A small tree-dwelling mammal with a membrane of skin stretched between its limbs that allows it to glide from tree to tree, found in Southeast Asia.
From Tagalog 'kolugo,' the native Filipino name for this animal. The word entered English scientific nomenclature in the 19th century when naturalists documented these mammals. The Tagalog origin reflects the animal's geographical distribution in Southeast Asia.
The colugo is often called a 'flying lemur' but it's neither a true flier nor closely related to lemurs—it's actually so unique that scientists have trouble deciding what its nearest living relatives are, making it a living mystery of mammal evolution.
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