Acrobates frontalis (De Vis, 1887)

Russell A. Mittermeier & Don E. Wilson, 2015, Acrobatidae, Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 5 Monotremes and Marsupials, Barcelona: Lynx Edicions, pp. 574-591 : 590-591

2.

Broad-toed Feather-tailed Glider

Acrobates frontalis

French: Acrobate de De Vis / German: BreitfulR-Federschwanz-Gleitbeutler / Spanish: Falangero de cola plumosa de dedos anchos

Other common names: De Vis's Feathertail Glider

Taxonomy. Dromicia frontalis De Vis, 1887,

“ Herbert River , north Queensland,” Australia.

Acrobates until recently was regarded as monotypic and without clearly defined subspecies or geographical variants. Nevertheless, a recent morphological and molecular study revealed the presence of two well-differentiated species with extensive geographical overlap. Monotypic.

Distribution. E Australia, from Cape York Peninsula in N Queensland, S throughout E New South Wales (Great Dividing Range and its seaward draining catchments and Southern Tableland) to Victoria (except the inland draining catchments of the Murray Basin) and the SE corner of South Australia; also in Fraser and Nord Stradbroke Is, Queensland. Records from New Guinea probably are erroneous.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 5-7 cm (maximum recorded 7-7 cm), tail 6.7-5 cm (maximum recorded 8-1 cm); weight usually 8-12 g (maximum 18-5 g for males, 18 g for non-lactating females, and 21 g for females carrying pouch young). Tail length-tohead-body length ratio is usually 0-9-1-2. Male-biased sexual size dimorphism means that males are, on average, c.10% larger than females. Head-body length of males shows a step-wise decrease from south to north, in general accordance with Bergman's Rule. Females show no latitudinal variation in body length; hence, male-biased sexual dimorphism is pronounced in the south and minimal in the north. Variation in relative tail length is primarily related to individual age (younger individuals have proportionally shorter tails), and there is no clear pattern of geographical variation. Dorsal fur is essentially brown over dark gray but in various shades, ranging from a chestnut brown to a plum brown. Fur on patagium, outer surfaces of limbs, and crown of head is same color as on back. Undersurface is white to cream, usually over slate gray but sometimes same color as base in whole or on chest only. Ears and digits sparsely furred. Tail hair fringe sometimes has a narrow (0-5-1 mm) cream emargination. The Broadtoed Feather-tailed Glider can be distinguished by the following external characteristics: apical toe pads on all manal (hand) digits and pedal (foot) digits four and five, heart-shaped, wider than long, and possessing broad distal grooves; a single raised, striated pad at the base of hallux; ventral fur of tail stops c.2—4 mm short of tip, leaving skin naked, and prehensile; stiff lateral tail hairs are usually dark to tip or have a short cream tip and hencetail fringe usually lacks conspicuous pale margin; and ventral fur from throat to groin is cream or off-white to base of hairs.

Habitat. Probably in most wooded habitats of eastern Australia, including open and closed forests, woodlands, and heaths, from near seal level to at least 700 m in elevation. There are no records of the Broad-toed Feather-tailed Glider from tropical or subtropical rainforest, but it does occur in temperate rainforest. It is regionally sympatric with the Narrow-toed Feather-tailed Glider ( A. pygmaeus ) in south-eastern Australia north to the Border and McPherson Ranges of south-eastern Queensland. Further north, the Broad-toed Feather-tailed Glideris exclusively distributed.

Food and Feeding. There is no information available for this species.

Breeding. There is no specific information available for this species, but pouch young of the Broad-toed Feather-tailed Glider have been recorded in most months from its exclusive distribution. It is unclearif this implies a lack of seasonality or geographical variation in the breeding season.

Activity patterns. There is no information available for this species.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. There is no information available for this species.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List (under A. pygmaeus ). Recently collected museum voucher specimens of the Broad-toed Feather-tailed Glider document its continued survival across large parts ofits distribution and its occurrence in numerous protected areas.

Bibliography. Rosenberg & Rose (1999), Russell (1980), Tate (1945a), Troughton (1967).

Figures

Plate 33 Species Accounts

Distribution. E Australia, from Cape York Peninsula in N Queensland, S throughout E New South Wales (Great Dividing Range and its seaward draining catchments and Southern Tableland) to Victoria (except the inland draining catchments of the Murray Basin) and the SE corner of South Australia; also in Fraser and Nord Stradbroke Is, Queensland. Records from New Guinea probably are erroneous.