Foraging behaviour and food availability of the mahogany glider Petaurus gracilis (Petauridae : Marsupialia)

The mahogany glider Petaurus gracilis is an endangered species of gliding p ossum that is only found within a limited distribution in North Queensland, Australia. The foraging behaviour of the mahogany glider was examined to d etermine how it changes seasonally, by extensive observations of radio-coll ared animals over a 2-year period. A total of 440 h was spent following mah ogany gliders, of which 222 h of feeding behaviour was observed. Nectar and pollen were clearly the most important food items, comprising between 50 a nd 99% (mean 72.8%) of the observed feeding time when available. Nectar and pollen were consumed almost exclusively from Myrtaceae species with Eucaly ptus, Corymbia and Melaleuca being eaten. Casual observations of a number o f faecal samples showed that c. 80% of pollen grains were digested suggesti ng that pollen is a major source of protein. Other food items consumed incl uded sap from Albizia procera and Acacia mangium, insects, lerps and honeyd ew, Acacia arils and fruit from mistletoes. In using these food items, the mahogany glider relied on complex seasonal cycles of food availability, req uiring a high diversity of plants, with each species having distinct period s when it provides food during the year.