SPECIES SPOTLIGHT

The wonderful world of exotic pets

Pygmy Flying Mouse (Acrobates pygmaeus)

Australia’s East coast is home to some truly remarkable marsupials. However, the pygmy flying mouse (Acrobates pygmaeus) or ‘feathertail glider’ takes the title for most adorable.

This tiny gliding possum weighs less than 13 grams, with a body length of just 80mm. In fact, this mini marsupial is so small that it has significant trouble keeping warm. Because of this, the pygmy flying mouse can enter a state called torpor which slows the animals breathing, often leaving them totally unresponsive for a short while.

Also known as the feathertail glider, this species gets its name from the feather-like structure of the stiff hairs on its tail. This is designed to allow the tiny possum to steer direction whilst using their under-arm skin folds to glide through the air. The pygmy flying mouse can soar for up to 28m. These aerial acrobatics help the tiny creature avoid ground-dwelling predators such as domestic cats, which pose a huge threat to Australian marsupials.

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