds from July to January and females usually produce two litters within this time. The second litter is conceived at a post-partum oestrus and undergoes a period of embryonic diapause. Males exhibit enlarged testes and epididymides at the start of the breeding season, but show a decline during the season. There may be four or more pouch young but the number seldom exceeds the number of teats, which is four. Pouch life lasts about 9 weeks, which is long for a marsupial of this size, but the stage of development is similar to other marsupials at the time of pouch exit. On average, about one young is lost from each litter during lactation. Reduction in litter sizes may be a result of the female matching cost of lactation with levels of resources available. At the time of weaning, individuals are large and may continue to associate with their mothers, however, 90% of both sexes disappear from the population, either through dispersal or mortality, before they reach maturity (Ward, 1990).
Key Reproductive Features: gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate); sexual
Average birth mass: 0.0178 g.
Average number of offspring: 3.
Average age at sexual or reproductive maturity (male)
Sex: male: 365 days.
Average age at sexual or reproductive maturity (female)
Sex: female: 240 days.
The feathertail glider (Acrobates pygmaeus), also known as the pygmy gliding possum, pygmy glider, pygmy phalanger, flying phalanger and flying mouse,[3] is a species of marsupial native to eastern Australia. It is the world's smallest gliding mammal and is named for its long feather-shaped tail.
A second species, the broad-toed feathertail glider (Acrobates (Dromicia) frontalis, De Vis 1887) is recognised by some authors[4] based on unpublished genetic studies and cryptic morphological differences in toe and tail characteristics. With this recognition, it is suggested that Acrobates pygmaeus takes the common name narrow-toed feathertail glider.
At just 6.5–8 cm (2.6–3.1 in) in head-and-body length[5] and weighing about 12 g (0.42 oz), the feathertail glider is only around the size of a small mouse, and is the world's smallest gliding mammal.[4] The fur is soft and silky, and is a uniform greyish brown on the upper body, and white on the underside. There are rings of dark fur around the eyes, the rhinarium is hairless and deeply cleft, and the ears are moderately large and rounded. The glider also has an unusually large number of whiskers, sprouting from the snout and cheeks, and from the base of each ear.[4]
Like other gliding mammals, the feathertail glider has a patagium stretching between the fore and hind legs. Only reaching the elbows and knees, this is smaller than that of the petaurid gliding possums, although the presence of a fringe of long hairs increases its effective area. The tail is about the same length as the head and body combined, oval in cross-section, only slightly prehensile, and has very short fur except for two distinctive rows of long, stiff hairs on either side. This gives the tail the appearance of a feather or a double-sided comb. The hindfeet possess enlarged, opposable first digits, which unlike all the other toes on both fore and hind feet, lack claws.[4]
The tongue is long and thin, reaching as much as 11 mm (0.43 in), and has numerous long papillae that give it a brush-like appearance. This improves the animal's ability to collect pollen and consume semi-liquid food.[6] The structure of the ear is also unusual, since the animal possesses a unique bony disc with a narrow crescent-shaped slit just in front of the eardrum. The function of this bone is unclear, but it may act as a Helmholtz resonator and enhance sensitivity to certain frequencies of sound.[7] The brain has been recorded as weighing 360 milligrams (0.013 oz).[4]
The female has two vaginae, which merge into a single sinus before opening into a cloaca together with the rectum. The pouch opens towards the front, as is common in diprotodont marsupials, and contains four teats.[4]
Feathertail gliders are found across the eastern seaboard of continental Australia, from northern Queensland to Victoria and extreme south-eastern South Australia.[2] There are no recognised subspecies. They inhabit a wide range of forest types across the region, from sea level to at least 1,200 m (3,900 ft).[4] Fossils belonging to the genus Acrobates have been identified from deposits in Queensland dating back to 0.5 million years ago, during the late Pleistocene.[8]
Feathertail gliders are omnivorous, feeding on nectar, pollen, and arthropods such as moths, ants, and termites. They are arboreal, and although they do occasionally descend to the ground to forage, they spend as much as 87% of their time over 15 m (49 ft) above the ground, particularly in eucalyptus trees. They are nocturnal, spending the day resting in nests in tree hollows, lined with leaves or shredded bark.[9] They are social animals, and up to five may share a single nest, especially during the breeding season.[10]
They are highly adept climbers, able to cling to the smooth trunks of eucalyptus trees. In experiments, they have even proved able to climb vertical panes of glass, a feat that is due to a combination of fine skin ridges and sweat that allow their feet to function as suction cups.[11] Movement through the trees is aided by their gliding ability; they are able to glide as far as 28 m (92 ft), and typically do so three to five times every hour through the night.
Feathertail gliders do not hibernate as such, but are capable of entering torpor during cold weather at any time of the year. Torpor can last for several days, during which time the animal's body temperature can drop to as low as 2 °C (36 °F) and oxygen consumption to just 1% of normal.[4] Torpid gliders curl into a ball, wrapping their tail around themselves and folding their ears flat, and often huddling together with up to four other individuals to reduce heat loss[12] and conserve energy.[13]
The breeding season lasts from July to January in Victoria, and may be longer further to the north.[4] Females typically give birth to two litters of up to four young in a season, and are able to mate again shortly after the first litter is born. The second litter then enters embryonic diapause, and is not born until the first litter has finished weaning at about 105 days.[14] Multiple paternity is common, even within litters, as the females are sexually promiscuous.[15] The young remain in the pouch for the first 65 days of life,[10] and the maximum lifespan is about five years.[4]
The New Zoo in Poznań, Poland, was the first European zoo to breed feathertail gliders in 1999 (their animals originated from Sydney's Taronga Zoo). Some of the feathertail gliders born in Poznań have been sent to other European zoos, meaning that the entire European captive population is of Poznań descent. Australia's Taronga Zoo was the first zoo to breed feathertail gliders in captivity.[16]
A feathertail glider was featured on the reverse of the Australian 1-cent coin until 1991 when the 1-cent denomination was discontinued.
Acrobates pygmaeus The feathertail glider (Acrobates pygmaeus), also known as the pygmy gliding possum, pygmy glider, pygmy phalanger, flying phalanger and flying mouse, is a species of marsupial native to eastern Australia. It is the world's smallest gliding mammal and is named for its long feather-shaped tail.
A second species, the broad-toed feathertail glider (Acrobates (Dromicia) frontalis, De Vis 1887) is recognised by some authors based on unpublished genetic studies and cryptic morphological differences in toe and tail characteristics. With this recognition, it is suggested that Acrobates pygmaeus takes the common name narrow-toed feathertail glider.
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