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Created page with "{{Taxobox | name = Petauridae | image = Sugies03 hp.jpg | image_width = 240px | image_caption = ''Petaurus breviceps'' | regnum = Animalia | phylum = Chordate|Chorda..."

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{{Taxobox
| name = Petauridae
| image = Sugies03 hp.jpg
| image_width = 240px
| image_caption = ''[[Petaurus breviceps]]''
| regnum = [[Animal]]ia
| phylum = [[Chordate|Chordata]]
| classis = [[Mammal]]ia
| infraclassis = [[Marsupialia]]
| ordo = [[Diprotodontia]]
| superfamilia = [[Petauroidea]]
| familia = '''Petauridae'''
| familia_authority = [[Charles Lucien Bonaparte|C.L. Bonaparte]], 1838
| subdivision_ranks = [[Genus|Genera]]
| subdivision =
''[[Dactylopsila]]''<br>''[[Gymnobelideus]]''<br>''[[Petaurus]]''
}}
The [[family (biology)|family]] '''Petauridae''' includes 11 medium-sized [[possum]] [[species]]: four [[striped possum]]s, the six species [[wrist-winged glider]]s in genus ''Petaurus'', and [[Leadbeater's Possum]] which has only vestigal gliding membranes. Most of the wrist-winged gliders are native to [[Australia]], most of the striped possums (genus ''[[Dactylopsila]]'') to [[New Guinea]], but some members of each are found on both sides of [[Torres Strait]].

All petaurids have obvious facial markings, a well-defined dorsal stripe, very large lower front incisors, and four-cusped molars. Despite their distinctive appearance, petaurids are closely related to the [[Pseudocheiridae|ringtail possum]]s (family [[Pseudocheiridae]]) and are grouped together with them to form the superfamily [[Petauroidea]].

The wrist-winged gliders are omnivorous, specialising on sap and nectar, but taking a wide variety of supplemental foods. The gliders appears to have evolved in the [[Sclerophyll|open forests of Australia]]—gliding membranes are an adaptation which aids mobility when the forest canopy is incomplete, and are of little use in [[rainforest]]s— but now has representatives in New Guinea and many of the smaller islands nearby. Their similarities to the unrelated [[flying squirrel]]s are an example of [[convergent evolution]].

The striped possums (trioks), on the other hand, are thought to have evolved on New Guinea, and the sole Australian species (the [[Striped Possum]] of [[Cape York Peninsula|Cape York]]) is considered a recent immigrant. All members of this genus are insectivores, and have specalised structures for catching insects: a heel-like structure on the wrist that is thought to be used to tap on wood to locate insect larvae. and an elongated fourth finger to extract them from their burrows.

==Classification==
* Genus ''[[Dactylopsila]]''
** [[Great-tailed Triok]], ''Dactylopsila megalura''
** [[Long-fingered Triok]], ''Dactylopsila palpator''
** [[Tate's Triok]], ''Dactylopsila tatei''
** [[Striped Possum]], ''Dactylopsila trivirgata''
* Genus ''[[Gymnobelideus]]''
** [[Leadbeater's Possum]], ''Gymnobelideus leadbeateri''
* Genus ''[[Petaurus]]''
** [[Northern Glider]], ''Petaurus abidi''
** [[Yellow-bellied Glider]], ''Petaurus australis''
** [[Biak Glider]], ''Petaurus biacensis''
** [[Sugar Glider]], ''Petaurus breviceps''
** [[Mahogany Glider]], ''Petaurus gracilis''
** [[Squirrel Glider]], ''Petaurus norfolcensis''

==References==
*{{MSW3 Groves|pages=53-55}}

{{Diprotodontia|P.1}}

[[Category:Possums]]

Petauridae - Revision history

WikiAdmin: Created page with "{{Taxobox | name = Petauridae | image = Sugies03 hp.jpg | image_width = 240px | image_caption = ''Petaurus breviceps'' | regnum = Animalia | phylum = Chordate|Chorda..."