Bhutanese giant squirrel
| Bhutanese giant squirrel | ||||||||||||
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Bhutanese giant flying squirrel of |
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| Petaurista nobilis | ||||||||||||
| ( Gray , 1842) |
The Bhutanese giant flying squirrel ( Petaurista nobilis ) is a flying squirrel from the genus of the giant flying squirrel ( Petaurista ). It is distributed in the Himalayas from central Nepal via the Indian state of Sikkim and most of Bhutan .
features
The Bhutan giant sliding squirrel reaches a head-trunk length of 41 to 49 centimeters and a tail length of 46 to 52 centimeters. The weight is around 2.7 kilograms. This makes it one of the largest flying squirrels and the largest species of squirrel. The back color is light and shiny chestnut brown with a pattern of yellowish-brown areas, which is created by corresponding hair tips. The stomach side, the shoulders and the middle of the head are light red-brown and a red-brown band runs over the upper area of the back. The subspecies P. n. Singhei, which lives mainly in Bhutan, is characterized by a woolly, partly orange to brown fur with a dark saddle spot on the back and shoulder spots.
Like all giant flying squirrels, it has a large and hairy flight membrane that connects the wrists and ankles and is enlarged by a fold of skin between the hind legs and the base of the tail. The flight membrane is muscular and reinforced at the edge, it can be tensed and relaxed accordingly in order to control the direction of gliding.
distribution
The Bhutanese giant sliding squirrel occurs in the Himalayas from central Nepal via the Indian state of Sikkim and most of Bhutan . Another occurrence of the subspecies Petaurista nobilis singhei was documented in northeast India east of Bhutan in the state of Arunachal Pradesh .
The height distribution ranges from 1500 to 3000 meters.
Way of life
The Bhutanese giant sliding squirrel lives in subtropical deciduous and mixed forests at high altitudes in the Himalayas. The animals are nocturnal and, above all, crepuscular and, like other flying squirrels, feed primarily on parts of plants. It is also tree-living, but unlike other giant flight squirrels, it has also been seen more frequently on the ground. Like all flying squirrels, this species is also able to glide over long distances.
No data are available on reproductive behavior and reproduction times.
Systematics
The Bhutanese giant sliding squirrel is classified as an independent species within the genus of the giant sliding squirrel ( Petaurista ), which contains a total of eight to nine species. The first scientific description comes from John Edward Gray as Sciuropterus nobilis from 1842 on the basis of individuals from the Indian district of Darjeeling . As a synonym , Sciuropterus chrysotrix was also described by Brian Houghton Hodgson in 1844 . The species was assigned to the Hodgson giant sliding squirrel ( Petaurista magnificus ), but has been considered a separate species again since the 1980s.
Two subspecies are distinguished within the species (descriptions according to):
- Petaurista nobilis nobilis ( Gray , 1842) ( nominate form ), is known from Nepal and the Indian states of Sikkim and the north of West Bengal with the type locality in Darjeeling
- Petaurista nobilis singhei Saha , 1977, lives in Bhutan and in northeast India in the state of Arunachal Pradesh
Existence, endangerment and protection
The Bhutanese giant sliding squirrel is classified as least concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN). This classification is justified on the basis of the comparatively small distribution area of less than 20,000 km 2 and the decline in available habitats due to logging and mining activities in the search for mineral resources in the distribution area. In addition, there is an expansion of human settlement, the construction of dams and the active hunting of animals as meat suppliers.
supporting documents
- ↑ a b c d e f g h i j Richard W. Thorington Jr., John L. Koprowski, Michael A. Steele: Squirrels of the World. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore MD 2012; 116. ISBN 978-1-4214-0469-1
- ↑ a b c d e Chelmala Srinivasulu, Bhargavi Srinivasulu: South Asian Mammals - Their Diversity, Distribution, and Status. Springer 2012; Pp. 129-130. ISBN 978-1-4614-3449-8
- ↑ a b c Petaurista nobilis in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2010.4. Posted by: J. Thapa, S. Molur, PO Nameer, 2008. Retrieved June 22, 2014.
- ↑ a b c Don E. Wilson & DeeAnn M. Reeder (Eds.): Petaurista nobilis in Mammal Species of the World. A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed).
- ↑ a b Chelmala Srinivasulu, S. Chakraborty, MS Pradhan: Checklist of Sciurids (Mammalia: Rodentia) of South Asia. Zoos' Print Journal 19 (2), 2004; Pp. 1351-1360.
literature
- Richard W. Thorington Jr., John L. Koprowski, Michael A. Steele: Squirrels of the World. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore MD 2012; 116. ISBN 978-1-4214-0469-1 .
Web links
- Petaurista nobilis inthe IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2010.4. Posted by: J. Thapa, S. Molur, PO Nameer, 2008. Retrieved June 22, 2014.