OT: OT Sugar glider (was Re: OT: Stillbirth, naming stuff (Was Re: What? the clean-shaven outnumber the bearded?...)

Herman Miller wrote:
> As it happens, I visited a site not too long ago with Indonesian names of
> animals. Several names are listed for the sugar glider.
>
> (from http://users.bart.nl/~edcolijn/diproto.html)
>
> Petaurus breviceps
 (snips)
> Vernacular Name. : Oposum layang biasa; = O. flying common
Tikus kelapa; = mouse/rat coconut
Tupai; = just 'squirrel' in my dict.
Panuk naway, (not Indonesian nor Kai-- I'll keep an eye out as I work thru
my Kai dict.)
> Distribution.... : Bacan, Halmahera, Ternate, Gebe, Aru and Kai Islands,
>                    Adi, Misool, Salawati, Irian Jaya, Yapen and Numfoor.
> Ecology......... : 0-3000 m.
>
Thanks, very interesting.  I'd have to say, these apparently aren't well
known in Java/Bali/Sulawesi (where I've been).  No doubt their habitat, like
everyone else's, is being destroyed apace-- but sorry, I don't quite approve
of seeing them caged up for the rest of their short lives.

Can they actually glide (with flaps of skin like the so-called flying
squirrel), or are they just good jumpers???
A very possible addition to Cindu's fauna.

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