Drop Everything And Look at These Newly Discovered Glider Species From Australia

Scientists in Australia have made a remarkable discovery, with DNA evidence revealing that one of the country’s adorable airborne marsupials is in fact three separate species.

more….

Tau.Neutrino said:

Drop Everything And Look at These Newly Discovered Glider Species From Australia

Scientists in Australia have made a remarkable discovery, with DNA evidence revealing that one of the country’s adorable airborne marsupials is in fact three separate species.

more….

> The nocturnal animal makes its home across a wide range of Australian bush, extending along almost the entire east coast, from Victoria in the south to the northern parts of Queensland.

> The vastness of that distribution, together with various morphological differences noted between individuals in different parts of the country, had led to speculation for a while that there was more than one species of greater glider, now we have proof from the DNA.

> The findings – which come hot on the tail of similar revelations about another Australian critter, the sugar glider (Petaurus breviceps)

> Most Australians are familiar with the cute, nectar-loving sugar glider (Petaurus breviceps), a marsupial denizen of forests in eastern and northern Australia. Our new study shows the sugar glider is actually three genetically and physically distinct species: Petaurus breviceps and two new species, Krefft’s glider (Petaurus notatus) and the savanna glider (Petaurus ariel).

So with the four new glider species – How many native mammal species are there in Australia now?

“A total of 379 species of mammals have been recorded in Australia and surrounding continental waters; 357 indigenous and 22 introduced.”

So add 4 to that. Previously known 29 species of possums. So that’s a substantial increase.