Riverina Local Land Services is interested to hear from landholders who have seen or are aware of greater gliders in their local area.
The Greater Glider was once fairly common in the Batlow area, however over the past 10 years there have been only a handful of sightings and its survival after the 2020 fires is largely unknown, said Senior Land Services Officer, Cherie White.
“Riverina Local Land Services is undertaking a pilot project in the Batlow area to better understand and support this iconic species,” Ms White said.
“We will be working with ecologists to carry out preliminary surveys as well as providing funding to local landholders for habitat enhancement activities.
“We are interested in hearing from landholders who have seen greater gliders in their local area or have areas of native vegetation, including large unburnt old trees with large tree hollows.”
The greater glider (petauroides volans) is the largest gliding possum, with thick fur and distinctive furry ears. Their fur colour varies from white or cream through to dark grey and dusky brown.
These gliders can glide up to an incredible 100m at a time. They have a highly specialised diet, feeding almost exclusively on eucalypt leaves and rely on large hollow bearing trees for shelter and nesting.
Landholders are also encouraged to contact Local Land Service to see what conservation support is available.
With funding from the Australian Government, Riverina Local Land Services is offering funding to landholders to improve habitat for the greater glider, including planting forage trees, installing nesting boxes and protecting native vegetation.
