Creature Feature #120: Colugo

The Colugo is also known as the "flying lemur" which is something of a misnomer for she is not a lemur and she does not fly. She is in fact the most sophisticated gliding mammal, with her patagium (flying membrane) extending further than that of other gliding mammals. She can glide for up to 70m without losing height. She is not, however, a very capable climbing. Her lack of opposable thumbs and relatively weak limbs mean she must claw her way along the bark in a series of short hops. She is fairly large - about 40cm in length - and mostly solitary. Her baby is born after only 60 days gestation as a tiny, undeveloped infant which clings to her belly. To protect him, she curls her tail up to form a rudimentary pouch with her patagium. He grows slowly and will not be fully mature until he is two-three years old.