Sm. Carthew et al., Feeding behaviour of the yellow-bellied glider (Petaurus australis) at thewestern edge of its range, WILDLIF RES, 26(2), 1999, pp. 199-208
This study provides the first assessment of the diet of the yellow-bellied
glider (Petaurus australis) in the south-west portion of its range near the
Victorian-South Australian border. Examining its diet in this region is vi
ewed as being fundamental to understanding the ecological requirements of t
he species. Observations were conducted over a five-year period on gliders
from five distinct groups. Sap was the most important food item throughout
the year and accounted for 83% of 407 feeding observations. Each group of g
liders used up to 21 different trees for sap, but during any sample period
only 1-8 trees were used. This represents a vastly different pattern of use
of sap trees to that described in any earlier study. Some trees were visit
ed more often than others, and these tended to be heavily scarred, indicati
ng use over many years. Other food types were arthropods and honeydew and,
to a lesser extent, nectar. This study also revealed that the yellow-bellie
d glider is not dependent on a diversity of tree species nor on a winter-fl
owering species. We provide a review of the diet of the yellow-bellied glid
er throughout its range. This shows that the yellow-bellied glider is relia
nt on sap as a food resource but particularly so at both ends of its geogra
phic range. The reason for this is unclear, but there is definitely a need
for further study of sap-flow patterns in eucalypts.