鼯猴

科学家在六只飞鼯猴背上安装了加速度计。

The scientists placed accelerometers onto the backs of six compliant colugos .

鼯猴的趾间甚至都有膜。

Colugosare even webbed between their toes .

数据报显示每只飞鼯猴平均一个夜里要滑翔1/4英里。

The data packs revealed that each colugo glided an average of a quarter-mile each night .

鼯猴并不是狐猴，但鼯猴科的四个物种是灵长类动物最近的亲戚。

The flying lemur is not alemur , but the four species of Cynocephalidae are the closes trelated family to primates .

因此研究人员用飞鼯猴——一种来自东南亚的哺乳动物，当它们滑行时会伸展出四肢，变成一张巨大的翼膜。

So researchers tested that idea using colugos - mammals from Southeast Asia that turn into giant skin sails when they stretch out their legs .

这是因为飞鼯猴在准备滑行之前要爬上高高的树，并且爬行比行走更耗体力。

That 's because colugos prepare for a launch by climbing higher up the tree . And climbing 's a lot more strenuous than walking .

鼯猴利用它们的翼膜在树之间滑翔，该翼膜是它们前后肢之间并一直延伸到尾部和颈部的片状悬垂物。

Colugos glidebetween trees using their patagium , or flaps of skin between their front and hind legs and extending to the tail and the neck .