Phayre flying squirrel

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Phayre flying squirrel
Systematics
Subordination : Squirrel relatives (Sciuromorpha)
Family : Squirrel (Sciuridae)
Subfamily : Tree squirrel and flying squirrel (Sciurinae)
Tribe : Flying Squirrel (Pteromyini)
Genre : Horseshoe Flying Squirrel ( Hylopetes )
Type : Phayre flying squirrel
Scientific name
Hylopetes phayrei
( Blyth , 1859)

The Phayre's flying squirrel ( Hylopetes phayrei ) is a species of squirrel from the genus of the horseshoe flying squirrel ( Hylopetes ). It occurs in Southeast Asia from the south of the People's Republic of China to Vietnam .

features

The Phayre flying squirrel reaches a head-trunk length of 14.4 to 17.3 centimeters, the tail reaches a length of 12.8 to 15.9 centimeters and is therefore almost as long as the rest of the body. The hind foot becomes 32 to 35 millimeters long, the ear reaches a length of 23 to 25 millimeters. The weight is between 110 and 170 grams. This makes it the smallest flying squirrel in China and significantly smaller than the black and white flying squirrel ( Hylopetes alboniger ), with which it overlaps in its area of ​​distribution.

The color of the animals is reddish-brown on the back. The belly side is white with a yellow tinge and the throat is white, from there the light color runs as a gray tone over the cheeks to behind the ears. Unlike the black-and-white flying squirrel, it has no small black tufts of hair on its ears and its tail is clearly flattened.

The tympanic bladder (Bulla tympanica) is large in the Phayre's flying squirrel and makes up more than 20% of the total length of the skull, while in the black and white flying squirrel it generally makes up less than 20%.

distribution

The Phayre's flying squirrel occurs in Southeast Asia from the south of the People's Republic of China to Myanmar , the north of Thailand and Laos to the northwest of Vietnam , but the species has not been historically confirmed in Laos and is therefore unsafe. In China, it can be found on the island of Hainan and in the provinces of Guizhou , Guangxi and Fujian .

The altitude distribution is usually at altitudes of up to 1500 meters in mountain forests and mixed forests of lower altitudes.

Way of life

The Phayre flying squirrel is strictly arboreal and nocturnal. The flying squirrel spends the day in tree hollows and hollow trees, while at night it searches for food, where it mainly feeds on fruits, including cultivated fruits.

On Hainan, the Phayre flying squirrel sometimes lives sympathetically with the black and white flying squirrel.

Systematics

The Phayre's flying squirrel is classified as a separate species within the genus of the horseshoe flying squirrel ( Hylopetes ), which consists of nine species. The first scientific description comes from Edward Blyth from 1859, who described an individual from the area of Rangoon in what is now Myanmar .

According to Wilson & Reeder 2005, in addition to the nominate form Hylopetes p. phayrei with Hylopetes p. electilis is another subspecies that is endemic to Hainan.

Status, threat and protection

The Phayre's flying squirrel is classified as least concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) due to its large distribution area and the assumed large populations . Concrete information on stock figures and potential causes of danger are not known.

supporting documents

  1. ↑ a b c d e f g Robert S. Hoffmann, Andrew T. Smith: Indochinese Flying Squirrel. In: Andrew T. Smith , Yan Xie: A Guide to the Mammals of China. Princeton University Press, Princeton NJ 2008, ISBN 978-0-691-09984-2 , p. 176.
  2. ↑ a b c d Richard W. Thorington Jr., John L. Koprowski, Michael A. Steele: Squirrels of the World. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore MD 2012; Pp. 101-102. ISBN 978-1-4214-0469-1
  3. ↑ a b c Hylopetes phayrei in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2013.2. Posted by: JW Duckworth, B. Lee, RJ Tizard, 2008. Retrieved May 29, 2014.
  4. ↑ a b c Hylopetes phayrei In: Don E. Wilson , DeeAnn M. Reeder (Ed.): Mammal Species of the World. A taxonomic and geographic Reference. 2 volumes. 3. Edition. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore MD 2005, ISBN 0-8018-8221-4 .

literature

  • Robert S. Hoffmann, Andrew T. Smith: Indochinese Flying Squirrel. In: Andrew T. Smith , Yan Xie: A Guide to the Mammals of China. Princeton University Press, Princeton NJ 2008, ISBN 978-0-691-09984-2 , p. 176.
  • Richard W. Thorington Jr., John L. Koprowski, Michael A. Steele: Squirrels of the World. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore MD 2012; Pp. 101-102. ISBN 978-1-4214-0469-1

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