Flying mouse

Flying mouse
Pygmy scaly-tailed flying squirrel
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Rodentia
Family: Anomaluridae
Genus: Idiurus
Matschie, 1894
Type species
Idiurus zenkeri
Matschie, 1894
Species

Idiurus macrotis
Idiurus zenkeri

Anomaluridae distribution. Anomalurus in red, Idiurus in blue, Zenkerella (I. zenkeri) in purple.

The flying mice, also known as the pygmy scaly-tails, pygmy scaly-tailed flying squirrels, or pygmy anomalures are not true mice, not true squirrels, and are not capable of true flight. These unusual rodents are essentially miniaturized versions of anomalures and are part of the same sub-Saharan African radiation of gliding mammal.

Characteristics

These animals resemble mice with gliding membranes and long, sparsely-haired tails. Their appearance is similar to some marsupial gliders. They are less than 10 cm (4 inches) in head and body length and weigh 14-35 grams (1/2 - 1.2 oz). They have a morphologically specialized tongue.

Flying mice are nocturnal and are found in the poorly explored tropical forests of central (and to a lesser extent western) Africa. Little is known of their habits as a result. Gerald Durrell has attested that one or both species live in colonies of dozens of individuals. Bats may also be found sharing these tree-hollow colonies.

Species

See also

References

  1. ↑ Fabre, Pierre-Henri; Tilak, Marie-Ka; Denys, Christiane; Gaubert, Philippe; Nicolas, Violaine; Douzery, Emmanuel J. P.; Marivaux, Laurent (July 2018). "Flightless scaly-tailed squirrels never learned how to fly: A reappraisal of Anomaluridae phylogeny". Zoologica Scripta. 47 (4): 404–417. doi:10.1111/zsc.12286.
  2. ↑ Potapova, E. G. (December 2018). "The Tongue Structure in Scaly-Tailed Squirrels (Rodentia, Anomaluridae)". Biology Bulletin. 45 (8): 865–871. doi:10.1134/S1062359018080137.

Further reading