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Petaurus norfolcensis

Squirrel Gliders are small possums that have distinctive membranes of skin, stretching between their front and hind legs, that enable them to glide through the air. 

They are adept at climbing, rarely found on the ground and are able to glide between tree branches for up to 50 metres over flat terrain.

They are less common than the similar 'Sugar Glider' and are listed as a vulnerable species in NSW.

They require abundant tree hollows for refuge and nest sites.

Large light sensitive eyes allow for increased night vision. They feed at night. Their diet varies seasonally and consists of Acacia gum, Eucalypt sap, nectar, honeydew, insects and pollen.

They inhabit mature or old growth Box, Box-Ironbark woodlands and River Red Gum forest west of the Great Dividing Range and Blackbutt-Bloodwood forest with heath understorey in coastal areas.

Sightings of Squirrel Gliders have declined on the Northern Beaches. The main reasons are loss and degradation of habitat, tree removal and habitat fragmentation (with a lack of wildlife corridors). The loss of trees with suitable hollows for nesting, the loss of food sources contained in flowering mid storey shrubs, inappropriate fire regimes, attacks by cats, barbed wire fencing and road accidents are other reasons for their decline. 

They are an endangered population in this area and have not been recorded since 2002.