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.

Mindanao Flying Squirrel

Mindanao Flying Squirrel / Petinomys mindanensis
Petinomys mindanensis

Order: Rodentia
Family: Sciuridae, Pteromyini

Description: A larger glider, especially for the genus Petinomys, somewhat resembling the Basilan Flying Squirrel but much larger and darker, with a rounder non-flattened tail. Its upper parts are grizzled chestnut-brown, with many hairs tipped with blackish, especially along the middle of its back.

The sides of face and neck are buff-brown, with many hairs black or brownish-black at the tip, and slate-grey at the base. Its ears are very small, with brownish tips, the inner surface for the most part naked, except for a few fine hairs. The tips of its ears are naked on the outside at the top, but well furred towards the base.

There are three prominent long tufts of fur projecting from ear conch, one from below and one from each side, the anterior tuft tending to fuse imperceptibly with that below. It has a prominent, roughly crescent-shaped blackish collar, with long fur, slateblack at tips and slate-grey at base, with under-fur same as in surrounding regions extending from beyond its ears. The edge of its gliding membrane has a fringe of very fine dense fur. Its tail is somewhat flattened. Its upper and lower lips are blackish-brown, its cheeks are buff-brown, and its throat is buff.

Distribution: Occurs only on Dinagat, Siargao and Mindanao islands in the Philippines.

Reproduction: Nothing is known.

Diet: Nothing is known.

Ecology: Nothing is known.

Status: Least Concern.

Note: It has previously been considered to be the same species as the Basilan Flying Squirrel, however it now is recognised as a distinct species.

Mindanao Flying Squirrel / Petinomys mindanensis
Mindanao Flying Squirrel
Petinomys mindanensis
Distribution: Mindanao Flying Squirrel
HB330–370 mm
TL440–460 mm
HFc. 70 mm
Munknown

Other species:


Random species

Biak Glider / Petaurus biacensis

Biak Glider
Petaurus biacensis

Javanese Flying Squirrel / Iomys horsfieldi

Javanese Flying Squirrel
Iomys horsfieldi

Selangor Pygmy Flying Squirrel / Petaurillus kinlochii

Selangor Pygmy Flying Squirrel
Petaurillus kinlochii


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.