NATURAL HISTORY · CATALOGUE RECORD
Biak Glider
Petaurus biacensis Ulmer, 1940
Source-backed taxonomic record
Accepted species in Catalogue of Life’s 11 September 2026 base release. This preserves the source classification and available supporting data; it is not a completed species monograph.
Biak Glider (Petaurus biacensis) range
Chermundy · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Image sourceProvider-generated thumbnail requested at 320 pixels; no local editing Local WebP display rendition; resized without cropping.
Open encyclopedia reference
The Biak glider (Petaurus biacensis) is a species of marsupial in the family Petauridae. It is endemic to the Schouten Islands in the western region of Papua Province, Indonesia. It was formerly considered to be a subspecies of Petaurus breviceps (sugar glider); there is still uncertainty regarding its status as a distinct species.
The Biak glider ranges in length from 130–150 mm (5.1–5.9 in) and in weight from 79–100 g (2.8–3.5 oz).
Wikipedia contributors, Biak glider; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T02:09:02.856553+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Petaurus biacensis Ulmer, 1940
- Name authority
- Ulmer, 1940
- Common name
- Biak Glider
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Mammalia
- Order
- Diprotodontia
- Family
- Petauridae
- Genus
- Petaurus
- Extinction status
- Recorded extant
Classification family tree
Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.
- domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- subphylumVertebrata
- infraphylumGnathostomata
- parvphylumOsteichthyes
- megaclassTetrapoda
- classMammalia Linnaeus, 1758
- subclassTheria Parker & Haswell, 1897
- infraclassMetatheria Huxley, 1880
- orderDiprotodontia Owen, 1866
- suborderPhalangeriformes Szalay in Archer, 1982
- superfamilyPetauroidea Bonaparte, 1838
- familyPetauridae Bonaparte, 1838
- subfamilyPetaurinae Bonaparte, 1838
- genusPetaurus Shaw, 1791
- speciesPetaurus biacensis Ulmer, 1940
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Petaurus. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| Northern GliderPetaurus abidi Ziegler, 1981 | PetauridaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Yellow-bellied GliderPetaurus australis Shaw, 1791 | PetauridaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Ebony GliderPetaurus gracilis (De Vis, 1883) | PetauridaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Sugar GliderPetaurus breviceps Waterhouse, 1838 | PetauridaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Squirrel GliderPetaurus norfolcensis (Kerr, 1792) | PetauridaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
Documented distribution
Source distribution statements, not a complete range map. A listed locality is not necessarily a place of origin.
Source literature & publication evidence
References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.
- https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=709408 Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references
Origins, evidence & remaining research
Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.
Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record.
Dataset citation & attribution
This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11
Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.
Stable key: col:4FD5H. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.