Definition

Noun: A colugo is a small, tree-dwelling mammal found in Southeast Asia and the Philippines. It is active at night and has a unique body structure, featuring large folds of skin stretching from its neck to the tips of its fingers, toes, and tail. This skin membrane allows it to glide long distances between trees. It is not a lemur but shares some superficial similarities with them.

Examples

• The colugo, often called a flying lemur, is an expert glider but cannot truly fly.
• Researchers observed a colugo using its patagium, or gliding membrane, to travel over 100 meters between forest trees.
• The primary diet of the colugo consists of leaves, shoots, flowers, and sap.

Advanced Usage

• In scientific context: The colugo belongs to the order Dermoptera, which means "skin wings," a direct reference to its gliding membrane.
  • The two extant species of colugo are the Sunda flying lemur and the Philippine flying lemur.
• In conservation discourse: Colugos are discussed as indicator species for forest health due to their specific habitat requirements.
  • Deforestation poses a significant threat to the colugo's survival.

Variants and Related Words

• Flying lemur (n): A common name for the colugo, though it is not a true lemur. This term is often used in non-scientific contexts.
• Dermopteran (n): A member of the order Dermoptera, which includes colugos.
• Patagium (n): The technical term for the stretchy membrane used for gliding, present in colugos, flying squirrels, and some other animals.

Synonyms

• Gliding mammal: A general descriptive term.
• Cynocephalus (n): An older genus name sometimes used to refer to colugos.

Notes on Meaning

The colugo is often mistakenly called a "flying lemur." It is crucial to note that it is not a lemur (which are primates from Madagascar) and it does not fly with powered flight like a bat or bird. Its locomotion is strictly gliding. Its closest evolutionary relatives are primates and tree shrews.

Noun

1. arboreal nocturnal mammal of southeast Asia and the Philippines resembling a lemur and having a fold of skin on each side from neck to tail that is used for long gliding leaps