
Greyish adult, probably female, in typical
daytime resting posture. Bukit Tinggi, Singapore.

Reddish adult, probably male, active at
night.
Central Catchment Forest, Singapore.

Juvenile peering from beneath its parents body.
Bukit Timah Nature Reserve, Singapore

Juvenile.
Central Catchment Nature Reserve, Singapore |
Colugos are mammals from
an ancient lineage, with just two species comprising the Order Dermoptera.
Confusingly they are also called 'Flying Lemurs', though they are not
closely related to the Lemurs of Madagascar. They can glide long distances,
however, as they possess a thin membrane stretched to the ends of the tail
and each limb.
Generally they are mottled grey or green-grey in colour, with dark banding,
but some specimens are reddish. Their diet includes leaves and young shoots.
During the day they rest high in the trees, clinging to trunks or hiding in
tree holes. At dusk they become active, gliding from trunk to trunk like
sheets of paper blown on the wind. The young are carried clinging to the
flight membrane.
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Adult Colugo, Poring Hot
Springs, Sabah, Borneo.
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Colugos range from Burma,
Indochina and Southern Thailand to Peninsular
Malaysia, Singapore and the Indonesian islands of Sumatra and Java. They
also occur throughout Borneo. A second Colugo species inhabits the southern
Philippines.
Order : DERMOPTERA
Family : Cynocephalidae
Species : Cynocephalus variegatus
Head-Body Length : 34-38cm
Tail Length : 24-25cm
Weight : 0.9-1.3 kg
References : M2
Link :
Gliding
mammal linked to humans
BBC News, 02 Nov '07 |