Introduction of the Sugar Glider, Petaurus breviceps, into Re-established Forest of the Tower Hill State Game Reserve, Vic.

Abstract

In 1979 a program of release of captive-bred sugar gliders, Petaurus breviceps Waterhouse, was initiated in young, planted native forest at the Tower Hill State Game Reserve. The Reserve comprises three islands (130, 48 and 1 ha) inaccessible to wild sugar gliders. In May 1981 the status of the Tower Hill population was studied. At least 34 individuals were detected; these were generally confined to taller forest where nest hollows had been erected. Various population parameters were compared with those recorded by Suckling (1980) for wild sugar gliders at a similar latitude at Willung in South Gippsland. Age structure, reproductive success and survival to 2 years of age were similar in both populations; the Tower Hill animals appeared to be in better condition (as measured by body weight within each age-class) than those at Willung. A population may now be established at Tower Hill. The present data are relevant to the future management of sugar gliders at Tower Hill; they may also be relevant to the management of regenerating forest areas, elsewhere in the State, for the conservation of sugar gliders, and possibly for the conservation of some other, forest-dependent resident mammals.