Colugo / Sugar Glider / Flying Squirrel ~ Links

A mother colugo glides silently through the tropical rainforest canopy in the dark while her tiny baby clings tightly to her tummy, dangling underneath. Help! It is a very good thing that colugos were specially designed by a Creator who knew exactly what He was doing. Otherwise poor Baby Colugo would end up far below on the rainforest floor somewhere along the way in a very undignified heap. Ouch! If you’ve never heard of this fascinating furry flying mammal with the outstretched hang glider coat that can glide over the length of a football field, you’re in for a treat. This post will also include sugar gliders and flying squirrels. Although they are different animals, they have similar ‘outstretched coat’ flying mechanisms.

COLUGO / SUGAR GLIDER / FLYING SQUIRREL ~ INFORMATION FOR KIDS ~ FREE PRINTABLE

Colugo ~ FREE article for kids (Paper Gifts for Estefany) giving glory to God as Creator; also available in French; free printable

DOWNLOAD English | French

Laminate / Print an extra copy for a friend / Other Languages
Laminate articles for your homeschool students to keep them looking nice. Print an extra copy for a friend. For children who are NOT English or French speaking, this article can still be sent to your sponsored child, but you may like to make sure to include all relevant text in your letter so that it gets translated. Add a short note and some hugs and kisses and that’s an extra letter done! If you would like to do this for your child, you are welcome to ‘copy and paste’ any of my text at the end of this post.

Colugo – soaring above expectations (answersingenesis) God designed a unique mammal that can glide from tree to tree without ever touching the ground. In fact, colugos are the best gliders in the world; from scientists who take the Bible seriously

Colugo – fun facts for kids (answersingenesis; scroll down) from scientists who take the Bible seriously; When you think of animals that can glide gracefully from tree to tree, you probably think of birds. But would you believe that a mammal the size of your arm can make the leap with the same grace?

Colugo (creation.com) As in other gliding mammals, a thin gliding membrane or patagium extends from the colugo’s body to the limbs… They are the only members of the “obscure and tiny” order Dermoptera—‘skin-wings’; from scientists who take the Bible seriously; this article is also available in Indonesian.

Being Different – a family devotional (answersingenesis) Being different can be a wonderful thing. God designed all sorts of animals to fill every corner of the earth. Some of them can seem pretty strange to us. The super-gliding colugo, the tree-climbing coconut crab, the egg-laying echidna—that’s an odd collection of creatures. They definitely stand out! And God has called Christians to be “special” and stand out, too.

Flying Squirrels (creation.com) Walking along a leafy forest trail, my students and I paused to look up at a particularly large tree. What happened next left the kids in awe. A little bug-eyed southern flying squirrel (Glaucomys volans) peered out from one of the cavities and proceeded to climb to the top of the tree. With one mighty push of his legs he launched himself into space. Gliding through the air he soared approximately 10 m (33 ft), using his tail as a rudder, twisting and turning to maneuver around branches. Fleshy foot pads cushioned his impact and sharp claws allowed him to cling to the tree. And, just as suddenly as he appeared, he was gone… Everything about squirrels—their origin, their abilities in the tree tops and on the ground, their capacity to occupy places of extreme heat and cold—speak of creation; from scientists who take the Bible seriously

Meet Gabriel the Sugar Glider (answersingenesis; scroll down to the end of the page) We’ve also had some fun with enrichment at the Ark Encounter. Gabriel the sugar glider (too cute!) celebrated his third birthday, so zoo staff threw him a pint-sized party with a tiny cake and tiny decorations!

Sugar Glider (answersingenesis; scroll down to ‘Terrestrial and Arboreal Mammal Pollinators’) The sugar glider (Petaurus breviceps) is a small gliding marsupial from Australia. These mammals leap from tree branches and glide much like the North American flying squirrels. There are seven species of sugar gliders that live in trees and eat insects small vertebrates and eucalyptus sap. The yellow-bellied glider, Petaurus australis, feeds on the nectar of Banksia and Eucalyptus.

Similar yet Different… Common Designer (answersingenesis) The world is full of similar designs in unrelated creatures… examine three very distinct but very similar flying mammals. If you live in the United States, perhaps you’ve seen a quick little rodent that can take a leap from one tree, spread out the flaps that connect from wrist to ankle, and glide to the next tree. But you don’t have to be in North America to see a mammal like that. In Australia, sugar gliders (a marsupial) soar in a similar fashion and even have surprisingly similar physical features. Up in Asia, the unrelated colugos (or flying lemurs) make use of similar skin-stretching aerodynamics and body plan to survive in the rain forest. Such a solution found in three distinct mammals really gives flight to the idea that a master Creator came up with some creatively unique solutions… Designed similarity extends to the very environments where these animals live. Whether it’s plains, deserts, shorelines, or woodlands, the characteristics of the area (hot, grassy, rocky, etc.) echo across continents… That’s big thinking from a big God at work.

Marsupial Fingerprints (answersingenesis) see what a sugar glider’s fingerprint looks like. The sugar glider’s fingerprints have unique patterns and friction ridge skin to help this small marsupial navigate its arboreal environment… sugar gliders are social squirrel-sized creatures that are mostly nocturnal and known for gliding through the air. They can glide a distance nearly equal to the width of a football field. With friction ridge skin and five toes on each foot, including an opposable toe on their hind feet, they are able to navigate their arboreal environment.

Many creatures show similar features (creation.com; scroll down) because their Creator used similar structures for similar purposes… Sugar gliders look similar to flying squirrels.

Sugar Glider (askjohnmackay) The Australian sugar glider is a small tree-dwelling mammal, so named because likes to eat nectar and other sweet plant fluids, along with pollen and flowers. It has gliding membranes extending from its wrists to its ankles, and can glide for distances up to 90 metres. This is impressive for a creature that is only about 17cm (7in) long… it is a marsupial…

COLUGO / SUGAR GLIDER / FLYING SQUIRREL ~ COLOURING / PUZZLES FOR KIDS ~ FREE PRINTABLE

Colugo/Flying Lemur – colouring (colouringpages; scroll down to ‘flying lemur’) free printable

Flying Squirrels – colouring pages (supercoloring); Sugar Glider – colouring pages; free printable

Flying Squirrel – colouring (Dover sample)

Colugo – colouring (education.com) members only

There seems to be not many colouring pages that I can find, so don’t forget to jazz them up. Do you like doodling? Why not make your own colugo colouring page? Or turn a colugo photo into a colouring page with this easy tutorial.

Flying Squirrel – writing template (museprintables) free printable

Colugo – dot to dot puzzle for kids (education.com) members only

Make your own puzzles using the FREE Colugo article for kids (above) for your clues and answers.

COLUGO / SUGAR GLIDER / FLYING SQUIRREL ~ CRAFTS / ACTIVITIES FOR KIDS ~ FREE PRINTABLE

Sugar Glider – 3D paper craft (canon) free printable

Flying Squirrel – silhouette template (silhouettegarden) to cut out and use for crafts; free printable

Sugar Glider – learn to draw (drawingtutorials101) free printable

Sugar Glider – learn to draw (how2drawanimals) step by step; free printable

COLUGO / SUGAR GLIDER / FLYING SQUIRREL ~ PAPER GIFTS FOR KIDS ~ FREE PRINTABLE

Colugo – FREE Bible bookmark for kids (Paper Gifts for Estefany) a mother colugo carries her baby; featuring Bible verse from Isaiah 46:3-4 – Since the day you were born, I have carried you. I will still be the same when you are old and grey, and I will take care of you. I created you. I will carry you and always keep you safe, and the words, God will take care of you; on a fleuro green, yellow and pink background; free printable

COLUGO / SUGAR GLIDER / FLYING SQUIRREL ~ IMAGES

MAKE YOUR OWN:

Add a Bible verse to your favourite colugo image and make your own:
Bible poster or verse card
Bible bookmark – add your child’s name
Bible note cards
Bible wallet cards
Bible stickers
Stationery
Jazz up your envelopes if you can find(!) any special treats like stickers to put in them.

COLUGO / SUGAR GLIDER / FLYING SQUIRREL ~ STATIONERY FOR KIDS ~ FREE PRINTABLE

Colugo – FREE stationery | note cards (Paper Gifts for Estefany) a mother colugo carries her baby; featuring Bible verse from Isaiah 46:3-4 – Since the day you were born, I have carried you. I will still be the same when you are old and grey, and I will take care of you. I created you. I will carry you and always keep you safe; and the words, God will take care of you; on a fleuro green, yellow and pink background; free printable

RELATED LINKS

Forest Animals

COLUGO ~ ARTICLE TEXT

A mother colugo glides silently through the tropical rainforest canopy in the dark, while her tiny baby clings tightly to her tummy, dangling underneath! Help!

But it’s ok. Mum gently lands safely onto a tree trunk. She lands on all fours to spread the impact and protect her baby. She imbeds her needle-sharp curved claws securely into the trunk, and grips it tightly. All this happens in one very smooth movement. Then she tucks her tail up into a blanket or hammock to keep her baby snug and warm again. Maybe they might even have a little snooze together. Baby Colugo is only 35g (1.2oz) when born. It will cling precariously to Mum’s tummy as she flies, until they are about 6 months old. It is a very good thing that colugos were specially designed by a Creator who knew exactly what He was doing. Otherwise poor Baby Colugo would have ended up far below on the rainforest floor somewhere along the way, in a very undignified heap! Ouch!

This shy mammal lives in Southeast Asia. It eats flowers, young leaves and fruit. Mrs Colugo’s ‘skin-wing’ is called a patagium. It’s a thin membrane attached to her body and reaches all the way to the tips of her webbed fingers, toes and tail. Her large wingspan (70 cm or 27 inches) covers her baby like an outstretched coat. Colugos are superb gliders. They can glide longer than a football field and make 90-degree turns. They can slow down their gliding speed by 60% to control their take-off and landing. If anything gets in their way, they simply fold up their wings, glide smoothly past, then open them out again. Their long, soft, luxurious fur gives them a smooth glide. They reach maturity when they are about 2 or 3 years old. Colugos have very unusual teeth for a mammal. Two of their lower teeth have up to 20 tines or notches each, just like tiny hair combs.

Scientists have watched colugos gliding up to 29 times a night, travelling over 3km (2 miles). They can glide for 15 seconds at a time, over 150m (490 feet). They are studying how they glide so effortlessly, to improve the design of hang gliders and micro air vehicles. But whatever they come up with and no matter how clever it is, it will never be as good as one of God’s original designs. However, many people have been persuaded to believe that this exquisite design happened all by itself over millions of years. But, just like hang gliders, everything had to be there—AND working properly from the very first colugo, otherwise… SMACK! No more colugos.

Did you know that the very oldest colugo fossil looks just like a colugo we might see today! And God created every kind of creature to reproduce after its own KIND, so when a colugo has a baby, it is not a cow or a goat. It is a baby colugo. Isn’t God, the Master Designer, clever to think up so many astonishing and fabulous designs? You can read all about it in your Bible in Genesis 1. God made everything in the very first week of history when the world was made, to put in His ‘living art gallery’. God created so many wonderful things for us to care for and enjoy. Things that are beautiful…. intricate… mysterious… perfect. To teach us about Him. To show us how magnificent, wise and powerful He is. So that we will worship Him. Jesus! God the Creator!

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INFORMATION

Information from creation.com ~ a fabulous site with lots of scientific information from a Biblical perspective. Written by Ph.D. scientists (previously evolutionists) who believe that God says what He means and means what He says. Got questions about God? This is where you will find real answers. Like me, they are all about reinforcing the authority of Scripture and giving glory to God as designer. We CAN and MUST take God’s Word seriously.

THANK YOU / MERCI BEAUCOUP!

A very big thank you to D. Walther for very kindly providing the translation of this article for us on behalf of all our French speaking children.

And when you write to your sponsored child, don’t forget to tell them who created these amazing animals…

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