Squirrel gliders use roadside glide poles to cross a road gap

Abstract

Tall wooden poles placed along roadsides may enable road crossing by gliding mammals. We investigated the use of 12-m-high roadside glide poles at one location in Brisbane. Camera traps on roadside poles detected squirrel gliders (Petaurus norfolcensis) on one or both poles on 60 of 310 operational nights including at least 16 confirmed crossings during 125 nights when both roadside cameras operated concurrently. This provides definitive evidence that squirrel gliders will readily use tall wooden poles to make glide-crossings of two-lane roads. This is consistent with other investigations of glide poles and suggests that poles should be installed more broadly to reconnect habitat for gliding mammals. © Australian Mammal Society 2013.