This small family of metatheria contains two genera, each with a single species, Acrobatespygmaeus in Australia and Distoechuruspennatus in New Guinea. Acrobates is a glider and has gliding membrane running from wrist to ankle. Distoechurus has no membrane, but several aspects of the biology of this species suggest that their ancestors had a membrane and the condition in Distoechurus is due to secondary loss.

 

Acrobatids are small, in fact, Acrobates is the world's smallest glider at 10-14 gms. Distoechurus is slightly larger, weighing around 50 gms. Both species feed primarily on nectar, and they both have long, brush-tipped tongues for retreiving nectar and pollen from flowers. They may also eat some insects.

 

These species can be characterized as members of the diprotodontia with long, stiff hairs on either side of tail, that give it a feather-like appearance. This may originally have been an adaptation for steering while gliding. Like other members of their order, acrobatids are syndactylous and diprotodontia.

 

The dental formula of acrobatids is 3/2, 1/0, 2-3/3, 3/3. Their molars are bunodont and quadritubercular; the upper premolars are secodont.

 

In the past, acrobatids have been classified with the burramyidae. Recent evidence suggests that they may be more closely related to Tarsipedidae.

 

 

  Literature and references cited 

 

Feldhamer, G. A., L. C. Drickamer, S. H. Vessey, and J. F. Merritt. 1999. Mammalogy. Adaptation, Diversity, and Ecology. WCB McGraw-Hill, Boston. xii+563pp.

 

Marshall, L. G. 1984. Monotremes and marsupials. Pp 59-115 in Anderson, S. and J. Knox Jones, eds, Orders and Families of Recent Mammals of the World. John Wiley and Sons, NY. xii+686 pp.

 

Strahan, R. (ed.). 1995. Mammals of Australia. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, D.C. 756 pp.

 

Vaughan, T. A. 1986. Mammalogy. Third Edition. Saunders College Publishing, Fort Worth. vi+576 pp.

 

Vaughan, T. A., J. M. Ryan, N. J. Czaplewski. 2000. Mammalogy. Fourth Edition. Saunders College Publishing, Philadelphia. vii+565pp.

 

Wilson, D. E., and D. M. Reeder. 1993. Mammal Species of the World, A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference. 2nd edition. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington. xviii+1206 pp.