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.

Order: Diprotodontia

Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Infraclass:	Marsupialia
Superorder:	Australidelphia
Order:	Diprotodontia

The Diprotodontia are an order of about 125 species of marsupial mammals including the kangaroos, wallabies, possums, koala, wombats, and many others. Extinct diprotodonts include the rhinoceros-sized Diprotodon, and Thylacoleo, the so-called “marsupial lion”.

Species:

Feathertail Glider

Acrobates pygmaeus

Northern Glider

Petaurus abidi

Yellow-bellied Glider

Petaurus australis

Biak Glider

Petaurus biacensis

Sugar Glider

Petaurus breviceps

Mahogany Glider

Petaurus gracilis

Squirrel Glider

Petaurus norfolcensis

Greater Glider

Petauroides volans

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Random species

North Chinese Flying Squirrel
Aeretes melanopterus

Palawan Flying Squirrel
Hylopetes nigripes

Red Giant Flying Squirrel
Petaurista petaurista

Complex-toothed Flying Squirrel
Trogopterus xanthipes

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.