Nocturnal Neighbours - Blue Range Creek

Watching us watching them, SGG, Blue Range Creek. Image courtesy of Bertram Lobert.

On Friday night, the first of four Nocturnal Neighbours spotlighting events—proudly supported by funding from the Bendigo Bank’s Community Impact Program—took place at Blue Range Creek Campground. Despite the cold evening, a group of 14 keen nature enthusiasts of all ages gathered under a clear sky and crescent moon to discover the forest’s nocturnal inhabitants. Guided by ecologist Bertram Lobert, the group set off in search of arboreal mammals. After a quiet start, the group was rewarded with the sighting of eight Southern Greater Gliders along a short walk beside Blue Range Creek.

These incredible animals are the largest gliding marsupials in Australia, weighing between 900 and 1700 grams and measuring up to 105 cm in length, including their distinctive long, bushy tails. Their thick, fluffy fur—ranging from dark chocolate to almost white—helps keep them warm on cold nights, while their large, rounded ears and silent nature make them difficult to spot. Southern Greater Gliders inhabit eucalypt forests in eastern Australia and rely heavily on old-growth trees, such as manna gums, that form large hollows for shelter. Solitary and nocturnal, they maintain several den sites within small home ranges and glide up to 100 metres at a time using the membrane between their limbs, which they can also use like a blanket.

Blue Range Creek Reserve, a narrow remnant of native vegetation flanked by pine plantations and farmland, provides a rare refuge for the gliders. With an alarming 80% decline in Southern Greater Glider populations over the past 40 years due to habitat loss, bushfires, and climate change, sightings like these are both rare and significant. One ringtail possum and several roosting kookaburras were also observed. Bertram will record all glider sightings from the evening in the Victorian Biodiversity Atlas to support conservation monitoring efforts. Events like this play a vital role in connecting the community to threatened species and encouraging greater protection of their habitats.

The next spotlighting event will be held in the Tolmie area on Saturday, May 31st. Visit the Up2Us website to learn more and register: up2us.org.au/events/nocturnal-neighbours.