The northern glider (''Petaurus abidi'') is a species of

marsupial Marsupials are any members of the mammalian infraclass Marsupialia. All extant marsupials are endemic to Australasia, Wallacea and the Americas. A distinctive characteristic common to most of these species is that the young are carried in a ...

in the family

Petauridae Petauridae is a family of possums containing 13 species: four species of trioks and striped possum (genus ''Dactylopsila''), eight species of wrist-winged glider (genus ''Petaurus''), and Leadbeater's possum (''Gymnobelideus leadbeateri''), whic ...

. It is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found else ...

Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinea (abbreviated PNG; , ; tpi, Papua Niugini; ho, Papua Niu Gini), officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea ( tpi, Independen Stet bilong Papua Niugini; ho, Independen Stet bilong Papua Niu Gini), is a country i ...

, becoming known to science in 1981 after being discovered in the Torricelli Mountains. This species has been found in primary, mid-montane tropical moist forests. It is also known from rural gardens close to forest. The northern glider is Critically Endangered because its occurrence is less than 100 km², all individuals are located within a single area, and a continuing decline of its habitat quality due to

deforestation Deforestation or forest clearance is the removal of a forest or stand of trees from land that is then converted to non-forest use. Deforestation can involve conversion of forest land to farms, ranches, or urban use. The most concentrated ...

and human encroachment. They also face a major threat from hunting.

Appearance

The northern glider ranges in weight of 228–332 grams. Its silky-like fur is gray on the top half, paler on the bottom regions, and includes the characteristic dark dorsal stripe of the family Petauridae that typically begins from the head extending to the base of tail.Nowak, Ronald M. (1999) "Lesser Gliding Possums", pp. 139-40 in ''Walker's Mammals of the World''. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins UP.

References

Gliding possums Endemic fauna of Papua New Guinea Marsupials of New Guinea Mammals of Papua New Guinea Critically endangered fauna of Oceania Mammals described in 1981 Taxonomy articles created by Polbot Taxobox binomials not recognized by IUCN {{marsupial-stub