Despite its name, it is not a lemur at all but belongs to its own unique family, the Cynocephalidae.

This remarkable creature is known for its distinctive appearance, with a brownish or mottled greyish fur on its upper side and a paler shade on its underside. Its small head is characterized by large eyes, small ears, and a blunt snout, which together contribute to its unique facial features.

One of the most remarkable adaptations of the Sunda flying lemur is its patagium, a fully furred membrane that stretches from its forelimbs to its tail. This membrane allows the flying lemur to glide effortlessly through the forest canopy, covering distances of over 100 meters with an elevation loss of less than 10 meters. Despite its name, the Sunda flying lemur does not possess the ability to fly but rather utilizes its patagium to glide gracefully from tree to tree, making it an expert in aerial locomotion.

While the Sunda flying lemur is primarily arboreal and spends the majority of its time in the trees, it is relatively helpless on the ground. Its specialized anatomy, including long claws and grasping hands and feet, is well-suited for climbing and maneuvering through the forest canopy.

In terms of diet, the Sunda flying lemur is an herbivore, feeding primarily on a variety of plant matter, including flowers, nectar, fruits, buds, young leaves, and sap. Its specialized dentition and digestive system are adapted for processing plant material, allowing it to extract nutrients efficiently from its vegetarian diet.

Distribution

Country

Population est.

Status

Year

Comments

Brunei

2008

Cambodia

2008

Indonesia

2008

Laos

2008

Malaysia

2008

Myanmar

2008

Singapore

2008

Thailand

2008

Vietnam

2008