The yellow-bellied glider (Petaurus australis) is a species of gliding possum belonging to the same genus as the sugar glider, a species popular in the pet trade. The yellow-bellied glider gets much larger than its popular cousin however, 24 oz vs. the 4.9 oz of the sugar glider. Yellow-bellied gliders live in the eucalyptus forests of eastern Australia. They feed on nectar, tree sap, pollen, and insects. Members of the Petaurus genus, known as wrist-wing gliders, are similar to flying squirrels in overall appearance and behavior. Like flying squirrels, they use flaps of loose skin (patagia) not to fly, but glide. The yellow-bellied glider is capable of gliding up to 492’ (150 meters). Other similarities include a nocturnal lifestyle, large forward-facing eyes, short face, and long flat tails that act as rudders.
Not surprisingly, there aren’t many glider figures available. Sugar gliders are the most popular and there aren’t even very many of those. This means that this is a group of animals for which collectors should take notice when a figure appears. Today we’re looking at the yellow-bellied glider from Yowie Group USA, part of their Baby Animals series and released in 2023.
Although this figure is part of a baby animal series there is nothing about this figure that makes it obviously a juvenile, unlike other figures in the series such as the southern cassowary and harp seal. This means that if you don’t collect baby animals this is still a figure worth seeking out.
The figure measures about 2” (5.08 cm) but the head is turned rightward while the tail is somewhat tucked in, making it difficult to figure out the scale. In life, the yellow-bellied glider is the largest member of the Petaurus genus, with a body measuring 11” (30 cm) and a tail measuring 18” (48 cm). Using just the body length we get a scale of about 1/5.5. The tail on the figure is much too short and maybe that’s what makes it a baby, but I don’t know if babies have proportionally shorter tails than adults or not. Aside from that it looks acceptable enough.
The figure has a short, pointed pink snout, and large, pointed, somewhat floppy ears. It’s presented resting on all fours but the patagia is still visible. Fine details include hairs etched into the sculpt and five distinct digits on each limb. The paint job is simple, it’s black with a yellow belly, shiny black eyes, and a pink nose. The quality of the toy is overall similar to Safari TOOB figures.
The yellow-bellied glider is a definite standout in a series that is otherwise mostly underwhelming. When I heard that Yowie was doing baby animals, I was disappointed, but figures like this proved that some were still worth seeking out. Yowie toys come packaged blind bag style, inside a chocolate egg. They’re widely available in the United States but if you don’t want to gamble with your money it might be best to look on eBay for the specific figure you want.
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