In honor of Leap Day, I give you the leaping, gliding, amazing planetetherium. No, this is not some alien virus, but a prehistoric mammal of the Paleocene epoch (50+ million years ago). The planetetherium was approximately 10 to 12 inches in length, and an herbivore. Its unique, bat-like membrane of skin, stretched between front and back feet, allowing it to leap and glide from to tree to tree.
Its current day ancestor, the colugo, lives in Southeast Asia. Planetetheriums and colugos don’t fly, they glide, or as Buzz Lightyear would say, “This isn’t flying, this is falling with style.” To learn more about the gliding magic of the planetetherium and colugo, watch this fascinating video (less than 2 minutes!): Gliding-Colugo-BBC
Fun Fact: A leapling or leaper is someone born on February 29. Approximately 4.1 million people (one in 1,461), celebrate a leap day birthday.
Wishing you a happy leap day that takes you to infinity and beyond!
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