Mahogany glider
Making more habitat for the highly mobile mahogany glider
The highly mobile mahogany glider needs open forests or woodlands to glide freely. Learn how we are expanding and improving the habitat it needs to thrive .
Fast facts
Common name: Mahogany glider
Scientific name: Petaurus gracilis
Family: Petauridae (Striped possum and wrist-winged gliders)
Status: Endangered Habitat: open eucalypt and melaleuca woodlands
Species overview
The elusive mahogany glider gets its name from its rich brown mahogany colour and the importance of the swamp mahogany tree, Lophostemon suaveolens, in its habitat.
Mahogany gliders are culturally significant to First Nations peoples. The Traditional Owners of the Girramay tribe call gliders ‘Mungarru’.
Mahogany gliders are now only found in narrow, patchy strips of habitat in the Wet Tropics region in far north Queensland, from the Hull River (east of Tully) south to Ollera Creek, south-east of Ingham, and inland about 100km.
As highly mobile animals, mahogany gliders need open eucalypt forest or woodland to range freely. Sadly, over 80% of their habitat has been cleared for sugar cane, plantation pine, bananas and cattle.
The mahogany glider is one of Australia’s most threatened mammals, with approximately 1,500–2,000 left in the wild.
Ecology and behaviour
The mahogany glider helps maintain a healthy and diverse natural environment. They feed on nectar, pollen and sap, helping to pollinate the area they inhabit. The gliders will travel, on average, 1.5km a night searching for food. Owls, pythons and goannas prey on them.
Their scientific name, Petaurus gracilis, means slender rope dancer. They have been known to glide up to 60m, with an average distance of 30m. They use their tail for stability during glides, especially during landing.
Mahogany gliders are territorial animals. In their home range, they will seasonally use 2–9 den trees. Their dens are in mature trees and often lined with eucalyptus leaves.
Mahogany gliders reach sexual maturity at 12–18 months. Their breeding season is from April to October. Males breed with one female per season. Generally, females have 1 litter of 2 young per year but they may raise a second litter if the first is lost. The young are weaned at 4–5 months.
Characteristics
The mahogany glider is:
- up to 500g (adults)
- up to 67cm from head to tail
- mahogany brown to buff to apricot coloured on its belly
- pale on top of its head with a dark stripe extending to its rump
- reliant on its long, slender, half-black tail for stability
- equipped with a gliding membrane (patagium) that stretches from wrist to ankle.
Threats
- Habitat loss, fragmentation and degradation
- Feral predators, such as cats and dogs
- Invasive plants
- Climate change
- Severe weather events, such as cyclones
- Entanglement in fences
- Inappropriate fire management.
What’s being done?
- In 2021, the Queensland Government transferred a 56-hectare former Powerlink Queensland site to the Girringun National Park, protecting valuable habitat for the mahogany glider. Queensland’s national parks and protected areas play an important role in protecting threatened species and conserving critical species habitat.
- Other actions to protect the mahogany glider include:
- collaborative fire management, combining First Nations knowledge and contemporary science to restore or maintain suitable habitat
- weed management to improve habitat quality for gliders and reduce the risk of high-severity wildfires
- monitoring mahogany glider populations in partnership with Terrain NRM, the Girringun Aboriginal Rangers, and community volunteers.
Who is helping?
- Mahogany Glider Recovery Team
A team of representatives from government, NRM groups, First Nations, community and industry work together to help guide the recovery of mahogany gliders. They support the delivery of actions in the National Recovery Plan for the species.
- Terrain NRM
is part of the team working on the mahogany glider monitoring program. They also work with landholders to restore or maintain critical glider habitat, including corridors that help reduce fragmentation of the remaining populations. - NQ Dry Tropics works with landholders to manage and restore remaining pockets of mahogany glider habitat and is part of the team monitoring the glider population.
- Girringun Aboriginal Corporation
Girringun Aboriginal Rangers are part of the team monitoring mahogany glider populations. They also contribute to habitat management and restoration through fire and weed management activities. - James Cook University (JCU) in partnership with Terrain NRM, has supported research into the species to understand the population’s genetics and inform ongoing management. JCU is also a member of the team monitoring the gliders.
- Wildlife Preservation Society of Queensland
Since the 1990s, this society has actively worked to monitor, protect and connect mahogany glider populations. They are part of the team monitoring the gliders. - Powerlink
As transmission lines traverse the Wet Tropics Management Area, Powerlink has installed numerous glider pole arrays to encourage gliders to cross gaps in the canopy and connect habitat fragments.
How you can help
- If you live on or near mahogany glider territory, create a glider-friendly home by maintaining the wildlife corridors on your property and using fencing that won’t trap or entangle gliders.
- Join a local community or conservation group working to restore habitat or monitor mahogany glider populations.
- Make a donation to support Queensland threatened species protection and science and research-based initiatives.
- Find out more about how you can help support threatened species efforts.