The Flying Lemur

A much delayed posting for about two weeks. Me and SD went for a night spotting trip somewhere in the Central Catchment then.

Super keen eyed SD managed to spot an eye shine on a tree about 10 metres high. I was rather dismissive about it till we saw movement about the leaves where the eyes were. I was ecstatic as I thought that it was a slow loris; have never seen a wild one before. But it turned out to be a Flying Lemur or Colugo, Galeopterus variegatus.

These mammals are capable of gliding from tree to tree by spreading a flap of skin between the limbs and shoulders. Strictly arboreal, they are vegetarians and feed mainly on leaves. Hard to imagine a life like this for a carnivore like me.

Pictures taken by SD