A small population of endangered mahogany gliders is living in narrow strips of forest on farmland south of Ingham. Wildlife cameras have captured mahogany gliders for two years in a row at four spots in the Bambaroo-St Helens area.

Improving ‘glideability’

Terrain NRM’s Evizel Seymour said the gliders were in forest along creeks where vines and woody weeds have been removed to improve its “glideability” and condition. Coupled with scientists’ findings from genetic research in recent years, it shows the critical need for more habitat restoration.

“Mahogany gliders are only found between the Hull River near Tully and Ollera Creek north of Townsville, with an estimated total population of about 2500,’’ Evizel said. “The woodlands they live in are often narrow fragments of forest. To help this species, a big focus is restoring and connecting their habitat.”

Inbreeding a concern

Recent genetics research by James Cook University researcher Eryn Chang found the species was retaining moderate genetic diversity across much of its range despite decades of habitat loss. But it also identified inbreeding in northern parts of the mahogany glider’s habitat and researchers fear the combination of habitat decline and an increasing fragmented mahogany glider population could lead to more serious genetic health issues.

During Terrain NRM’s recent ‘Keeping Country Connected for Mahogany Gliders’ project, crews from Hinchinbrook Shire Council removed woody weeds and vines from 15 kilometres of forest along Waterview Creek, Easter Creek and two unnamed creeks on cane farming land in the Bambaroo-St Helens area.

Gliders captured on camera in four farmland locations for two years in a row

Evizel said wildlife cameras, installed twice at 30 spots along the creeks for six-week periods over two years, had led to mahogany glider detections across 15 locations. Gliders were detected in four of those locations both times the cameras went out.

“Of these, four locations recorded mahogany gliders during both survey periods, indicating consistent use of those areas,” she said.

“This region was focused on for weed and vine removal because we knew from earlier monitoring that small populations of mahogany gliders were likely to be living there.

Narrow strips on woodland on cane farms

“The narrow strips of woodland are between sugar cane land and waterways and they’re close to Paluma and Halifax Bay national parks. The aim is to link more coastal patches of mahogany glider habitat to foothills in national parks via vegetated waterway areas, so there is a functional corridor for this endangered species.”

This work follows a series of Australian and Queensland government-funded mahogany glider projects led by Terrain NRM over the past 15 years, focused on planting wildlife corridors on private land to connect to existing glider habitat and staging cool burns on private properties and in national parks to reduce forest thickening and restore glider habitat. Population monitoring has also been part of projects.

A tropical island with ideal habitat for the endangered mahogany glider is a new focus in species recovery efforts.

Researchers recently installed wildlife cameras in the forests of Hinchinbrook Island – one of Australia’s largest island national parks – as part of the first population survey since Cyclone Yasi hit the region in 2011.

The elusive gliders are known to live in patches of woodland between Tully and Ollera Creek, north of Townsville, but their numbers are unknown, with the last count at just 1500 to 2000 before the cyclone tore through their habitat.

The first population survey since Cyclone Yasi

Terrain NRM’s Andrew Dennis said field officers were working with James Cook University researchers to explore just beyond these areas – at Hinchinbrook Island, Mission Beach and Balgal Beach – where habitat modelling work had shown quality mahogany glider habitat.

Twenty cameras were installed for six weeks in three different woodland areas on Hinchinbrook Island recently, returning no mahogany glider footage but recording sugar glider action in the final hours before they were taken down.

“It’s tantalising because sugar gliders are a smaller glider which is often in the same forests as the mahogany glider,” Dr Dennis said. “We’ll be setting up cameras on the island again.”

Learning from tissue samples

James Cook University researcher Eryn Chang has also been using cameras on the mainland, along with catch and release trapping. Her team has so far taken tiny tissue samples from the ears of 22 mahogany gliders, to better understand populations and their genetic health.

“Mahogany gliders are very difficult to catch – some nights we record nothing or we see sugar or squirrel gliders and no mahoganies,’’ she said. “It’s a slow process, to build up data, but one that’s important for this species.”

Mission Beach, Balgal Beach areas part of survey

Cameras were also installed recently in an ant plant nature refuge between Mission Beach and Tully and at both Balgal Beach and Clement State Forest near Townsville.

James Cook University tropical biologist Dr Conrad Hoskin said looking for populations of mahogany gliders within the known distribution areas, and also beyond them, was the first step.