Mammals - non-native

Sugar Glider (Petaurus breviceps) on Jul 13, 2008

Submitter does not have a specimen

Description of specimen

found a sugar glider, about 7" long with a tail about 5" long. It flew out of the cavity of the dead tree as it was being cut down. The men cutting the tree down said they had seen them before near Mt. St. Helens. The animal had large eyes and its signature "wings" under its arms. We left it alone and it later climbed another tree.

Commentary

Can this marsupial survive the gorge winters

Reporter
July 13, 2008, 1:31 a.m.

Your description of the mammal matches a sugar glider - it would have been great to have a picture. From a physiological standpoint, sugar gliders born and raised in the wild could survive the milder temperatures of the Willamette Valley. However, those raised in captivity behave quite differently from those in the wild, therefore, long-term survival of an individual animal would be questionable.

Lisa DeBruyckere
July 15, 2008, 6:44 a.m.

Location

Cascade Locks creekside in a cavity of a downed dead tree

Expert Reviewer

Ms. Lisa DeBruyckere
Oregon Invasive Species Council Coordinator

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