Chinese giant sliding squirrel
| Chinese giant sliding squirrel | ||||||||||||
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| Petaurista xanthotis | ||||||||||||
| ( Milne-Edwards , 1872) |
The Chinese giant flying squirrel ( Petaurista xanthotis ) is a flying squirrel from the genus of the giant flying squirrel ( Petaurista ). It is common in the mountainous regions of the western People's Republic of China .
features
The Chinese giant gliding squirrel reaches a head-trunk length of 32.5 to 43 centimeters and a tail length of 29 to 35 centimeters. The rear foot length is 65 to 80 millimeters, the ear length 43 to 50 millimeters. The weight is around 700 to 1200 grams. The back color is dark brown with a yellowish-gray undercoat and black outer hair with white tips. The throat is white, the stomach is gray. The sliding membranes are characterized by orange edges, the long tail has black and orange hair. The feet are black, the legs orange. Behind the round ears with black tips, the animals have a large orange spot. The subspecies differed slightly in their characteristics.
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.
The total length of the skull is 65 to 70 millimeters. The molars are described as more complex than other species in the genus.
distribution
The Chinese giant sliding squirrel has a very large distribution area in the western People's Republic of China . Here it occurs in several subspecies in the provinces of Gansu , Sichuan , Yunnan , Qinghai , Xizang and Shaanxi .
Way of life
The Chinese giant sliding squirrel lives as a highland species in coniferous forests in the mountainous regions of central China and the highlands of Tibet at altitudes of around 3000 meters. It is nocturnal and strictly arboreal. It feeds almost exclusively on parts of plants, especially young shoots, leaves and seeds. Like all other flying squirrels, this species is also able to glide over long distances by jumping off a tree.
The Chinese giant sliding squirrel builds nests in tree hollows or in the branches of higher trees. Little data is available on reproductive behavior. The species gets its young in summer and the litters usually consist of two young. A hibernation does not occur.
Systematics
The Chinese 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 Alphonse Milne-Edwards from 1872 on the basis of individuals from the area of Muping in Baoxing County in the Chinese province of Sichuan. Originally the species was grouped with the Japanese giant sliding squirrel ( Petaurista leucogenys ), but has been a separate species again since 1992, mainly due to the tooth structure and the lack of a white stripe behind the ears. The species' independence was established through molecular biological studies of the mitochondrial DNA of the cytochrome -c gene sequence confirmed, a closer relationship with the Taguan ( Petaurista petaurista ) was found.
Depending on the system, no to three subspecies are distinguished within the species (descriptions according to):
- Petaurista xanthotis xanthotis ( nominate form ), is known from the province of Sichuan
- Petaurista xanthotis buechneri , lives from Gansu to Sichuan
- Petaurista xanthotis flichnerinae , lives in Gansu
Existence, endangerment and protection
The Chinese giant sliding squirrel is classified by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) as least concern due to its large distribution area and its supposedly large populations. A sharp decline in the stocks is not recorded and potential sources of danger for the stocks are not known. The species was primarily hunted historically as a fur animal.
supporting documents
- ↑ a b c d e f g h i j Chinese Giant Flying Squirrel. In: Andrew T. Smith , Yan Xie: A Guide to the Mammals of China. Princeton University Press, 2008; P. 180. ISBN 978-0-691-09984-2 .
- ↑ 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; P. 122. ISBN 978-1-4214-0469-1
- ↑ a b c Petaurista xanthotis in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2010.4. Listed by: AT Smith, CH Johnston, 2008. Retrieved June 22, 2014.
- ↑ a b c d Don E. Wilson & DeeAnn M. Reeder (eds.): Petaurista xanthotis in Mammal Species of the World. A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed).
literature
- Richard W. Thorington Jr., John L. Koprowski, Michael A. Steele: Squirrels of the World. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore MD 2012; P. 122. ISBN 978-1-4214-0469-1
- Chinese Giant Flying Squirrel. In: Andrew T. Smith , Yan Xie: A Guide to the Mammals of China. Princeton University Press, 2008; P. 180. ISBN 978-0-691-09984-2 .
Web links
- Petaurista xanthotis inthe IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2010.4. Listed by: AT Smith, CH Johnston, 2008. Retrieved June 22, 2014.