Logo: Gliding mammals of the world

The world’s gliding mammals are an extraordinary group of animals that have the ability to glide from tree to tree with seemingly effortless grace. There are more than 60 species of gliding mammals including the flying squirrels from Europe and North America, the scaly-tailed flying squirrels from central Africa and the gliding possums of Australia and New Guinea.

Bartel’s Flying Squirrel

Bartel’s Flying Squirrel / Hylopetes bartelsi
Hylopetes bartelsi

Order: Rodentia
Family: Sciuridae, Pteromyini

Description: The upper parts of this flying squirrel are brownish-buff, but with the broadly dull black base of its fur showing through everywhere except on its crown. Its patagium is almost entirely black, although the extreme edge is white. Its forefeet are brownish-buff, while its hind feet are much darker — near blackish-brown.

Its tail is brown, particoloured at the base in the manner of most small flying squirrels, the pale portion being creamy buff. The underside of the tail is pale cinnamon-rufous lightening to creamy buff at the base. Its underparts are creamy white, its cheeks are orange-buff, and a continuous black line runs over the point of its muzzle and encircles each eye.

Distribution: Known only from the type locality in Tjilondong, Mount Pangrango, western Java, Indonesia at an elevation of 900 metres.

Reproduction: Nothing is known.

Diet: Nothing is known.

Ecology: Almost nothing is known of the ecology of Bartel’s Flying Squirrel, except that one specimen was caught when an Altingia excelsa was felled, and another was caught during the making of a forest clearing.

Status: Data Deficient.

Bartel’s Flying Squirrel / Hylopetes bartelsi
Bartel’s Flying Squirrel
Hylopetes bartelsi
Distribution: Bartel’s Flying Squirrel
HB133–145 mm
TL119–130 mm
HFc. 28 mm
MNot known

Other species:


Southern Flying Squirrel / Glaucomys volans
Southern Flying Squirrel

Glaucomys volans

Particolored Flying Squirrel / Hylopetes alboniger
Particolored Flying Squirrel

Hylopetes alboniger

Palawan Flying Squirrel / Hylopetes nigripes
Palawan Flying Squirrel

Hylopetes nigripes

Random species

Sugar Glider / Petaurus breviceps

Sugar Glider
Petaurus breviceps

Bartel’s Flying Squirrel / Hylopetes bartelsi

Bartel’s Flying Squirrel
Hylopetes bartelsi

Japanese Flying Squirrel / Pteromys momonga

Japanese Flying Squirrel
Pteromys momonga


Gliding Mammals of the World provides, for the first time, a synthesis of all that is known about the biology of these intriguing mammals. It includes a brief description of each species, together with a distribution map and a beautiful full-color painting.

An introduction outlines the origins and biogeography of each group of gliding mammals and examines the incredible adaptations that allow them to launch themselves and glide from tree to tree.