In the Facebook group: All about Thailand snakes, a member named Pang Pangrew posted a photo of a very strange creature he spotted in a rubber plantation in Krabi Province, Thailand (see the image below).
This creature has a bird-like head with a sharp beak.
Immediately, his post received hundreds of comments. The creature has a head resembling that of a bird with a sharp beak. However, this mysterious creature has two front limbs clinging to a tree instead of wings, making it even more peculiar.
So, what kind of animal is this?
It turns out that this mysterious creature is a Sunda flying lemur (scientific name: Galeopterus variegatus), also known by other names such as Malayan flying lemur or colugo. This species is found throughout Southeast Asia.
Sunda flying lemur. (Photo: Thành Luân).
Countries such as Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Cambodia, Vietnam, and Singapore are home to this species of lemur. Although it is called a flying lemur, this species actually cannot fly.
Their mode of movement is gliding from tree to tree. They are primarily nocturnal and their favorite foods include soft vegetation such as young leaves, buds, flowers, and fruits. An adult individual measures about 34 – 38 cm in body length, with a tail approximately 24 – 25 cm long, weighing between 0.9 – 1.3 kg.
The Sunda flying lemur is protected by the laws of many countries due to its population being severely threatened by habitat loss (flying lemurs are forest-dependent animals).
