Travancore flying squirrel
| Travancore flying squirrel | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Petinomys fuscocapillus | ||||||||||||
| ( Jerdon , 1847) |
The Travancore flying squirrel ( Petinomys fuscocapillus ) is a flying squirrel from the genus of the dwarf flying squirrel ( Petinomys ). It occurs in southern India and Sri Lanka .
features
The Travancore flying squirrel reaches a head-torso length of about 32 to 34 centimeters and a tail length of about 25 to 29 centimeters. The weight is around 700 grams. The back and head color is reddish to fox brown or dark brown, the belly, chin and cheeks are reddish-white.
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 Travancore flying squirrel occurs in southern India and Sri Lanka at altitudes of 500 to 2000 meters. In India it lives in the Western Ghats in Kerala and Tamil Nadu while in Sri Lanka it occurs in the central and southern parts of the Central Province , the North Central Province , the South Province and the Provinces of Sabaragamuwa and Uva . The distribution is highly fragmented due to the available habitats .
Way of life
The Travancore flying squirrel occurs in wooded areas mainly in the higher altitudes, whereby it is known from different habitats and forest types such as deciduous forests, mixed forests and evergreen forests. It is also seen less frequently in plantations near forest areas and it can also occur in the vicinity of human settlements.
Little data is available on the way of life of the flying squirrel. In its way of life it corresponds to other flying squirrels; it lives as a solitary tree living at heights of 15 to 20 meters and is largely nocturnal. It feeds on plants, sometimes in neighboring plantations. It builds nests in tree hollows and spends most of its time in the canopy of the woods. In the Western Ghats, the species lives together with the Indian giant flying squirrel ( Petaurista philippensis ) and is rather rare in comparison to this.
Systematics
The Travancore 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 Thomas Caverhill Jerdon from 1847 using an individual from the former princely state of Travancore in what is now the state of Kerala in South India.
No subspecies are distinguished within the species. Historically, a separation into an Indian subspecies P. f. fuscocapillus and a subspecies P. f. layardi in Sri Lanka, which were later synonymous again. However, there is still a debate as to whether the two populations are different subspecies or even separate species.
Existence, endangerment and protection
The Travancore flying squirrel is listed as "near threatened" by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN). This status is justified by the comparatively small distribution area, which is a maximum of 30,000 km 2 , as well as the decreasing availability of suitable habitats and the fragmented distribution of the species. Classification as an endangered species is possible in the future.
Loss of habitat due to the conversion of forests into agricultural areas, wood plantations and settlement areas, as well as logging, is considered to be the main cause of endangerment. The animals are hunted to a small extent as meat suppliers for local needs.
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; Pp. 123-124. ISBN 978-1-4214-0469-1
- ↑ a b c d e f g h Petinomys fuscocapillus in the Red List of Endangered Species of the IUCN 2014.1. Posted by: N. Rajamani, S. Molur, PO Nameer, 2008. Retrieved June 20, 2014.
- ↑ a b c Don E. Wilson & DeeAnn M. Reeder (eds.): Petinomys fuscocapillus 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. 123-124. ISBN 978-1-4214-0469-1
Web links
- Petinomys fuscocapillus inthe IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2014.1. Posted by: N. Rajamani, S. Molur, PO Nameer, 2008. Retrieved June 20, 2014.