Mindanao flying squirrel
| Mindanao flying squirrel | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Systematics | ||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||
| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Petinomys mindanensis | ||||||||||||
| ( Rabor , 1939) |
The Mindanao flying squirrel ( Petinomys mindanensis ) is a flying squirrel from the genus of the dwarf flying squirrel ( Petinomys ). It occurs on the Indonesian island group Mindanao .
features
The Mindanao flying squirrel reaches a head-torso length of about 29 to 34 centimeters and a tail length of about 29 to 38 centimeters. It is about the same size as the similar Palawan flying squirrel ( Hylopetes nigripes ) and slightly larger than the sympathetic Mindanao flying squirrel ( Petinomys crinitus ), within the genus it belongs to the largest species with the Travancore flying squirrel ( Petinomys fuscocapillus ). The back and head color is gray to brown, the ventral side is lighter. The tail is brown and, unlike that of Petinomys crinitus, round in cross-section.
Like all dwarf gliding squirrels, it has a hairy skin 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 sliding skin is muscular and reinforced at the edge, it can be tensed and relaxed accordingly in order to control the direction of the gliding flight.
distribution
The Mindanao flying squirrel occurs on the Indonesian island group Mindanao and there on the islands of Mindanao, Dinagat and Siargao .
Way of life
The Mindanao flying squirrel occurs in wooded areas at altitudes of 500 to 1600 meters, with forests in the middle areas being preferred.
Little data or observations are available about the way of life of the Mindanao flying squirrel. In its way of life it probably corresponds to other flying squirrels; it is therefore probably tree-living or partly living on the ground, largely nocturnal and feeds on plants.
Systematics
The Mindanao flying squirrel is classified as an independent species within the genus of the dwarf flying squirrel ( Petinomys ), which contains a total of nine species. The first scientific description comes from Dioscoro S. Rabor from 1939 as Hylopetes mindanensis based on an individual from the region around Gingoog in the Philippine province of Misamis Oriental on the north coast of the island of Mindanao . The holotype was destroyed during World War II, a paratype is in the National Museum of Natural History in Washington, DC
No subspecies are distinguished within the species.
Existence, endangerment and protection
The Mindanao flying squirrel is listed as “least concern” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) due to its frequent occurrence and stable populations in the less endangered forests of medium altitudes. The stocks are estimated to be stable, and no potential sources of danger from logging and conversion to agricultural land are assumed.
supporting documents
- ↑ a b c d e f Richard W. Thorington Jr., John L. Koprowski, Michael A. Steele: Squirrels of the World. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore MD 2012; P. 125. ISBN 978-1-4214-0469-1
- ↑ a b c d Petinomys mindanensis in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2014.1. Posted by: F. Chiozza, 2008. Retrieved June 21, 2014.
- ↑ a b c d Don E. Wilson & DeeAnn M. Reeder (eds.): Petinomys mindanensis 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. 126. ISBN 978-1-4214-0469-1 .
Web links
- Petinomys mindanensis inthe IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2014.1. Posted by: F. Chiozza, 2008. Retrieved June 21, 2014.