Borneo's aerial wildlife
The gliders of Borneo
Colugos, flying squirrels, snakes and lizards glide.
Borneo holds more gliding vertebrates than anywhere else on earth, driven by the immense height and isolation of its dipterocarp trees.
Habitat
The dipterocarp forest
Borneo's primary rainforest is highly stratified. A dense main canopy is punctuated by giant emergent trees. To cross from one to the next without descending to the dangerous forest floor animals must take to the air. Gliding does not save an animal energy but it does save a tremendous amount of time.
A colugo or flying squirrel can cross its vast home range in seconds. Because dipterocarps fruit heavily at unpredictable intervals of 2 to 10 years, food resources are scattered.
The Sunda colugo
The Sunda colugo possesses the most complete aerodynamic membrane of any mammal, stretching from its neck to its toes. It allows the animal to execute a 180-degree roll and settle into a horizontal glide.
Borneo's flying squirrels
Borneo is home to 14 species of flying squirrel, using a cartilaginous spur attached to the wrist. This gives giant flying squirrels exceptional agility and a high horizontal speed.
Canopy towers and trails
Alternatives
Other lodges and reserves
Borneo Rainforest Lodge
Situated on the Danum River inside a primary rainforest of a lineage some 130 million years old, this 31-chalet lodge offers high-end comfort and expert wildlife guiding 2.5 hours from Lahad Datu.
Tabin Wildlife Reserve
A 122,500-hectare lowland reserve bordered by oil palm, Tabin is Sabah’s premier destination for night drives. The sharp forest edge concentrates small cats and civets along the boundary roads.
Kinabatangan River
The Kinabatangan floodplain holds the highest concentration of wildlife in Borneo. This is where you go to track orangutans and proboscis monkeys from a boat.
Habitat
Plan your forest wildlife trip
Tell the travel team you are coming for the gliding animals. Send your dates and the team will arrange your time on the canopy walkways and night drives.