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.

Siberut Flying Squirrel

Siberut Flying Squirrel / Petinomys lugens
Petinomys lugens

Order: Rodentia
Family: Sciuridae, Pteromyini

Description: A medium-sized glider which is uniformly smoky brownish-black above and below. It is readily distinguished from all other flying squirrels except the Black Flying Squirrel.

Its fur is soft and thick and mainly composed of the woolly under-fur. It has warts bearing three or four stiffish bristles on each side of its cheeks, just below the eye. Its tail is broad, oval in cross-section and only indistinctly distichous.

Distribution: Occurs on the islands of Sipura and Northern Pagai Island, Mentawai Islands (west of Sumatra) Indonesia.

Reproduction: Nothing is known.

Diet: Nothing is known.

Ecology: Nothing is known.

Status: Endangered.

Note: This species was formerly included as a subspecies of Hagen’s Flying Squirrel.

Siberut Flying Squirrel / Petinomys lugens
Siberut Flying Squirrel
Petinomys lugens
Distribution: Siberut Flying Squirrel
HB230–285 mm
TL210–235 mm
HF41–45 mm
Mc. 433 g

Other species:


Whiskered Flying Squirrel / Petinomys genibarbis
Whiskered Flying Squirrel

Petinomys genibarbis

Mindanao Flying Squirrel / Petinomys mindanensis
Mindanao Flying Squirrel

Petinomys mindanensis

Random species

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.