Sugar Glider: New Species Discovered, But With Conservation Implications

A recent study by Charles Darwin University in collaboration with the Australian Museum and the Queensland University of Technology discovered that the sugar glider that was believed to be a single species are three genetically and morphologically distinct species.

More disturbing are the savanna gliders, the new species from Northern Australia. These particular species have lost at least 35 percent of its habitat over the past 30 years, Dr. Alyson Stobo-Wilson said. Researchers from CDU admit that more studies are needed to define their ecology and distributions and, most importantly, the conservation status of both the sugar glider and the savanna glider before they are lost.