Order Dermoptera

colugos

There are only two species found in one family in this order, the Malayan flying lemur and the Philippine flying lemur. They are found in rainforests in southeastern Asia.

Colugos are about the size of a house cat. They have large round eyes; small, rounded ears; short, pointed snouts; and gray to brown fur with white spots. They have a membrane of skin that runs from their front paws down their sides to their rear limbs. They use this membrane to glide from tree to tree. They are nocturnal and live in trees.

Colugos are herbivores. They eat leaves, shoots, and fruit. Females give birth to a single baby. The baby clings to its mother's stomach as she moves from tree to tree. Colugos are also called flying lemurs, but they are not related to lemurs.