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Kingdom: Animals

Woolly wings, Flying lemurs or kaguans

Woolly wings or kaguans (lat. Cynocephalus) - a genus of arboreal mammals of the monotypic family Dermopteridae, numbering only two species - the Philippine woolly wing or kaguan (Cynocephalus volans), living in the Philippine Islands, and the Malayan woolly wing (Cynocephalus variegatus), which can be found on various islands of Indonesian archipelago, including Sumatra, Java and Borneo, Thailand, and the Malay Peninsula.

Woolly wings, or as they are also called flying lemurs, are actually not lemurs at all, and they do not know how to fly. Their distinguishing feature- a large folding membrane (patagium) that starts from the neck of the animal and ends at the tip of the tail, connecting all the limbs. No other gliding mammal has such an extensive membrane.

The arms, legs and tail are long and thin. The paws are wide, with sharp, curved claws on all toes, which allow the animal to cling to trees and hang upside down from branches, as it does

Adult kaguans, the size of domestic cat, have a broad head, short rounded ears and big eyes that help them see in the dark. The lower incisors have turned into a kind of "tooth comb", which vaguely resembles the teeth of true lemurs. These animals weigh from 1 to 1.7 kg, have a body length of up to 42 cm, a tail of 11-27 cm.

Philippine flying lemurs are smaller than their Malay relatives, their fur is darker, and there are much fewer white spots on the fur coat. There is a wide variation in color and pattern of fur, which allows these animals to perfectly camouflage and blend into the bark of trees. The fur on the back of males has a brownish tint, while the back of females is painted in gray tones.

Wormwings are strictly arboreal and night image life. They never deliberately descend to the ground, as the hanging folds of skin prevent them from moving quickly and dexterously on vertical surfaces, rendering them virtually helpless.

Flying lemurs are quite skilled climbers. Hugging a tree trunk long paws with sharp claws, they rise up in short jerks. They move along branches and feed while hanging, clinging to branches with strong paws.

The wide membrane allows the animals to gracefully glide between trees, covering a distance of 100 m or more, with little loss in height. When a flying lemur needs to glide from one tree to another, it spreads its legs, creating the effect of a glider's wing.

Being nocturnal animals, woolly wings spend daylight hours in holes or voids in trees at a height of 25-50 m above the ground, but in coconut plantations they curl up into a ball or hang from a palm branch firmly hooked with all four paws. With the onset of dusk, flying lemurs climb to the top of the tree and from there begin to plan in search of food, covering a distance of about 1-1.5 km in one night.

Animals feed almost exclusively on young foliage, although they will not refuse fruit, buds, and flowers in addition to leaves. Like many other arboreal mammals, kaguans get their water supply from food or by licking wet leaves.

Little is known about social behavior flying lemurs. Several individuals can live in the same territory, but at night these animals always move alone. Friendly interactions have been observed between adults of opposite sexes and between adults and youth, but adult males sometimes show hostility towards each other.

Reproduction occurs throughout the year, regardless of the onset of the season. After 60 days of pregnancy, the female, as a rule, gives birth to one, rarely two cubs. Newborns are extremely helpless, the mother leaves the baby in the nest, or carries it with her, folding the tail in such a way that it looks like a bag. He spends about 6 months clinging to the belly of his mother, who moves and jumps through the trees with him. Kaguana reach maturity at the age of 3 years. The oldest flying lemur in captivity was kept for 17.5 years before it managed to escape. How long he was able to live then, of course, is not known.

Kaguanas are listed in the IUCN Red List as "Vulnerable Species" (vulnerable). They are considered pests of plantations, as these animals eat fruits, leaves and flowers. In a number of areas locals hunt flying lemurs for their sake tasty meat and soft fur. According to some reports, woolly wings make up almost 90% of the diet of the endangered Philippine monkey-eater, although it is not clear how the diurnal predator hunts down these secretive nocturnal animals.

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Woolly wings, flying lemurs, kaguans (lat. Dermoptera) is a detachment and family of arboreal mammals found in southeast Asia. There are only two species in the order.

On the ground, woolly wings move slowly. The most adapted to planning, but they cannot fly. When jumping maximum range planning up to 140 m.

A more perfect membrane that connects the neck, fingertips and tail helps the woolly wing to soar in the air, and, flying from tree to tree, the woolly wing looks like a small flying carpet.

Being much larger than most flying squirrels, this animal is still no larger than a cat.

Colleopterans feed on fruits, leaves, seeds, and nights. They feed, like other flying mammals, at night, and during the day they sleep off, hanging somewhere on a branch upside down, like bats.

The female winged wing bears only one cub. During the flight, the baby hangs on the mother's chest, tightly clinging to the fur.

The body length of the winged wing is 36-43 cm, weight up to 2 kg. The head is small, with large eyes, perfectly adapted for binocular vision. On the bare soles of the paws, there are flat areas that form suction discs.

The females have fur gray color, and in males - chocolate. Photos below, it looks like a male :)

In addition to the name “flying lemur”, this animal is called kaguan and woolly wing. Whether it belongs to lemurs or not, there is no consensus. In any case, he is very similar to the lemur. This funny animal lives in the Philippine Islands.

His wonderful property- the ability to fly due to the membrane. The membrane has a woolen cover, stretches from the chin to the fingertips and tail. No other flying animal can boast such an extensive membrane.

Having stretched the membrane-parachute, the kaguan is able to catch the ascending air currents. Flights from tree to tree are known for distances up to 70 meters.

On the ground, the animals move rather clumsily, it is not surprising that they descend from the trees only in extreme cases.

It feeds on leaves and fruits.

Females give birth to one baby, who lives with her mother until almost sexually mature, clings to her mother's belly during her soaring jumps.

The structure of the kaguan's teeth is interesting - long, slightly advanced, with their help it is easy not only to bite into the pulp of juicy fruits, but also to comb the fur like a comb.

• Order: Dermoptera Illiger, 1811 = Woolly wings, kaguans
• Family: Cynocephalidae = Woolly-winged
• Genus: Galeopterus Thomas, 1908\u003d Woolly wings (Sonda)
• Species: Galeopterus (=Cynocephalus) variegatus Audebert = Malayan or Sund winged wing(Photo by I.Polunin)

Species: Cynocephalus variegatus Audebert = Malayan or Sund winged

The Sunda flying lemur (Galeopterus spotted), also known as the Malayan flying lemur, is a species of colugo (see notes below on common name"flying lemur"). Until recently, it was believed that one of the two species of flying lemurs, the other is the Philippine flying lemur, which is found only in the Philippines. The Sunda flying lemur is found throughout Southeast Asia in Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore. The Sunda flying lemur is not a lemur and does not fly. Instead, he glides as he hops through the trees. It is strictly arboreal, active at night, and feeds on soft plant parts such as young leaves, shoots, flowers, and fruits. After a 60-day gestation period, one offspring is carried on the mother's abdomen, belonging to a large skin membrane. It is a woodland dependent species. The head body length of the Sunda flying lemur is about 34 to 38 cm (13 to 15 in). Its tail length is about 24 by 25 cm (9.4 to 9.8 in) and its weight is 0.9 to 1.3 kg (2.0 to 2.9 lb). The Sunda flying lemur is protected by national law. In addition to deforestation and habitat loss, local subsistence hunting poses a major threat to these animals. Competition with the squirrel psyllium (Callosciurus notatus) presents another challenge for this species. More information is needed on the population decline, but at present the rate of decline is thought to probably not be fast enough to call for non-minimal risk on the same list.

Classification and evolution of Sunda flying lemurs The two forms are morphologically indistinguishable from each other; large form occurs in the mainland of the Sunda Regiment region and the mainland of Southeast Asia, while the dwarf form occurs in central Laos and some other adjacent islands. The sample of Laos is smaller (about 20%) compared to other known mainland populations. Despite the large and dwarf forms, four subspecies are known: G. v. spotted (Java), G. v. temminckii (Sumatra), G. v. borneanus (Borneo), and G. v. peninsulas (peninsular Malaysia and mainland South -East Asia) incorporation into the genetic concept of species due to geographic isolation and genetic divergence. The latest molecular and morphological data provide evidence that on the mainland, Javan, Borneo, the Sunda flying lemur subspecies can be recognized as three certain types genus Galeopterus.

Behavior and ecology The Sunda flying lemur is a skilled climber but helpless when on the ground. Its sliding membrane connects from the neck, running along the limbs to the tips of the fingers, toes and nails. This skin shaped kite is known as the patagium, which is widened for gliding. The Sunda flying lemur can glide over a distance of 100 m with a loss of less than 10 m in height. It can maneuver and navigate while sliding, but heavy rains and the wind can affect its ability to glide. Sliding This usually occurs in open areas or high up in a canopy, especially in dense rainforest. The Sunda flying lemur needs a certain distance to glide and to the ground to avoid injury. The highest landings are experienced after short slips; more glides lead to a soft landing, thanks to the colugo's ability to slow down its gliding aerodynamically the ability to glides increases access to colugo's scattered food resources tropical forests, without increasing the impact on terrestrial and arboreal predators.

In general, the diet of the Sunda flying lemur consists mainly of leaves. It usually consumes leaves with less potassium and nitrogen compounds, but with higher tannin. It also feeds on buds, shoots, coconut flowers, durio flowers, fruits, and sap from selected tree species. It also feeds on insects in Sarawak, Malaysia's Borneo. selected power sources depends on settlements, habitat, vegetation types and accessibility. The Sunda flying lemur feeds mainly on the canopy of trees. He can feed on a few various kinds trees in one night, or per species. It may also be considered licking the bark of certain tree species to obtain water, nutrients, salts and minerals.

The distribution and habitat of the Sunda flying lemur is widespread in Southeast Asia, starting from the mainland of the Sunda Regiment to other islands - Northern Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia (Peninsula, Sabah and Sarawak), Singapore, Brunei, Indonesia (Kalimantan, Sumatra, Bali, Java), and many adjacent islands. On the other hand, the Philippine flying lemur (C. volans) is restricted to the southern part of the Philippines only. The Sunda flying lemur is adapted to many different types of vegetation, including orchards, primary and secondary forests, rubber and coconut plantations, orchards (Dusun), mangrove swamps, lowlands and mountain forests, plantations, lowland dipterocarp forests and mountainous areas. However, not all of these habitats can withstand large populations colugo.

John Upchurch

God created a unique mammal animal! It glides from tree to tree and doesn't even touch the ground. It's about about woolly wings - the best gliders in the world.

Perhaps, thinking of these inhabitants South-East Asia, you will imagine clumsy creatures. Well, at first glance, everything may look like that. When these funny animals are on the ground, they move and jump like clumsy chicks. Collywings climb a tree in such a way that, looking at them, one might think that this is a very laborious process for them. They slowly climb the bark, clinging to its cracks, and then quickly jump up on their tiny paws. You will most likely get bored watching them.

But as soon as these animals reach the crown of trees, the places where they spend most life, something amazing happens. These clumsy creatures turn into skilled aerodynamicists. In their ability to soar, they surpass all other mammals and once again confirm that our ingenious Creator knows how and with what to surprise us!

"Flying Lemur"

Because of their large eyes and small heads, they are nicknamed "flying lemurs", but this name does not suit them.

Firstly, they have nothing to do with fluffy lemurs, the inhabitants of Madagascar. The two species of these animals generally have little in common with lemurs or other primates. For example, instead of nails, they have claws, opposed thumb the arm is missing, and the size of the brain is much smaller in relation to the whole body.

Collywings are so different from all other mammals that it is generally difficult for evolutionists to determine which animals they belong to. At first, scientists thought they were bats(or even are their ancestors). Then they were considered primates. Now they are classified as Earwigs. Given their dissimilarity to other animals, creationists believe that winged wings are originally a unique "created kind."

Secondly, "flying lemurs" do not fly like birds. Instead of flapping their wings, they use gliding. In this, woolly wings are very similar to flying squirrels: if necessary, to overcome an open space, they spread their front and hind legs and soar from one tree to another. Woolly wings differ from flying squirrels in that they can cover a much greater distance in a jump. Some animals are able to soar for a distance up to 137 m. And this is nothing less than 1.5 football fields. Moreover, they lose only about 1 m of height for every 12 m of distance (which is very handy when predators are hiding nearby).

Built to fly

How do colewings manage to perform such complex aerial stunts? It's all about swings. Each colewing has a large dermal sheath covering almost the entire body. This membrane, or patagium, fills almost every gap. It stretches from the shoulder blades to the front paws, further from the outermost toe on the front paw to the toes of the hind paws, and then from the hind paws to the tail. When the patagium is straightened, the animal looks like a kite flying through the sky.

As great as planning is, it's worthless without a good landing. In this, woolly wings are also masters. Before landing on the ground, they sharply reduce their gliding speed, leveling their strokes, and then distribute the landing force with the help of paws and sharp claws.

What's more, these rainforest acrobats don't perform their amazing stunts during the day. During the daytime, they hide from eagles and other hungry predators, and move and feed at night. By the way, in search of food, they manage to “fly” more than 3 km per night. That's a lot for an animal the size of a squirrel.

Like many other nocturnal animals, the winged wings have large eyes. They help them see better at night and give them excellent stereoscopic (3D) vision, which is very important for their long flights. With the advent of the day, they do not descend to the ground - because there they are very clumsy and clumsy. Instead, they hide in leaves, tree hollows, or even hang upside down from branches, ready to jump off and “fly away” at any moment.

life from above

Since the winged wings spend their whole lives in the crown of the tropical forest, God did everything to make life easier for these creatures. As their habitation suggests, coleopterans mainly feed on leaves, although sometimes they can feast on flowers, fruits, buds, sprouts, and even tree sap.

These animals have unusual front teeth - they look like a comb with about 20 sharp teeth (like a fork). With their help, they grab and tear the leaves. Scientists are not entirely sure what the meaning of such a unique design is.

In all other respects, the teeth of woolly wings are no different from the teeth of many other herbivores. Such unusual combination says that sharp teeth does not always mean that the animal eats meat. Many herbivores have sharp teeth, and even the most feared carnivores fed only on plants before the fall, regardless of the size of their fangs ( Genesis 1:30).

Coloswings have a very strong stomach and long intestines, ideal for getting as much nutrition as possible from plant foods. As for water, its main source is food and rain. At the same time, they do not need to descend to the land that is unsafe for them and look for a source.

These animals know well how to sing lullabies to their babies so that they sleep peacefully and do not fall out of the nest. Female winged wingers have everything they need to protect their babies. They usually have one baby at a time. Pregnancy lasts only 60 days. Woolly wings are born absolutely defenseless and weigh about 30 g - about the same as newborn kangaroos. While this may seem like a problem for tree dwellers, females have a unique system to protect and keep their babies warm. By twisting their tail, they form a safe patagium pouch around the baby.

The babies stay in the pouch until they stop feeding from their mother (scientists don't know how long this lasts). When the mother soars in the air in search of food, the cub clings tightly to her with its sharp claws.

Rare guests

The nocturnal coleoptera creates a lot of problems for scientists - after all, animals rarely descend to the ground, which means that it is difficult to observe them. Equally difficult is learning their planning techniques, and catching them is a backbreaking job. We don't even know how long they live. The life of these creatures is shrouded in mystery.

But even what little we know about these high-flying acrobats shows that our Creator made it possible for life to exist in the most unusual conditions. Dwelling in the rainforest canopy seems difficult and inconvenient for us, but for woolly wings, life in leafy world runs very smoothly.

Other gliders

Photos: (1) Joe McDonald | Visuals Unlimited; (2) Stephen Dalton | Naturepl.com; (3) Alex Wilde | AlexanderWild.com; (4) Tim Hester/Thinkstockphotos.com; (5) Stephen Dalton | naturepl.com

1. marsupial flying squirrel: These cute tiny marsupials go out at night and are found in the forests of Australia. A special membrane extends from the wrist to the ankle, allowing them to glide. But you can only see it when the animal is in the air.
2. copepod frog: There are species of frogs that spend their entire lives in trees. In order to descend to the lower branches, they place membranes on their fingers. This amazing feature has more than 3400 species.
3. gliding ants: Some species of ants live in rainforests and can control their descent with flattened body parts. If they fall, they may land on the trunk of the tree they call home.
4. Decorated tree snakes: Some species of snakes living in the trees of Asia are able to flatten their body into a single-winged glider. The snake clings to the end of the branch, stretches out, finds its target and rushes into the sky. With a whip-like movement, she can control flight and even change its direction.
5. Volatile: "" - this is the name of the genus of lizards called Draco. These forest dwellers they can spread the membrane between their fingers and glide in the air up to 60 m in search of insects.

John Upchurch is the editor of Jesus.org and the answer writer for the Genesis Answers website. He graduated summa cum laude from the University of Tennessee with a bachelor's degree in English language studies.