#petaurista

Bhutan Giant Flying Squirrel (Petaurista nobilis), family Sciuridae, Bhutan

Common Giant Flying Squirrel (Petaurista philippensis), family Sciuridae, order Rodentia, Kerala, India

Also known as the Indian Giant Flying Squirrel

Rarely seen, nocturnal and generally frugivorous

Only known to have one offspring at a time

The taxonomy of the Petaurista genus is complex and unresolved

A red and white giant flying squirrel (Petaurista alborufus) peers down from a tree in China

Red and white giant flying squirrel (Petaurista alborufus)

Red And White Giant Flying Squirrel - Petaurista alborufus lena 

It is clear that I can not hide my love for flying squirrels. This is the Taiwanese subspecies Petaurista alborufus lena (Rodentia - Sciuridae), which appears to be genetically different from mainland forms in China.

This species has low fecundity, with litter sizes of 1-2. They feed on acorns, other nuts, fruits and leafy vegetation, as well as insects, larvae and perhaps bird eggs.

References: [1] - [2]

Indian Giant Flying Squirrel - Petaurista philippensis

Indian Giant Flying Squirrels, Petaurista philippensis (Rodentia - Sciuridae) vary in color from grey to coffee-brown with a mottled back, a grey tail and pale undersides. They feed on fruits and leaves and have a fondness for fig fruits. 

They nest mostly in tree cavities and are found in a mosaic of forests of tall trees and plantations. When dusk falls, they leave their nests and return only before dawn. 

Glides of flying squirrels are a thrill to watch. Gliding has been the subject of much research, as some scientists believe it may be a precursor to powered flight. Two membranes, one between the wrist and the ankle and another from their wrist to neck are what help them achieve the feat of gliding. Large flying squirrels like the Indian Giant Flying Squirrel have an additional membrane between their tail and hind limbs. 

To glide, the flying squirrel climbs high up a tree to the upper canopy and jumps down. It then stretches its gliding membranes taut with the help of a cartilaginous wrist bone so that aided by the force of lift, it glides spread-eagle along an oblong trajectory. While air borne, it uses its tail to manoeuvre and then billows its gliding membranes outwards to decelerate so that it can land lightly. A vertical trunk is usually picked for landing when glides are long.

Indian Giant Flying Squirrels have been known to cover distances as great as 90m in a single glide, although they prefer shorter glides. They also prefer climbing across tree branches when distances between trees are short.   

Petaurista philippensis is widely distributed in South Asia, southern and central China, and mainland Southeast Asia.

References: [1] - [2]

Red and white giant flying squirrel

The spectacular Petaurista alborufus (Sciuridae) in "flight". 

This large flying squirrel from Asia (China and Taiwan) has beautiful blue eyes, as you can see in this earlier post.

Photo credit: ©Will Burrard-Lucas