The Sunda flying lemur or Malayan colugo
The Sunda flying lemur
Sunda flying lemur (Galeopterus variegatus)
Malayan colugo
Common name: Sunda flying lemur, Malayan flying lemur, Sunda Colugo or Malayan colugo
Species: Colugo
Scientific name: Galeopterus variegatus
The Sunda flying lemur
Distribution: The Sunda flying lemur is found throughout South-East Asia in Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore.
Similar Species: Till now, only two species of flying lemurs are discovered. The other being the Philippine flying lemur which is found only in the Philippines.
Kingdom, Class and Family: Animal, Mammal, Cynocephalidae
A Sunda flying lemur hangs from a tree branch by holding on with its arms and legs as he enjoys a rest. It uses its body like a hammock and relaxes by resting its head on the edge of its back. The bat-like creature – pictured snoozing in Sekura in Indonesia – slept for 15 minutes before it woke up to manoeuvre along the branch. Picture: Hendy MP/Solent News
Description: The Sunda flying lemur, also known as the Malayan flying lemur, is a species of colugo. Its a small size of species, head-body length of Sunda flying lemur is about 33 to 42 cm. Its tail length measures 18 to 27 cm and weight upto 0.8 to 1.4 Kg. The Sunda flying lemur is a skillful climber on trees only not no the ground.
Habit and habitat: Though the name sounds like flying lemur, its not a lemur and does not fly. Instead, it glides as it leaps among trees. It is strictly arboreal, is active at night, and feeds on soft plant parts like new born leaves, shoots, flowers, and fruits. It is a forest dependent species not domestic.
Sunda Colugo
Importance: Sunda Colugo is protected by National Legislation. In addition to deforestation and loss of habitat, local subsistence hunting poses a serious threat to this mammal. Competition with the plantain squirrel represents another challenge for this amazing species.
