Australian scientists have measured the gliding distance of the endangered southern greater glider for the first time — and the results are far more sobering than anyone had assumed. The fluffy, hollow-dwelling marsupial travels an average of just 19.1 metres per glide, less than a quarter of the distance that had been widely accepted for decades, raising serious new concerns about its ability to survive habitat loss and climate change.
A Myth Nearly a Century in the Making
The misconception dates back to 1941, when a resident of Milton, a small village in southern New South Wales, reported watching a gliding marsupial travel 100 metres through the night air. That single, unverified observation embedded itself in scientific thinking for generations — but researchers now believe it was a case of mistaken identity.
"It was a misidentification that has carried on for many decades, and there actually just is no dataset or empirical measurements," said Dr Ana Gracanin, a researcher with the Fenner School of Environment and Society at the Australian National University. "They were describing a yellow-bellied glider."
The yellow-bellied glider holds the actual gliding record among Australian species, having been recorded travelling 145 metres in a single bound — more than seven times the average distance the southern greater glider was found to achieve in this new study.
What the Data Actually Shows
Gracanin and her team spent long hours in forest darkness, armed with infrared cameras and torches, tracking the animals through the canopy. They recorded individual gliders' movements in detail, noting that the animals typically climbed an average of 22 metres before launching themselves at a 43.5-degree angle toward a nearby tree. The average glide covered just 19.1 metres, with animals maintaining a ground clearance of roughly 4.7 metres. The longest single glide captured during the study was 47 metres.
Describing the spectacle, Gracanin said the animal adopts a distinctive posture mid-air. "It kind of goes into a Superman pose and has its hands under its chin … like a black furry flying carpet shape that goes through the sky, and the tail is spinning left, right, left to stabilise."
The researchers became so familiar with the individual animals during the study that they gave them informal names. "My friends have a joke because they all look very similar … whenever there's a glider, we'd be like 'It's Gary! We have a Gary!'" Gracanin said.
The greater glider is named for its size rather than its aerial prowess. It is identifiable by its large, fluffy ears, long bushy tail and what Gracanin affectionately describes as a "very funny gremlin-y face" — characteristics visible through binoculars when the animals perch high in the forest canopy.
Why the Greater Glider's Limited Range Matters
The conservation implications of these findings are significant. Because the southern greater glider cannot cover large distances in a single glide, it is far more vulnerable to becoming isolated from other members of its population when trees are cleared or destroyed. Unlike more agile gliders, it cannot easily bridge gaps left by logging, land clearing or fire.
The species is also highly specialised in its habitat requirements, relying on mature old-growth trees with natural hollows for shelter — features that can take many years to develop. Combined with a restricted diet and limited territory, the animal has very little flexibility when its environment is disrupted.
"They're restricted to their little territories, their gliding ability and their diet," Gracanin said. "They're sensitive little guys."
The southern greater glider ranges across forest canopies from northern NSW down through Victoria. Its population is difficult to quantify precisely, but scientists estimate an 80 per cent population decline followed the catastrophic Black Summer bushfires. The species was formally listed as endangered in 2022.
The researchers say their findings underscore the urgent need to factor actual glide distances — rather than long-held assumptions — into land management and conservation planning for the species going forward.
