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 a lot 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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