Mammals · Dermoptera · Cynocephalidae

Sunda Flying Lemur

Galeopterus variegatus

Least Concern

The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary

The Malayan colugo, also called the flying lemur although it is neither a lemur nor does it fly, is a gliding mammal of South-East Asia. Its patagium, the membrane of skin it spreads to glide, is the most complete of any mammal: it runs from the neck to the tips of the fingers, between the limbs and all the way to the end of the tail. It is nocturnal and herbivorous, eating leaves, shoots and flowers, and by day it stays motionless and camouflaged against a trunk. On the ground it is extremely clumsy and very vulnerable.

Weight

900 g – 1.3 kg

Size

33 cm – 42 cm

Lifespan

15 years

Diet

Herbivore

Feeds mainly on plants.

Activity

Nocturnal

Active mainly at night.

Social structure

Solitary

Lives and hunts alone, joining others only to breed.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

RainforestHerbivore Nocturnal Solitary Rainforest Mammal

13countries 18parks1same family

Fun facts

locomociónIt is not a lemur and it cannot truly fly: it glides on a membrane of skin between its four limbs and its tail, covering as much as 100 metres between trees.
It can glide more than a hundred metres between trees while losing very little height, the best glide ratio of any mammal.
Its lower incisors are comb-shaped, with up to twenty prongs per tooth, a structure unique among mammals that it uses for grooming and perhaps for scraping leaves.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (mammal)
Habitat & environment: Tropical rainforest, plantations and wooded gardens of South-East Asia
Gestation / incubation: 60 days
Litter / clutch size: 1

Sources consulted: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galeopterus_variegatus