Squirrel Glider - Nswfmpa.org

There is a significant drop in the abundance of Squirrel gliders when the vegetation strip widthdrops bellow 40 meters (Van der Ree 2000). In Victoria, the dry forests usually occur bellow300meters in elevation Bennett et al, 1991, in Blue Mountains Wilderness Service). This issimilar to a study carried out in South-east Queensland where no gliders were detected inaltitudes higher than 240 meters above sea level (Rowston, C. 1998), suggesting that only lowaltitude remnants are suitable for Squirrel gliders. Squirrel gliders are least abundant in lowforests and woodlands less than 17meters in height with a hight percentage of canopy cover(Smith.A.P, Murray. M, 2003), and is most widespread in forests and woodlands with an overstory of winter flowering Eucalypts or an under story of Banksia or pinnate-leaved AcaciasSmooth barked Eucalypts are preferred by the Squirrel glider over other Eucalypt species assmooth barked Eucalypts grow faster forming hollows more readily, and attract a greater varietyof invertebrates (Quin 1995).3.3 Conservation StatusNationally the squirrel glider is classed as rare near threatened.In Victoria the Squirrel glider is listed as “endangered”(Natural Resources and Environment 2000) because of the extent of decline within itsgeographic range and the vulnerability of surviving populations to further loss and degradationof its habitat.In New South Wales it is classed as Vulnerable and rare on schedule 2 of the threatenedspecies conservation act (TSC) 1995.The squirrel glider was listed as vulnerable because: -Its population and distribution have been severely reducedIt faces severe threatening processes.It has poor recovery potential.It is an ecological specialist that is dependant on specific types of food and habitat.In Queensland under the (NCA) Nature Conservation Act 1992 the Squirrel glider is listedas common.The Squirrel glider once occurred in isolated pockets in the South East corner of SouthAustralia but is now presumed extinct in South Australia under the South Australian NationalParks and Wildlife Act 1972The IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources) status forthe squirrel glider is Low Risk (LR), near threatened (NT).A recovery plan for the Squirrel glider is currently being prepared.10