Taneak Jang, Rejang land, Tanah Rejang: Malayan flying lemur

Tupai Terbang
Cynocephalus variegatus

In bahasa, commonly call as Tupai terbang, meaning flying squirrel in english. And know with Malayan flying lemur. However, there are not closely related to the true lemur, which are found with widespread throughout Southeast Asia, in particular from Indochina to Java, and Borneo. Till today the Tupai Terbang some time still can find at rejang land area such as Rimbo Pengadang, Kaba Mountain,etc, and of course in Kerinci Seblat National Park or other tropical forest in Sumatra island, but the population progress to decreasing, illegal logging is one cause. :(

With baby in abdominal site (Photograph by K. W. Chan)

Status: Vulnerable.

Flying lemurs are classified in the order Dermoptera, from the Greek words derma, meaning "skin", and the ptera, meaning "wing", thus "skin-wing". These creatures have membranes that connect their legs and tail, enable them to glide from one tree to the other. There are 2 species of colugo in the world; the Malayan Flying Lemur and the Philippine Flying Lemur. It is reported that there are approximately 1500 Malayan Flying Lemurs in Singapore.

Size: About 70cm

With baby (Photograph by Norman Lim)

Diet: Mainly leaves, young shoots, flower buds and sap. And in direct food competition with gibbons

Activity: Arboreal, largely nocturnal. It is usually seen perching against a tree trunk with its head pointing upwards. When disturbed, the Colugo has two defensive reactions: It wil either freeze and hope not to get noticed or scramble up the trunk higher into the tree.

It can glide from tree to tree in a steady controlled manner, landing with the head up neatly and precisely.

Habitat: Forests. Adapts quite well to disturbed forset edges and coastal plantations. . This species has a wide distribution in Southeast Asia.