Editing Sugar glider (section)

{{About|the animal|the indie pop band|the Sugargliders}}
{{Short description|Species of Australian marsupial}}
{{Pp-semi-indef|small=yes}}
{{Use Australian English|date=June 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2020}}
{{Speciesbox
| name = Sugar glider<ref name=MSW3>{{MSW3 Groves|pages=55}}</ref>
| image = Petaurus breviceps-Cayley.jpg
| image_caption = Illustration by [[Neville William Cayley|Neville Cayley]]
| fossil_range = 
| synonyms = ''P. (Belideus) breviceps'', &nbsp;<small>Waterhouse 1839</small><br/>
''P. kohlsi'', &nbsp;<small>Troughton 1945</small><ref>{{cite journal|last1=Troughton|first1=Ellis|title=Diagnoses of New rare mammals from the South-West Pacific|journal=Records of the Australian Museum|date=1945|volume=21|issue=6|pages=373–374|doi=10.3853/j.0067-1975.21.1945.551|doi-access=free}}</ref>
| status = LC
| status_system = IUCN3.1
| status_ref = <ref name="iucn">{{cite iucn |author=Salas, L. |author2=Dickman, C. |author3=Helgen, K. |author4=Winter, J. |author5=Ellis, M. |author6=Denny, M. |author7=Woinarski, J. |author8=Lunney, D. |author9=Oakwood, M. |author10=Menkhorst, P. |author11=Strahan, R. |name-list-style=amp |year=2016 |title=''Petaurus breviceps'' |page=e.T16731A21959798 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-2.RLTS.T16731A21959798.en |access-date=19 November 2021}}</ref>
| genus = Petaurus
| species = breviceps
| authority = [[George Robert Waterhouse|Waterhouse]], 1839<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Waterhouse|first1=G. R.|title=Observations on certain modifications observed in the dentition of the Flying Opossums (the genus ''Petaurus'' of authors)|journal=Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London|date=1838|volume=4|pages=149–153|doi=10.1111/j.1096-3642.1838.tb01419.x|url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/30571210}}</ref>
| range_map = Petaurus breviceps distribution.png
| range_map_caption = Range map of the formerly recognized subspecies of sugar glider:{{refn|group=note|Range in red now thought to largely represent a separate species, [[Krefft's glider]] (''P. notatus''); if this is true, ''P. breviceps'' (''sensu stricto'') occupies only a small coastal region of this range, containing parts of southern Queensland and eastern New South Wales. Range in blue now thought to possibly represent multiple non-''P. breviceps'' species, including [[Krefft's glider]] (''P. notatus''), the [[mahogany glider]] (''P. gracilis''), and/or a species complex associated with ''P. gracilis''.<ref name="ASM-PetBreviceps"/><ref name="Cremona-2020"/>}}<br />
<div style="text-align: left">
{{legend2|#f00;<!--Red-->| ''P. b. breviceps'' (introduced in Tasmania)}}<br />
{{legend2|#00f;<!--Blue-->| ''P. b. longicaudatus''}}<br />
{{legend2|#060;<!--Dk Green-->| ''[[Savanna glider|P. b. ariel]]''}}{{refn|group=note|It has been recently suggested that ''P. b. ariel'' be treated as a separate species, the [[savanna glider]] (''P. ariel'')<ref name="Cremona-2020"/>}}<br />
{{legend2|#cc0;<!--Gold-->| ''P. b. flavidus''}}{{refn|group=note|''P. b. flavidus'' (Tate and Archbold, 1935) considered a [[Synonym (taxonomy)|synonym]] of ''P. b. papuanus'' (Thomas 1888)<!-- REFERENCE NEEDED -->}}<br />
{{legend2|#0c0;<!--Lt Green-->| ''P. b. tafa''}}{{refn|group=note|Tate & Archbold, 1935; subspecies ''P. b. tafa'' considered a [[Synonym (taxonomy)|synonym]] of species ''P. breviceps''<ref>[http://www.planet-mammiferes.org/drupal/en/node/39?indice=Petaurus+breviceps+tafa Subspecies Sheet | Mammals'Planet] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160818081308/http://www.planet-mammiferes.org/drupal/en/node/39?indice=Petaurus+breviceps+tafa |date=18 August 2016 }}. Planet-mammiferes.org. Retrieved 2014-04-19.</ref>}}<br />
{{legend2|#f0f;<!--Magenta-->| ''P. b. papuanus''}}<br />
{{legend2|#333;<!--Black-->| ''[[Biak glider|P. b. biacensis]]''}}{{refn|group=note|name=Biak|Subspecies (former) ''P. b. biacensis'' provisionally considered species: ''P. biacensis'' ([[Biak glider]]). "Helgen (2007) states that ''Petaurus biacensis'' is likely to be [[conspecific]] with ''P. breviceps''. ''P. biacensis'' appears to differ from the latter mainly by having a higher incidence of [[melanism]] (Helgen 2007). We provisionally retain ''P. biacensis'' as a separate species pending further taxonomic work, thus following what has become standard treatment (e.g., Flannery 1994, 1995; Groves 2005)."<ref name="iucn"/>}}
</div>
}}

The '''sugar glider'''  ('''''Petaurus breviceps''''') is a small, [[omnivorous]], [[arboreal]], and [[Nocturnality|nocturnal]] [[gliding possum]]. The common name refers to its predilection for sugary foods such as [[plant sap|sap]] and [[nectar]] and its ability to [[Gliding flight|glide]] through the air, much like a [[flying squirrel]].<ref name="dpiwtas">{{cite web|date=28 August 2012|title=DPIW - Sugar Glider|url=http://www.dpiw.tas.gov.au/inter.nsf/WebPages/BHAN-53J8XS?open|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120828032345/http://www.dpiw.tas.gov.au/inter.nsf/WebPages/BHAN-53J8XS?open|archive-date=28 August 2012}}</ref> They have very similar habits and appearance to the flying squirrel, despite not being closely related—an example of [[convergent evolution]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Analogy: Squirrels and Sugar Gliders|url=http://evolution.berkeley.edu/evolibrary/article/analogy_02|work=Understanding Evolution|publisher=The University of California Museum of Paleontology|access-date=1 October 2012}}</ref> The [[Binomial nomenclature|scientific name]], ''Petaurus breviceps'', translates from [[Latin (language)|Latin]] as "short-headed rope-dancer", a reference to their [[Canopy (biology)|canopy]] [[acrobatics]].<ref name="Tasmania Online">{{cite web|title=Sugar Glider, ''Petaurus breviceps''|url=http://www.parks.tas.gov.au/index.aspx?base=4883|publisher=Parks & Wildlife Service, Tasmania Online|access-date=7 October 2012|archive-date=3 April 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160403061800/http://www.parks.tas.gov.au/index.aspx?base=4883|url-status=dead}}</ref>

The sugar glider is characterised by its pair of gliding membranes, known as [[patagia]], which extend from its forelegs to its hindlegs.<ref name=Endo(1998)>{{cite journal|last1=Endo|first1=H|last2=Yokokawa|first2=K|last3=Kurohmaru|first3=M|last4=Hiyashi|first4=Y|title=Functional anatomy of gliding membrane muscles in the sugar glider (''Petaurus breviceps'')|journal=Annals of Anatomy|date=1998|volume=180|issue=1|pages=93–96|doi=10.1016/S0940-9602(98)80149-0|pmid=9488912}}</ref>  [[Gliding flight|Gliding]] serves as an efficient means of reaching food and evading predators.<ref name="dpiwtas"/> The animal is covered in soft, pale grey to light brown fur which is [[countershaded]], being lighter in colour on its underside.
 
The sugar glider, as strictly defined in a recent analysis, is only native to a small portion of southeastern [[Australia]], corresponding to southern [[Queensland]] and most of [[New South Wales]] east of the [[Great Dividing Range]]; the extended species group, including populations which may or may not belong to ''P. breviceps'', occupies a larger range covering much of coastal eastern and northern Australia, [[New Guinea]], and nearby islands.<ref name="ASM-PetBreviceps">{{cite mdd|title=''Petaurus breviceps'' Waterhouse, 1839|genus=Petaurus|species=breviceps|id=1000344}}</ref><ref name="Cremona-2020">{{cite journal|last1=Cremona|first1=Teigan|last2=Baker|first2=Andrew M|last3=Cooper|first3=Steven J B|last4=Montague-Drake|first4=Rebecca|last5=Stobo-Wilson|first5=Alyson M|last6=Carthew|first6=Susan M|date=2020-07-13|title=Integrative taxonomic investigation of ''Petaurus breviceps'' (Marsupialia: Petauridae) reveals three distinct species|journal=Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society|volume=191 |issue=2 |pages=503–527 |doi=10.1093/zoolinnean/zlaa060|issn=0024-4082|doi-access=free}}</ref> Members of ''Petaurus'' are popular [[exotic pet|exotic pets]]; these pet animals are also frequently referred to as "sugar gliders", but recent research indicates, at least for American pets, that they are not ''P. breviceps'' but a closely related species, ultimately originating from a single source near [[Sorong]] in [[West Papua (province)|West Papua]].<ref name="Campbell-2019" /> This would possibly make them members of the [[Krefft's glider]] (''P. notatus''), but the taxonomy of Papuan ''Petaurus'' populations is still poorly resolved.<ref name="ASM-PetNotatus">{{Cite mdd|title=''Petaurus notatus'' W. Peters, 1859|genus=Petaurus|species=notatus|id=1000347}}</ref>