Greater gliders have a head and body 39 to 43 centimetres (15 to 17 in) long, with the females generally being larger than the males.
Their body is covered with a shaggy coat of fur that increases their apparent size, and the tail is long and bushy, ranging from 44 to 53 centimetres (17 to 21 in).
The head is short with a pointed muzzle and their large ears are fringed and backed with long fur.
Each side of the body bears membranes stretching between the elbow and the ankle that give the animal the ability to perform controlled glides.
This is in contrast to other gliding marsupials (such as the sugar glider) that have gliding membranes stretching from the wrists to the ankles.

The feet have strongly recurved claws to grip onto bark or other surfaces.
There are five toes on each foot; the first toe on the hind foot and the first two toes on the fore foot are opposable.

The fur is soft and up to 60 millimetres (2.4 in) long; its colour is variable within a single population and ranges from white to brown and charcoal.
Body mass varies clinally from 1,600 grams (3.5 lb) in southern Victoria to 600 grams (1.3 lb) in north Queensland.
Greater gliders have a head and body 39 to 43 centimetres (15 to 17 in) long, with the females generally being larger than the males. Their body is covered with a shaggy coat of fur that increases their apparent size, and the tail is long and bushy, ranging from 44 to 53 centimetres (17 to 21 in). The head is short with a pointed muzzle and their large ears are fringed and backed with long fur. Each side of the body bears membranes stretching between the elbow and the ankle that give the animal the ability to perform controlled glides. This is in contrast to other gliding marsupials (such as the sugar glider) that have gliding membranes stretching from the wrists to the ankles.
The feet have strongly recurved claws to grip onto bark or other surfaces. There are five toes on each foot; the first toe on the hind foot and the first two toes on the fore foot are opposable.
The fur is soft and up to 60 millimetres (2.4 in) long; its colour is variable within a single population and ranges from white to brown and charcoal. Body mass varies clinally from 1,600 grams (3.5 lb) in southern Victoria to 600 grams (1.3 lb) in north Queensland.
Greater glider