Sugar glider
The sugar glider (Petaurus breviceps) is a small, omnivorous, arboreal gliding possum belonging to the marsupial infraclass. The common name refers to its preference for sugary nectarous foods and ability to glide through the air, much like a flying squirrel. Due to convergent evolution, they have very similar appearance and habits to the flying squirrel, but are not closely related.
The scientific name, Petaurus breviceps, translates from Latin as "short-headed rope-dancer", a reference to their canopy acrobatics.
The sugar glider is one of a number of volplane (gliding) possums in Australia. This remarkable ability to glide is achieved through flaps or membranes of loose skin (patagia) which extend between the fifth finger of each hand to the first toe of each foot.
The animal launches itself from a tree, spreading its limbs to expose the gliding membranes. This creates an aerofoil enabling them to glide 50 metres or more. This gliding flight is regulated by changing the curvature of the membrane or moving the legs and tail.
During the cold season, drought, or rainy nights, a sugar glider's activity is reduced. The animal may even become immobile and unresponsive due to torpor. This differs from hibernation in that torpor is usually a short-term daily cycle. In the winter season or drought, there is a decrease in food supply, which is a challenge for this marsupial because of the energy cost for the maintenance of its metabolism, locomotion, and thermoregulation.
With energetic constraints, the sugar glider will enter into daily torpor for 2–23 hours while in rest phase. However, before entering torpor, a sugar glider will reduce activity and body temperature normally in order to lower energy expenditure and avoid torpor.
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