High flyers

The adorable creatures on these pages are native gliders (gliding possums), so called because of their ability to use a gliding membrane, a thin sheet of skin that stretches between the forepaws and ankles. As the glider leaps from branch to branch, it spreads its limbs to extend the membrane, gliding from tree to tree.

Gliding possums are marsupials and are sometimes referred to as flying phalangers but are more commonly known as gliders. They can range in size from 7cm (feathertail gliders) to cat-sized (greater gliders).

These animals live in family groups comprising a single adult male and at least one adult female accompanied by off spring,