Photo: Josh Bowell | The Sydney Morning Herald
The discovery that there are three species of greater gilder, rather than one, has added to Australia's already rich biodiversity. A genetics study of these aeronautical marsupials published in the journal Nature discovered the additional species in forest ranges throughout the country. During the day the furry, possum-sized creatures nest inside hollow trees. At night they fly up many meters in the sky to search for eucalyptus leaves, a mainstay of their diet. "Australia's biodiversity just got alot richer. It's not every day that new mammals are confirmed, let alone two new mammals," James Cook University Prof. Andrew Krockenberger told The Sydney Morning Herald.
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