Don’t call me Sugar

DNA analysis of the animal world is revolutionising how we classify them. Some species are being merged whilst others are being broken down into multiple species. The Sugar Glider (Petaurus breviceps), pictured below, the glider common in our area is a case in point.

Gliders are thought to have originated in New Guinea and crossed into Australia about 10 million years ago when low sea levels resulted in a land bridge between the two land masses. Until recently Sugar Gliders were thought to have been distributed from southern Queensland all the way down the east coast around to South Australia. They were introduced into Tasmania in the early 1830’s.

Recently (2020) however the single Sugar Glider species was divided into three species – Sugar, Savanna and Krefft’s Gliders.

What is now known as a Sugar Glider (P.breviceps) is distributed only in southern Queensland and NSW, east of the Great Dividing Range. The Savanna Glider (P.ariel) distributed across the top of Australia from northern Queensland to northern WA is named after the ecosystem in which it is found.

Lastly and more importantly for us because it is the glider in our locale is the Krefft’s Glider (P.notatus) distributed from Queensland to south eastern SA. The Krefft’s Glider was named after  Gerard Krefft, a noted Australian zoologist in the 1800’s who was curator of the Australian Museum for 13 years.

So what we have previously called a Sugar Glider is now more correctly known as a Krefft’s Glider…. same packaging, different name.