Acrobates pygmaeus
TAXONOMY
Acrobates pygmaeus (Shaw, 1793), Sydney, Australia.
OTHER COMMON NAMES
English: Feathertail glider, pygmy gliding possum, pygmy phalanger, flying mouse; French: L'acrobat pygmée; German: Zwerggleitbeutler; Spanish: Acróbata pigmeo.
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS
Head and body length 2.5–3 in (6.5–8 cm); tail 2.5–3 in (6.5–8 cm) long; soft gray fur, white on underside, dark eyerings and variable body markings; loose skin along flanks forms gliding membrane when limbs are spread wide.
DISTRIBUTION
HABITAT
Eucalyptus forest and woodland.
BEHAVIOR
Nocturnal, arboreal, highly social, glides between trees.
FEEDING ECOLOGY AND DIET
Insects and nectar.
REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY
Probably polygynous. Litters of three to four young born at any time of year; spend 65 days in the pouch, then suckled in the nest for another month.
CONSERVATION STATUS
Not threatened, and presumed secure.
SIGNIFICANCE TO HUMANS
None known.
