Philippine Colugo

Description: Highly distinctive and easily identified from other gliding mammals which occur in the Philippines because of the gliding membranes that enclose the tail and are between the fingers. Its dentition is also distinctive — unlike any other mammal it (and the Malayan Colugo) has no teeth at the front of the upper jaw and the two lower front teeth that look like finely-toothed combs.

Distribution: Occurs on the southern Philippine islands including Basilan, Biliran, Bohol, Dinagat, Leyte, Maripipi, Mindanao, Samar, Siargao and Tongquil Islands. Common in primary and secondary forest, and in mixed forest and orchards, from sea level to 500 metres elevation, on small islands and up to approximately 1100 metres on Mindanao Island.

Reproduction: Limited observations suggest it breeds throughout the year, even while carrying young, with a peak between March and May. The female usually produces only one young, though there are records of two, after an estimated gestation period of 150 days (which strongly contrasts with that recorded for the Malayan Colugo) and are estimated to be weaned after some 200 days.

Diet: Primarily a folivore, it feeds on a wide variety leaves and buds (often from cultivated trees) but also on fruit. The main families and genera of its food plants include Rosaceae (Pygeum sp.), Burseraceae (Canarium sp.), Casuarinaceae (Casuarina equisetifolia), Dipterocarpaceae (Shorea sp.), Elaeocarpaceae (Elaeocarpus sp.), Phyllanthaceae (Breynia sp.), Fagaceae (Lithocarpus sp. and Castanopsis sp.), Lauraceae (Cinnamomum sp., Litsea sp., Neolitsea sp., Persea americana), Melastomataceae (Astrocalyx sp.), Moraeceae (Artocarpus heterophylla, Ficus sp.), Myrsinaceae (Discoralyx sp.), Myrtaceae (Syzigium sp. and Cleistocalyx sp.) and Sapotaceae (Chrysophyllum cainito, Palaquium sp.).

It appears to forage many times throughout the night for a short duration (3–14 minutes) in several trees of each species. The peak of foraging occurs just after sunset and a few hours before sunrise. The distance travelled during the night ranges from 1000 metres to over 1700 metres.

Ecology: During the day it rests by hanging upside down within dense foliage or on shaded portions of upper tree trunks of large trees where the mottled colouration of the fur camouflages it. It also nests within holes in trees such as the Lebbek Tree (Albizia lebbeck), Jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus), Adam’s Fig (Ficus adamii), White Beech (Gmelina arborea), Bogo (Korrdersiodendron pinnatum), Pygeum sp. and Sky Fruit (Swietenia macrophylla).

Its nesting hole ranges from 25 centimetres to 1 metre in diameter. Although the males tend to be quarrelsome, a number of individuals may utilise the same nest tree. Known predators of this species include the Philippine Eagle (Pithecophaga jefferyi).

Status: Least Concern. Despite widespread destruction of lowland forest, which makes them somewhat vulnerable, their ability to persist in disturbed forest has resulted in them being still widespread and common, with stable populations.