Temminck flying squirrel
| Temminck flying squirrel | ||||||||||||
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| Petinomys setosus | ||||||||||||
| ( Temminck , 1844) |
The Temminck's flying squirrel ( Petinomys setosus ) is a flying squirrel from the genus of the dwarf flying squirrel ( Petinomys ). It occurs in isolated areas of mainland Southeast Asia in Myanmar , Thailand and the Malaysia Peninsula, as well as on the islands of Sumatra and northern Borneo .
features
The Temminck flying squirrel reaches a head-torso length of around 11.5 centimeters and a tail length of around 9 to 11 centimeters. The weight is around 40 grams, with the animals in the northern part of the distribution area being somewhat larger and heavier. The back and tail color of the animals is usually black-brown with a dark-brown upper surface of the sliding membranes. The ventral side is whitish, pink or sandy brown. The cheeks are gray, sometimes with a pink or white tint. The animals of the northern populations have gray shoulders and a facial drawing that consists of a black eye ring and a line to the nose. In addition, the back of these animals is mottled and they have a white tip of the tail.
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 Temminck flying squirrel lives in isolated areas of the Southeast Asian mainland in Myanmar , Thailand north of the Isthmus of Kra as well as on the peninsula Malaysia and on the islands of Sumatra and the northern third of the island of Borneo with the Malaysian states of Sarawak and Sabah and the Sultanate of Brunei .
Way of life
The Temminck flying squirrel lives in tropical primary forests and older secondary forests as well as in rubber plantations . In the south, it lives more in the moist forests of the lowlands, in the north it can also occur in the drier forests of higher elevations. Almost no data or observations are available about the way of life of the flying squirrel. In its way of life it probably corresponds to other flying squirrels and is tree-living, largely nocturnal and it feeds on plants.
Systematics
The Temminck 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 Coenraad Jacob Temminck from 1844 on the basis of an individual from the island of Padang , Indonesia. No subspecies are distinguished within the species, but the northern populations north of the Isthmus of Kra are sometimes discussed as a subspecies or even a separate species due to the separation from the main populations and slight differences in the characteristics.
Existence, endangerment and protection
The Temminck flying squirrel is listed as endangered ("vulnerable") by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN). This status is justified by the significant decline in the past and foreseeable future, which is greater than 30% of the total. This is attributed to the loss of habitat due to the conversion of forests into agricultural areas and logging, especially in the southern areas of the distribution area.
supporting documents
- ↑ 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. 126-127. ISBN 978-1-4214-0469-1
- ↑ a b c d e Petinomys setosus in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2014.1. Listed by: C. Francis, JW Duckworth, 2008. Retrieved June 21, 2014.
- ↑ a b c Don E. Wilson & DeeAnn M. Reeder (Eds.): Petinomys setosus 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; Pp. 126-127. ISBN 978-1-4214-0469-1
Web links
- Petinomys setosus inthe IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2014.1. Listed by: C. Francis, JW Duckworth, 2008. Retrieved June 21, 2014.