flying lemur

American  

noun

1. either of two lemurlike mammals, Cynocephalus variegatus, of southeastern Asia and the East Indies, or C. volans, of the Philippines, having broad folds of skin on both sides of the body to aid in gliding from tree to tree: now rare.

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flying lemur British  

noun

1. Also called: colugo.  either of the two arboreal mammals of the genus Cynocephalus , family Cynocephalidae , and order Dermoptera , of S and SE Asia. They resemble lemurs but have a fold of skin between the limbs enabling movement by gliding leaps

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Etymology

Origin of flying lemur

First recorded in 1880–85

Example Sentences

A flying lemur from the Pelews contemplated swooping upon the head of a huge tigress which glared with glassy eyes across the place at the snarling muzzle of a polar bear.

From Fire-Tongue by Rohmer, Sax

Now look at the Galeopithecus or so-called flying lemur, which was formerly ranked among bats, but is now believed to belong to the Insectivora.

From The Origin of Species by means of Natural Selection, 6th Edition by Darwin, Charles

The flying lemur continued apparently to contemplate the idea of swooping upon the head of the tigress where she crouched upon her near-by pedestal.

From Fire-Tongue by Rohmer, Sax

He one day killed what he took to be a large bat, but on showing it to the doctor, he was highly delighted to find that it was in reality a flying lemur.

From The South Sea Whaler by Groome, William H. C.

Mr Hooker at once recognised it as a flying lemur, the learned name for which is Galeo-pithecus.

From In the Eastern Seas by Kingston, William Henry Giles