Black and white flying squirrel

Black and white 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 :	Black and white flying squirrel
Scientific name
	Hylopetes alboniger
	( Hodgson , 1836)

The black and white flying squirrel ( Hylopetes alboniger ) is a species of squirrel from the genus of the horseshoe flying squirrel ( Hylopetes ). It occurs in South and Southeast Asia from the south of the People's Republic of China and the Himalayas to the south of Vietnam .

features

The black-and-white flying squirrel reaches a head-torso length of 17.5 to 24.7 centimeters, the tail reaches a length of 17.2 to 22.7 centimeters and is thus about as long as the rest of the body. The hind foot becomes 36 to 45 millimeters long, the ear reaches a length of 27 to 36 millimeters. The weight is between 200 and 270 grams. The coloring of the animals is medium to red-brown on the back, while the sides of the body, the top of the flight membrane, the legs and the top of the tail are dark gray to black. The belly side is cream-colored and the throat is white, from there the light color runs as a gray tone over the cheeks to under the eyes and ears. Both sides of the ears are covered with small black hair. In contrast to the Phayre's flying squirrel ( Hylopetes phayrie ), the tail is not clearly flattened.

The tympanic bladder (Bulla tympanica) is not as large as in the Phayre's flying squirrel, where it makes up more than 20% of the total length of the skull, and generally takes up less than 20%. The squirrel has a diploid chromosome set of 2n = 38 chromosomes .

distribution

The black and white flying squirrel occurs in South and Southeast Asia from the south of the People's Republic of China and the Himalayas to Southeast Asia . The nominate form H. a. alboniger is widespread in the central and northern regions of Nepal , in Bhutan and the extreme northeast of India and in Bangladesh . In China the species is represented with several subspecies: This is how H. a. leonardi in the northwest of Yunnan Province and H. a. chianfengensis endemic to Hainan Island while H. a. orinus can be found in the provinces of Yunnan, Sichuan , Guizhou , Guangxi and Zhejiang . From here the distribution area moves to Myanmar , the north of Thailand , Laos and Cambodia to the south of Vietnam .

The altitude distribution is usually in areas from 1500 to 3400 meters above sea level, but can also be up to 4000 meters in the Himalayas.

Way of life

The black and white flying squirrel is strictly arboreal and nocturnal. It builds its round nests from oak and fern leaves in tree hollows, especially in oaks or rhododendrons , where it stays during the day. It feeds mainly on fruits and nuts, supplemented by leaves and other vegetable foods. Communication takes place via high whistles that can be used to find the animals at night. The breeding season takes place in the spring from April to mid-June, the females have two to three young per litter.

In China, the black and white flying squirrel lives sympatric with one or more species of the giant flying squirrel ( Petaurista ). On Hainan the Phayre flying squirrel occurs partly sympatric with the black and white flying squirrel.

Systematics

The black and white flying squirrel is classified as an independent species within the genus of the horseshoe flying squirrel ( Hylopetes ), which consists of nine species. The first scientific description comes from Brian Houghton Hodgson from 1836, who described an individual from northern Nepal .

According to Wilson & Reeder 2005, in addition to the nominate form Hylopetes a. alboniger with Hylopetes a. chianfengensis and Hylopetes a. orinus distinguished two other subspecies. Smith & Yan Xie 2009 and Thorington et al. 2012 also describe the subspecies Hylopetes a. leonardi for the northwest of Yunnan Province.

Status, threat and protection

The black and white 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 .

There is no concrete information about the inventory. Although it is rarely observed and was still considered to be endangered in 1996, comparatively large stocks are assumed and a potential decline in stocks is not so great that a different hazard classification is assumed. In South Asia in particular, however, the population is expected to decline. The main causes of the decline are the loss of habitat due to the conversion of forest areas into agricultural areas through slash and burn , the planting of small-scale wood plantations, the mining of mineral resources and the expansion of settlements and roads. In some areas in northeast India, the species is also hunted for food.

supporting documents

↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h Robert S. Hoffmann, Andrew T. Smith: Particolored 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.
↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g Richard W. Thorington Jr., John L. Koprowski, Michael A. Steele: Squirrels of the World. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore MD 2012; Pp. 25-26. ISBN 978-1-4214-0469-1
^ ^A ^b 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.
↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g Hylopetes alboniger in the Red List of Threatened Species of the IUCN 2013.2. Listed by: JW Duckworth, RJ Tizard, S. Molur, 2008. Retrieved May 28, 2014.
↑ ^a ^b ^c Hylopetes alboniger 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: Particolored 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. 25-26. ISBN 978-1-4214-0469-1

Web links

Hylopetes alboniger in the Red List of Threatened Species of the IUCN 2013.2. Listed by: JW Duckworth, RJ Tizard, S. Molur, 2008. Retrieved May 28, 2014.

[Smith_&_Yan_Xie_2009-1] ↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h Robert S. Hoffmann, Andrew T. Smith: Particolored 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.

[Thorington_et_al._2012-2] ↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g Richard W. Thorington Jr., John L. Koprowski, Michael A. Steele: Squirrels of the World. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore MD 2012; Pp. 25-26. ISBN 978-1-4214-0469-1

[Smith_&_Yan_Xie_2009_phayrei-3] A ^b 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.

[IUCN-4] ↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g Hylopetes alboniger in the Red List of Threatened Species of the IUCN 2013.2. Listed by: JW Duckworth, RJ Tizard, S. Molur, 2008. Retrieved May 28, 2014.

[Wilson_&_Reeder_2005-5] Hylopetes alboniger 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 .