Joan O'Shea

Boudica - March 2010

Boudica is a Feathertail Glider. She came into care on 10th March along with two siblings – they weighed just 1 gram each. They came from the Gurranang area, with no other details. They were about the size of a pink jellybean, but wriggling.

They were all fed and tucked in for the night. I needed a magnifying glass to feed them. Unfortunately, next morning, only one was still alive. I continued to feed what turned out to be a little lady.

She continued to progress – day five her ears were up and separated from her head. Day seven her left eye was starting to open – day nine her right eye was starting to open. Day ten she was able to maintain her own body temperature and her fur was starting to come through, first on her head and it has gradually worked down her body.

She is now 5 grams and moving on to Steph – who I know will enjoy this beautiful creature as much as I have – before she joins her kind and takes on the world. The name of this species draws attention to it’s tail. It is flattened, with very short fur on the upper and lower surfaces and a conspicuous fringe of stiff hairs, resembling the barbs of a feather, along each edge.

It feeds on nectar and sugary sap and small insects found on the trunks, foliage and blossoms in the trees that are it’s habitat. Their adult weight is 10 – 14 grams.

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