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

marsupial Marsupials are a diverse group of mammals belonging to the infraclass Marsupialia. They are natively found in Australasia, Wallacea, and the Americas. One of marsupials' unique features is their reproductive strategy: the young are born in a r ...

in the family Petauridae. It is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found only 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 foun ...

Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinea, officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is an island country in Oceania that comprises the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and offshore islands in Melanesia, a region of the southwestern Pacific Ocean n ...

, 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 and destruction 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. Ab ...

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