- Acrobatidae
image_caption = "Acrobates "
regnum =Animal ia
phylum = Chordata
classis =Mammal ia
infraclassis =Marsupialia
ordo =Diprotodontia
subordo =Phalangeriformes
familia = Acrobatidae
familia_authority =Aplin , 1987
subdivision_ranks = Genera
subdivision = "Acrobates "
"Distoechurus "Acrobatidae is a small family of gliding
marsupial s containing two genera, each with a single species, theFeathertail Glider ("Acrobates pygmaeus") fromAustralia andFeather-tailed Possum ("Distoechurus pennatus") fromNew Guinea .This family of the
Diprotodontia order, which can be found in the east coast and inland ofAustralia and in some islands ofNew Guinea , is characterized by their very small size, which has side effects: because their mass-to-surface-area ratio is so small, heat escapes quicker from their bodies than it would in larger animals (the larger the mass-to-surface-area ratio, the harder it is to get rid of heat). Therefore, when temperature drops or food is scarce, they have trouble maintaining their body temperature and they enter a state known as torpidity (not to be confused withhibernation , which is not known in marsupials) which can last for between one day and two weeks. In this state, the animal's breathing slows down, its temperature drops to almost that of its surroundings, and the animal becomes unresponsive.Taxonomy
* Family Acrobatidae
** Genus "Acrobates "
***Feathertail Glider , "Acrobates pygmaeus"
** Genus "Distoechurus "
***Feather-tailed Possum , "Distoechurus pennatus"References
*MSW3 Groves|pages=56
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