flying lemur

flying lemur, (family Cynocephalidae), either of the two species of primitive gliding mammals classified in the family Cynocephalidae and found only in Southeast Asia and on some of the Philippine Islands. Flying lemurs resemble large flying squirrels, as they are arboreal climbers and gliders that have webbed feet with claws. However, the form of the head and the animals’ nocturnal habit recall those of the lemurs—hence their name. The long limbs and the tail are connected by broad folds of skin, as in bats. When a flying lemur leaps from high in the trees, the limbs are outstretched, and the animal’s controlled glide can cover 70 metres (230 feet) while losing little altitude.

The Philippine flying lemur (Cynocephalus volans) inhabits several of the southerly islands in the Philippines, including Bohol, Samar, and Mindanao. The Malayan, or Sunda, colugo, also called Malayan, or Sunda, flying lemur (Galeopterus variegatus), ranges from Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia and southward along the Malay Peninsula to the islands of Sumatra, Borneo, and Java. Adults of both species can grow as large as 42 cm (16.5 inches) in body length, with a tail that extends an additional one-half to two-thirds of the body length, and they can weigh as much as 2 kg (4.4 pounds).

Flying lemurs were formerly classified as insectivores, but they differ from those and other mammals in several basic anatomical features, especially in the form of the brain and in the dentition. The teeth (34) are peculiar in that the lower incisors stick out in a comblike structure formed of enamel folds. The second upper incisors are similar to canine teeth and are double-rooted. Canines are absent in the upper jaw. Cheek teeth (premolars and molars) bear sharp cusps. The digestive tract exhibits specializations to a strict vegetarian diet. Although flying lemurs share some characteristics with certain bats (flying foxes of suborder Yinpterochiroptera), they are most closely related to the primates.

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The Philippine flying lemur and the Malayan colugo are listed as species of least concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources. Although both species have relatively healthy populations, ecologists have noted that habitat loss resulting from ongoing deforestation is the primary threat to each of these species, with hunting as a secondary concern.