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The sugar glider (Petaurus breviceps) is a small, omnivorous, arboreal, and nocturnal gliding possum.The common name refers to its predilection for sugary foods such as sap and nectar and its ability to glide through the air, much like a flying squirrel. [8]
The genus Petaurus (/ p ə. t ɔː ˈ r ə s /) contains flying phalangers or wrist-winged gliders, a group of arboreal possums native to Australia, New Guinea, and surrounding islands. There are eight species: the sugar glider , savanna glider , Krefft's glider , squirrel glider , mahogany glider , northern glider , yellow-bellied glider and ...
The subfamily contains seven species. Of the six species in the genus Petaurus, the sugar glider and the Biak glider are the most common species. The lone species in the genus Gymnobelideus, Leadbeater's possum has only a vestigial gliding membrane. Greater glider (Petauroides volans).
It is closely allied with the sugar glider (P. breviceps), with which it was long taxonomically confused.A 2020 study partially clarified the taxonomy of the sugar glider and split it into three species: the savanna glider (P. ariel), the sugar glider (P. breviceps sensu stricto) and Krefft's glider (P. notatus).
Krefft's glider, Petaurus notatus A characteristic of all species of marsupial gliders is the partially fused ( syndactylous ) second and third digits on the hind feet. [ 1 ] [ 2 ] They achieve gliding flight by use of membranes called patagia .
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The species are commonly known as possums, opossums, [3] gliders, and cuscus. The common name "(o)possum" for various Phalangeriformes species derives from the creatures' resemblance to the opossums of the Americas (the term comes from Powhatan language aposoum "white animal", from Proto-Algonquian * wa·p-aʔɬemwa "white dog"). [ 4 ]
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