Gliding Mammals of the World
The name itself suggests that gliding refers to fly. But what about birds that glide , dont they have wings? Well, guessed right, because all birds have wings but the wings are not true wings. Instead, they use a membrane of skin, called a ( patagium ), stretched between their limbs, which helps them glide over long distances. This membrane acts like wings, enabling them to travel distances of up to 150 meters (almost 500 feet) in a single glide!
What are Gliding Mammals
Gliding mammals are a unique group of animals capable of gliding through the air using specialized skin flaps that act like wings. These mammals have developed various adaptations that allow them to move efficiently between trees, making them agile and well-suited to forested environments. Unlike birds or bats, gliding mammals do not have true wings.
The patagium is found in several types of gliding mammals, such as flying squirrels, sugar gliders, and colugos. This adaptation helps them move efficiently between trees in search of food, mates, and shelter, reducing the need to descend to the ground, where they might be more vulnerable to predators.
How Many Species of Gliding Mammals are there?
Approximately 60 species of mammals have evolved the ability to glide. These gliding mammals are spread across various groups, including:
- Flying Squirrels (family Sciuridae)
Yes , not squirrels that we find around our backyard. These are flying squirrels found mainly in North America, Europe, and Asia. Reports say there are around 50 species found. Found primarily in North America and Asia, these small rodents have a thin membrane stretching from their forelegs to their hind legs, allowing them to glide up to 300 feet. They use their tails to steer mid-air.
2 Sugar Gliders and Other Gliders (family Petauridae)
They are native to Australia and New Guinea, including species like sugar gliders, feathertail gliders, and greater gliders. Small, nocturnal marsupials native to Australia and New Guinea, sugar gliders have a patagium that allows them to glide to find food and avoid predators. They are popular as exotic pets due to their friendly nature and small size.
3 Colugos (order Dermoptera)
These species are native to Southeast Asia. They are known to be one of the most efficient gliders among mammals, traveling up to 150 meters in a single glide.
4 Gliding Possums
Leadbeater’s possum is a fascinating gliding mammal closely related to gliders, though it doesn’t glide itself. Instead, it is known for its remarkable agility as it leaps from branch to branch in the tree canopy.
Each group evolved gliding independently, showing that this ability has distinct evolutionary advantages for moving between trees efficiently and escaping ground-level predators.
The ability to glide helps these animals conserve energy, because flysing requires enery and fuel where as gliding is a form of locomotion that requires less energy than flying, also predators can be kept at bay! Access to food sources scattered across large forested areas makes the bird easy.